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This page contains background information for why a particular label shows up with a particular result on this site. "Evidence for" means it is evidence for being marked as an RIAA member. "Evidence against" means it is evidence against it being marked as an RIAA member. If you have any information on any these labels (or any others not mentioned) please e-mail me.
679 Recordings (Web site)
7Spin Music (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict:
 RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Absolutely Kosher (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Evidence against: Label staff has stated that they are not RIAA members.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Artemis Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Basement Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Big Machine Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Label staff has stated that they are RIAA members.
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Verdict:
 RIAA until proven innocent.
Blood and Fire Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Caroline Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed as subsidiary of Caroline Distribution (which is owned by EMI) on Wikipedia.
- Evidence for: Listed as a sub-label of Virgin Records UK in the British Library Sound Archive listings.
- Evidence against: Listed as independent label in music distributor listings.
- Evidence against: Not listed in the RIAA members list.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Decaydance Records (Web site)
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Any affiliation is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Discipline (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Label is generally known to be fairly anti-record industry.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Downtown (Web site)
- Evidence for: Is distributed by Warner Music's Alternative Distribution Alliance (link), and has a joint venture with Atlantic Records.
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Epitaph Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Evidence against: Claims itself to be an independent label.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Equal Vision Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Evidence against: Claims itself to be an "independent record label entirely owned and operated with no outside financial support."
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Fat Wreck Chords (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Ferret Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence for: Warner Music Group acquired a stake in Ferret Music in August, 2006.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Fueled By Ramen Records (Web site)
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Any affiliation is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Grand Royal Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Hear Music (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list under Worksong/Rhino/Hear.
- Evidence against: Any affiliation is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
High Wire Music (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Hush Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Kemado Records (Web site)
Lakeshore Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Legacy
- Evidence for: Legacy Recordings is a division of Sony BMG (who is listed on the RIAA membership list)
- Evidence against: There is a bargian basement reissue label that does business under the name Bescol, which is not an RIAA member.
- Verdict: Because the Amazon data lists both label's albums under the same record label name, there's no way I can tell which one is which just by the record label, so because the Sony BMG stuff is more prevalent, I list them with the warning.
Lookout! Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Luaka Bop Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Magna Carta (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Maple Music (Web site)
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Any affiliation is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
MySpace Records (Web site)
Nettwerk Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Claims itself to be an independent label.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Evidence against: Has funded lawsuits against the RIAA and has stated "The current actions of the RIAA are not in my artists' best interests."
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Neurodisc Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: From the label itself: "Neurodisc Records is independent and is not affiliated with the RIAA or any of the major record labels. In the past we were distributed through Priority Records/EMI but have since switched and have always been independently owned."
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Nitro Records (Web site)
Noise Records (Web site)
NPG Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: It's owner, Prince, is fairly vocal about record label and artist issues.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Quinlan Road (Web site)
Relapse (Web site)
Righteous Babe (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Rough Trade (Web site)
Rykodisc (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Their web site claims they are an independent label.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Show Dog (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Shout Factory (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Side One Dummy (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Spin Art (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
SPV (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Steamhammer (Web site)
- Evidence for: Steamhammer is a sublabel of SPV, which is listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Sub Pop (Web site)
- Evidence for: Warner Music Group owns 49% of the label.
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe, but it's your judgement call.
Tommy Boy (Web site)
- Evidence for: Has a promotion and distribution deal with Warner Brothers.
- Evidence for: Its president, Tom Silverman, is a member of the RIAA.
- Evidence against: Not listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Claims itself to be an independent label.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Tompkins Square (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Trustkill Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Evidence against: Label staff has stated that they are not RIAA members.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
V2/V2 Int'l
- Evidence against: V2 is no longer completely owned by Virgin Records. The label still exists as an international imprint, but the North American side of the imprint is owned by Sheridan Square Entertainment, which also owns Artemis and Artemis sublabels Vanguard Classics, Karuna, Triloka, Rope-a-Dope and Tone-Cool (all which appear as "safe" on this site).
- Verdict: Anything labelled as "V2 Int'l" or similar will remain as a warning. Anything else will be safe.
Vagrant Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: In 2001, Interscope acquired a non-controlling interest in the label, but those terms ended and Vagrant became a fully independent label.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Vice Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Listed on the RIAA membership list.
- Evidence against: Membership listing is most likely due to major label marketing/distribution deals.
- Verdict: RIAA-safe until proven guilty.
Victory Records (Web site)
- Evidence for: Music from the Victory Records label has been cited as illegal downloads in RIAA lawsuits.
- Evidence for: The listing for "Victory Music" in the RIAA members list is the company that owns the rights to publish music from Victory Records.
- Evidence against: The was a deal proposed where MCA would acquire a non-controlling 25% interest in Victory (which followed a bidding war with Columbia). That deal reportedly fell through.
- Evidence against: Listed as independent label in music distributor listing.
- Verdict: RIAA until proven innocent.
Do you have any information on any these labels? Or any others not mentioned? Or have a particular label you want to investigate? Please e-mail me.
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RIAA Radar Indie 100 >>
The top 100 sellers on Amazon that are RIAA-safe. An entirely new kind of album chart, and the easiest way ever to find popular independent music.
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