20 Musicians Who Started Their Own Record Labels
By Rose Wythe
March 23, 2018
It’s one thing to be a major-label artist — it’s that moment you’ve finally made it, you have an entire label to help promote your music — but it’s another when that love of music and passion for entrepreneurship gets even stronger that artists decide to either work with or break out of that major-label success and start their own record labels. From countless hip-hop artists (Kanye, Eminem, JAY-Z, just to name a few) to pop-rockers (5 Seconds of Summer, Hanson) to the classics (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones), here are 20 artists who were inspired to create their own labels.
1. 5 Seconds of Summer - Hi or Hey Records
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2. The Beatles - Apple Records
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3. Dave Grohl - Roswell Records
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4. Pete Wentz - Decaydance Records (Fueled by Ramen imprint)
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5. Kanye West - GOOD Music
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6. Diddy - Bad Boy Records
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7. Nick Jonas & Demi Lovato - Safehouse Records
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8. JAY-Z - Roc Nation
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9. Prince - NPG Records
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10. Led Zeppelin - Swan Song Records
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11. Tyler, The Creator - Odd Future Records
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12. Nas - Mass Appeal
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13. Eminem - Shady Records
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14. Rolling Stones - Rolling Stones Records
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15. Hanson - 3CG Records
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16. The Knocks - Heavy Roc Music
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17. Julian Casablancas - Cult Records
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18. Jack White - Third Man
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19. Skrillex - OWSLA
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20. Chvrches - Goodbye Records
Photo: Rob Berry for iHeartRadio