A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name given sometimes to a record label 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 label is (at least nominally) controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist to release music by other artists he or she admires. The parent label handles the production and distribution and funding of the vanity label, but the album is usually released with the vanity label 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 label's 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, providing an ego boost and a venue to bring fellow artists to the public's attention. The parent label also hopes that the vanity label's association with the famous artist will entice that artist's audience to purchase other records on the vanity label, although only a relatively small number of new artists introduced by vanity labels have gone on to become major successes in their own right.

A record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos; conducts talent scouting and development of new artists ("artists and repertoire" or "A&R"); and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information.

Within the music industry; most recording artists have become increasingly reliant upon record labels to broaden their consumer base, market their albums, and be both promoted and heard on mp3, radio, etc. and of course television also, with publicists that assist performers in positive media reports to market their merchandise, and make it available via stores and other media outlets. The Internet has increasingly been a way that some artists avoid costs and gain new audiences, as well as the use of videos in some cases, to sell their products.

Carol Jiani, born Uchenna Ikejiani, is a Nigerian-Canadian singer based in England best known for her early 1980s hit "Hit N Run Lover".

Uchenna Ikejiani was born in Nigeria to an Igbo family. Jiani moved from Nigeria to Montreal, Canada in the mid-1970s to study at Concordia University. In autumn 1977 she auditioned to appear on Joe La Greca's album Montreal. In early 1978 Jiani recorded two tracks for the project, "If You Believe in Me" and "Higher and Higher". These were released on an EP, with her credited under her birth name. Glenn LaRusso of Salsoul Records convinced her to shorten her name from Uchenna Ikejiani to Carol Jiani to make it easier for North Americans to pronounce.

In 1980 Jiani recorded two Sandy Wilbur-written pieces with La Greca, "Hit N Run Lover" and "All The People Of The World". "Hit N Run Lover" was remixed by San Francisco-based Moby Dick Records for their Gold Standard imprint and would become Jiani's signature song, peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard Club Play Singles chart in 1981. On the heels "Hit N' Run Lover's" success Matra Records commissioned a complete album, also titled Hit N' Run Lover. "The Woman in Me" was the album's second single but its B-side, the uptempo "Mercy" written by Pete Bellotte and Sylvester Levay which featured off-key horns, exceeded the A-side in popularity among DJs becoming another hit for Jiani. "Mercy," the only track on the album not composed by Sandy Wilbur, was recorded earlier by Judy Cheeks. A follow-up album, Ask Me was released the next year generating the singles "Ask Me," "X-Rated," and "You're Gonna Lose My Love". In 1982 Jiani recorded vocals for "Get Up and Do It Again." The song was a hit, but she was contractually unavailable to perform as Suzy Q. "Get on Up and Do it Again" was re-recorded by "Mizz" lead singer Michelle Mills.

Vanity Theft is an American all girl indie/alternative rock group from Springboro, Ohio that formed in 2005.

The band started in 2005 as "Vanity Pledge" when the members were still in high school, and was made up of Brittany Hill (guitar, vocals), Alicia Grodecki (keyboard, vocals), Elyse Driskill (drums), and Staci Farfsing (bass). Starting out playing cover material, the band shifted to writing and playing original music after Lindsey Keene replaced the college-bound Farfsing on bass, and the group was renamed "Vanity Theft".

Keene left the band to pursue schooling and was replaced on bass shortly after their 2nd Album was completed, in April 2010 by Lalaine Vergara-Paras, previously best known for her role in the early 2000s on the TV show Lizzie McGuire. Lalaine was asked to leave in January 2011 just before touring was to resume, currently the band remains made up of its 3 original founding members. They have since toured with Amanda Dellevigne, Kelly Riot and currently, on The Lady Killers Tour, Allison Kelly.

A Man Called Adam (sometimes abbreviated to AMCA) are the British electronic music artists Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones.

Recording for DJ Gilles Peterson’s fledgling Acid Jazz Records label, A Man Called Adam found that it was the remixed B-sides, "Techno Powers" and "Amoeba" - electronic versions of the A-side tracks, that became cult records, bridging the divide between the jazz, rare groove and acid house scenes.^{[citation needed]}

AMCA later moved to Big Life Records and released "Barefoot In the Head". Produced by Sally Rodgers, Steve Jones, Paul Daley and sound engineer Mat Clark, the track features choral pads and strings coupled with bouncing Roland 909 and 727 rhythm tracks. For the lyrics Rodgers cribbed the pagan poetry translations of Robert Graves, and explored her own experiments with ecstasy.^{[citation needed]} The track peaked at #60 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1990.

The Channel 4 documentary A Short film about Chillin' featured the band along with The Farm, DJs Andrew Weatherall, Danny Rampling, Terry Farley and Rocky and Diesel, and charted their journey to Ibiza with club promoter Charlie Chester, and a couple of hundred British ravers on the first organized clubbing holiday of its kind. The vocal sample, of American actor Rod McKuen intoning 'I put a seashell to my ear' to the sound of waves lapping the shore, meant the track would ever be associated with sun-drenched beaches and the term 'Balearic House' came into use.^{[citation needed]}