A record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of sound recordings and music videos. A record label is also a company that manages such brands and trademarks; coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos; conducts A&R; and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term derives from and describes the round paper labels affixed to the center of gramophone records; such labels typically contain a trademarked logo and information about the sound recording and the companies involved in creating the product.

When a label is strictly a trademark or brand, not a company, then it is sometimes called an imprint. An imprint is sometimes marketed as being a project, unit, or division of a label company, even though there is no legal business structure associated with the imprint. Sometimes an imprint is marketed as being a division of a label company's principal brand, rather than of the label company itself.

Record labels are often under the control of a corporate umbrella organization called a music group. A music group is typically owned by international conglomerate holding company, which often has non-music divisions as well. A music group controls and consists of music publishing companies, record (sound recording) manufacturers, record distributors, and record labels. As of 2005, the "big four" music groups — Time-Warner, EMI, Sony-BMG, and Universal — control about 70% of the world music market, and about 80% of the United States music market. Record companies (manufacturers, distributors, and labels) may also comprise a record group which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. The constituent companies in a music group or record group are sometimes marketed as being divisions of the group.

Record companies and music publishers that are not under the control of the big four are generally considered to be independent (indie), even if they are large corporations with complex structures. Some prefer to use the term indie label to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to an arbitrary, ill-defined criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure.