Artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs can give credit to Universal Music Group for signing them on and developing their careers. Music production companies seek out and sign contracts with new and experienced artists. They are responsible for developing their careers, from their image to their live performance. They counsel artists on which direction they should take, whether it be considering recording a Christmas album or following a new musical trend. Bruce Springsteen's first two albums were folk-influenced and sold poorly. He was told to record a rock album and went on to release his seminal album, "Born to Run," selling millions of copies and cementing his place in rock history.
The major component in music production is the actual production of music. Music production companies produce the recordings in their catalog, often from the ground up. They work with various music producers and studios to produce the music needed for a specific project. For example, if they are working on music for a new action movie, they might produce an upbeat, edgy hard rock song. They facilitate all aspects of the production of the music, from writing and demoing songs to producing beats and making the final master of a song.
Music production companies provide the moody music you hear on a dramatic TV show, the celebrity musical guest's special appearance and the jingle you hear during the commercial. Music production companies work with various record companies, television shows, movies, video games and other media to license songs for use upon production. They copyright new songs and take over copyright on pre-existing songs. They act as publishers and pitch songs to be used in a variety of settings. They represent the songs of artists in development. Music production companies present produced recordings of artists to record companies for possible record deals.