Recording Industry

Part i: Introduction; Part ii: North Carolina Recording Pioneers; Part iii: Independent Labels Find Success; Part iv: Record Production since the 1970s; Part v: References

Part I: Introduction

The recording industry and record labels in North Carolina, beginning in the 1930s, featured an impressive array of talented producers and helped gain exposure for North Carolina musicians and songwriters with diverse musical styles. During the industry's infancy, the bulk and expense of recording equipment prohibited widespread independent record production, causing most of the recording of North Carolina music to be done by the major American labels until after World War II. The second half of the twentieth century saw an increase in independent studios and labels as new artists came onto the scene and unique markets grew. By the early 2000s the state was home to a vibrant recording industry, with most labels-representing rock, jazz, Christian, hip-hop, and other genres-located primarily in the major urban areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.

Keep reading > Part II: North Carolina Recording Pioneers