Informally, a vanity label (compare

vanity press A vanity press or vanity publisher, sometimes also subsidy publisher, is a book printer that is paid by authors to Self-published, self-publish their books. A vanity press charges fees in advance and does not contribute to the development of the ...

) is a

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger, and better established (at least at the time of the vanity label's founding) record label, where the subsidiary is (at least nominally) controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist to release music by other artists they admire. The parent label handles the production and distribution and funding of the vanity label, but the album is usually released with the vanity brand name prominent. Usually, the artist/head of the vanity label is signed to the parent label, and this artist's own recordings will be released under the vanity brand name. Creating a vanity label can be an attractive idea for the parent label, primarily as a "perk" to keep a successful artist on the label's roster happy and as a venue to bring fellow artists to the public's attention.

Prominent vanity labels

References

"Vanity labels: good business or an ego boost?"
''New York Times'', 5/10/92
"Vanity Labels"
"SoundShots", 29/12/2020 {{Refend