Record Labels: Major or Independant?

There are 4 record labels that are considered the 'Big Four' these are: Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Group, Sony BMG and Universal music group. These four have dominated the music industry since the late 80s. However, there is increasing popularity, particularly in up and coming music groups and bands to no longer use a large record label; this is for a variety of reasons, most prominent of which is the view that record labels take a huge deal of revenue from the artist, and this has sparked a revolution in artists being independant, rather than using a large label to promote their product. A great example of this is 'Simply Red's' Mick Hucknall. Setting up a personal record label: www.simplyred.com to promote his solo career rather than using a record label, who starting in 1985 with their first hit, ``Holding Back the Years,'' Simply Red reportedly sold more than 45 million albums worldwide in affiliation with their record label Warner Music Group. Hucknall says while he took approximately $32 million during that 14-year period, the record company took in a huge $300 million.