Universal Records Philippines, Inc. is a Filipino

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

founded in 1977 as part of

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. (trade name, d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York C ...

. Since 1992, it is an independent label. The label is currently a member of the Philippine Association of the Record Industry.

History

URPI was founded in 1977 as WEA Records Philippines Inc. The company was the licensee of WEA in the Philippines for 15 years. However, the latter still decided to put its own office, the precursor of what is now Warner Music Philippines. In 1992, the company adopted a new name, Universal Records Philippines Inc., and since then it has risen as one of the Philippines' best and biggest record labels. Universal Records officially distributed

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, g ...

albums from September 2009, to be followed by some

J-pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the ...

albums which were announced in late May 2011. Currently, it is the leading independent recording company in the country, being home to best-selling OPM artists. In 2018, the company launched Mustard Music, a sublabel focusing on the growth of homegrown indie acts.

Distributed labels

As of 2011 :

Local

* 12 Stone Inc. * GMA Music * Jesuit Communications Foundation *

Jesuit Music Ministry The Jesuit Music Ministry (JMM) is a Philippines-based producer and publisher of music for use in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic church. It also manages a group of artists and composers, whose works are widely used in the liturgy of the Holy Mas ...

* Soupstar Music

Foreign

* 618 International Records * AI Entertainment * All Around the World Productions *

American Laundromat Records American Laundromat Records is an independent record label founded in 2004 by Joe Spadaro. ALR specializes in almost annual indie rock compilation albums, which have included tracks by OK Go, The Dresden Dolls, and The Watson Twins. Compilation t ...

Angular Recording Corporation Angular Recording Corporation was an independent record label founded in New Cross, South East London. It was established in June 2003 by two ex- Goldsmiths College students, Joe Daniel and Joe Margetts, who reclaimed a local Ordnance Survey T ...

* Arts & Crafts * Avex Group ** Avex Taiwan ** Avex Asia *** Armada Music ***

Johnny's Entertainment is a Japanese talent agency, formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962, which trains and promotes groups of male entertainers known as . History 1962–1989 In 1962, Kitagawa launched his first group, Johnnys. In its early days, Kitagawa's agency ren ...

*** Kontor Records *** / Major Chord Records *** Purple Communication *** S.M. Entertainment *** Vandit *

Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels. History In 1977, spurred by the prevailing ...

* Blanco y Negro Records * Bonnier Amigo Music Group * Brickhouse Direct * Cooking Vinyl ** Take Me to the Hospital *

Domino Records Domino Records may refer to: * Domino Records (1916), American producer of early phonograph, from 1916 to 1917 *Domino Records (1924), American record label, from 1924 to 1933 * Domino Records (Canada), produced by the Compo Company in the 1920s a ...

* Edel Music *

Elefant Records Elefant Records is an independent record label based in Madrid, Spain. History Elefant Records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea del Arco". In 2014, the label's 25th anniversary was celebr ...

FNC Music FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The label operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ev ...

* Geneon Entertainment (music division) * Imperial Records * Instant Karma * Kitty-Yo * Labrador Records * Liberation Music *

Licking Fingers Licking Fingers is a Swedish independent record label run by and affiliated with The Concretes, a Swedish indie-pop band. It was formed in Stockholm sometime between 1997 and 1999. The Concretes and Frida Hyvönen have released music through this im ...

LOEN Entertainment Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...

** Stardom Entertainment * LTM Recordings * Matador Records * Moshi Moshi Records * NeoMONDE Productions * NH Media * Nippon Columbia * Om Records *

PIAS PIAS or Pias may refer to: * PIAS Group, a UK music company ** PIAS Recordings (Play It Again Sam), an independent record label based in London and owned by the PIAS Entertainment Group * PIAS Group, a Japanese cosmetic company * Protein inhibitor ...

* Playground Music Scandinavia * Pledis Entertainment * Pony Canyon ** Interglobal Music (Pony Canyon MY) ** Leafage *

Secretly Canadian Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Secretly Canadian is a label included in Secretly Group, which ...

Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...

Sincerely Yours Sincerely Yours may refer to: Film * ''Sincerely Yours'' (film), a 1955 American romantic music comedy featuring Liberace * '' Sincerely Yours...'', a 1985 Soviet comedy Music * Sincerely Yours (record label), a Swedish record label Albums * ' ...

* TC Music *

TVT Records TVT Records (Tee-Vee Tunes) was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 24-year history, the label released 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon ...

* Ultra Records *

XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six alb ...

* Yejeon Media * YG Entertainment (until 2012)

Artists

Current artists

* Angelina Cruz (2016–present) * Better Days (2017–present) * Christian Bautista (2009–present) * DJ Loonyo (2021–present) * Donny Pangilinan (2017–present) * Dotty's World (2018–present) * Elmo Magalona (2015–present) * Gary Valenciano (1983–present) * Gloc-9 (2012–present) * I Belong to the Zoo (2022–present) *

Ice Seguerra Cariza "Ice" Yamson Seguerra (born September 17, 1983), formerly and still known professionally as Aiza Seguerra, is a Filipino actor, singer-songwriter, director and guitarist. Initially coming out as a lesbian in 2007, Seguerra now identifies ...

(2015–present) * Imago (band) (2006–2010; 2019-present) * Janina Vela (2017–present) * JKris (2018–present) * Julie Anne San Jose (2017–present) * Kurei (2019–present) * Kyle Juliano (2017–present) * Mark Oblea (2017–present) * Maine Mendoza (2017–present) * Noel Cabangon (2009–present) * Paolo Mallari (2017–present) * Paolo Sandejas (2018–present) * Parokya ni Edgar (1993–present) * Shanti Dope (2017–present) *

Sponge Cola Sponge Cola (sometimes spelled Spongecola) is a Filipino rock band formed in 2002. The band is composed of Yael Yuzon on vocals and guitars, Gosh Dilay on bass, Armo Armovit on guitars and drummer Tedmark Cruz. One of the most popular rock b ...

(2006–present) * TALA (2017–present) * COLN (2019-present) * The Knobs (2020–present) * Kemrie Barcenas (2020–present)

Mustard Music (sublabel)

* Good Kid$ (2018–2020) * Issa Rodriguez (2018–present) * Joey tha Boy (2018–present) * The Ransom Collective (2019-present) * Timmy Albert (2019-present) * Barq (Arkin Magalona) (2019-present) * La Playa (2019-present)

Former artists

* APO Hiking Society (now disbanded) * Celeste Legaspi * Samantha Chavez *

Willy Garte Universal Records Philippines, Inc. is a Filipino record label founded in 1977 as part of Warner Music Group. Since 1992, it is an independent label. The label is currently a member of the Philippine Association of the Record Industry. His ...

* Roel Cortez * Sheryl Cruz * Hotdog (now disbanded) * Itchyworms (still performing) * Masta Plann (now currently bases in California] * Orange and Lemons * Gino Padilla * Milyo Naryo * Max Surban *

Universal Motion Dancers Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

* The New Everlasting Band * Jaymie Baby * Nexxus * Jose Mari Chan (1985–2012, still performing) *

Neocolours Neocolours is a Filipino rock band formed in 1987, out of the remnants of a mid-1980s vocal group, in Manila, Philippines. Founding members were: Ito Rapadas (vocalist), Jimmy Antiporda (keyboard), Marvin Querido (2nd keyboards), Josel Jimenez ...

(1988–2000) * Lyon Smith * Wadab * George Yang (now chief executive of McDonald's Philippines) * Flavors * Willie Revillame (2002–2005) * Karylle (2001–2008) * Geneva Cruz (formerly from Smokey Mountain; moved to Curve Entertainment) * Jed Madela (2003–2013) * Dingdong Avanzado (2004–2007) * Jessa Zaragoza (2004–2007) *

Billy Crawford Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a Filipino actor, musician, singer, dancer, comedian and television host who released 7 studio albums and has had a number of singles, notably " Trackin'", " When You Think About Me" (a remake o ...

(2004–2018, moved to VIVA Records) * Kamikazee (2005–2015) *

Shamrock A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive o ...

(2005–2010) * Lani Misalucha (2006–2010) * Silent Sanctuary (2006–2012) *

Ogie Alcasid Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (; born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino singer-songwriter, television presenter, comedian, parodist, and actor. He is currently the President of OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit). Early care ...

(2007–2016, moved to Star Music) * Regine Velasquez (2007–2017, moved to Star Music) * Sam Concepcion (2007–2017, moved to VIVA Records) *

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms * National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq * Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology * No incom ...

(2010–2012) *

Jaya Jaya may refer to: Media *''Jaya'', self titled albums by Jaya (singer), released in 1989, 1996 and 2001 * ''Jaya'' (film), a 2002 Indian Tamil film Mythology *''Jaya'', a name of Karna in Mahabharata; the core portion of the ''Mahabharata'' ...

(2011–2014, now based in the US) * Callalily (2012–2017, moved to O/C Records) * Rivermaya (2012–2014, returned to Sony Music Philippines) * She's Only Sixteen (2012–2015) * Alden Richards (2013–2015, moved to GMA Music) * Nikki Gil (2014–2015) *

The Company ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

(2015–2017) * Rico Blanco (2015–2017, moved to Sony Music Philippines) * Fern. (2017–2020, moved to Island Records Philippines) * Claudia Barretto (2016–2020, moved to VIVA Records)

Trade name dispute with UMG

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

cannot use the Universal name in the Philippines as URPI has the rights for the said trade name. With this, UMG business in the Philippines was then known as MCA Music, Inc., the former global trade name for UMG. On November 3, 2021, MCA Music changed to its current name as UMG Philippines.

References

External links

Official site
* * {{Authority control Philippine independent record labels Record labels established in 1977 Companies based in Quezon City Philippine companies established in 1977 Privately held companies