Fontana Distribution was a division of San Francisco-based Isolation Network (now owned by the Virgin Music Group unit of the

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

since 2019). A minority stake of the company was owned by Universal Music until INgrooves acquired Fontana Distribution from UMG in 2012 to form INgrooves Fontana. In 2019,

acquired Fontana's owner, INgrooves, returning Fontana back to UMG. A year later, Fontana Distribution was folded into Caroline Distribution, which another year later, rebranded into

Virgin Music Label & Artist Services Virgin Music Label & Artist Services is a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, owned by Universal Music Group. The subsidiary focuses on the distribution of new or emerging partners. Started by Virgin Records as Carolin ...

Profile

Fontana deals in distribution, as well as in a range of sales, marketing, and back office support services, for a diverse roster of

independent record labels An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

and their artists. The company takes its name and logo from the

Fontana Records Fontana Records is a record label that was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records. The independent label distributor Fontana Distribution takes its name from the label. History Fontana started in the 1950s as a subs ...

label; it was initially launched by

in 2004 and later sold to Isolation Network in 2012. The company includes a UK-based operation, Fontana International, which handles territories outside of North America. The company also has a joint venture in Canada with Cadence Music Group known as

Fontana North Fontana North is a Canadian record distribution company and represents the Canadian wing of Fontana Distribution. It is a joint venture between Canadian-based MapleMusic Recordings, Cadence Music Group and US-based Fontana Distribution. The compan ...

. The company is the successor of

PolyGram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...

's Independent Label Sales (ILS), previously known as Island Trading Co., which folded after the 1999 merger of the MCA and PolyGram families of labels that created Universal Music Group. Fontana Distribution has been known to successfully round up albums worldwide from national

companies for American release or for distribution into further territories. Fontana Distribution also partners with

Executive Music Group Executive Music Group (EMG) is an independent record label located in Dallas, Texas. The label was started in 2004 by Jacob Capricciuolo. EMG represents a wide variety of artists, making them unique among other independent labels. EMG is distribute ...

, Chicago Independent Distribution, and Twenty Two Music Group Distribution, which in turn distribute other independent labels. During the acquisition of EMI Records North America (including EMI Music Distribution), Universal Music Group decided to retain

Caroline Distribution Virgin Music Label & Artist Services is a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, owned by Universal Music Group. The subsidiary focuses on the distribution of new or emerging partners. Started by Virgin Records as Carolin ...

and later sold Fontana Distribution to Isolation Network. After the acquisition of INgrooves by Universal, Fontana was folded into Caroline, which was renamed Virgin Music Label & Artist Services in 2021.

Fontana Distribution-affiliated labels

Fontana Distribution is affiliated with more than 30 labels, including the following: * ATP Records * ATO Records *Angeles Records *

Bridge 9 Records Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996. The label is name ...

*Black Diamond Record Companies-IHP Media Groups Music Systems * Cadence Recordings *Cement Shoes Records * Constellation Records *

Century Media A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...

Delicious Vinyl Delicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles, California. History Michael Ross was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles when he met Matt Dike, a ...

Dangerbird Records Dangerbird Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, California. The label is home to artists from around the world and part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. The label has had international success from its small roster of ...

Dischord Records Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release ''Minor Disturbance'' by their band The Teen Idle ...

Downtown Records Downtown Records is an American record label based in New York City with offices in Los Angeles. Owned and operated by Josh Deutsch and Terence Lam, the label is distributed by Geffen Records (formerly Interscope Records and The Orchard) in the ...

(select releases) *ECMD Film & Music Distribution * Element 9 *

Eleven Seven Music Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''El ...

Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

Emanon Records Emanon is a small, selective, Tulsa, Oklahoma based record label. The label was founded in 1999 by Mike Busch and Trevor Lane in Lane's Sapulpa Oklahoma studio. Producers, Mixers and Studios Emanon uses renowned producers and mixers such as Al Sc ...

Extreme Music Extreme Music is a production music arm of Sony Music Publishing. The company creates and licenses music for use in television, film, advertising, and online media. Their library includes music from artists and composers such as Quincy Jones, H ...

Ferret Music Ferret Music was an American independent record label turned Warner Music Group subsidiary, founded in 1996. The label is owned by NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and based in West Windsor, New Jersey. Ferret recently started an imprint called N ...

Famous Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its o ...

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990. The label has released mater ...

Fat Possum Records Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Water Valley and Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording previously unknown Mississippi blues artists (typically from Oxford or Holly Sprin ...

Global Underground Global Underground is a British record label and compilation series founded in 1996 by Andy Horsfield and James Todd. The label symbolised the international explosion of dance music during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s and first manifesto for hi ...

Hatchet House Hatchet House is the sub-label of independent record label Psychopathic Records, based in Royal Oak, Michigan, Royal Oak, Michigan in the United States, which was formed in 2007 by American hip hop music, hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. History ...

Hoo-Bangin' Records Hoo-Bangin' Records is a record label founded by Dedrick "Mack 10" Rolison. He took the name from the name of the song "Hoo Bangin'" by his group, Westside Connection. Hoo-Bangin' Records was recently released from its contract at Priority Reco ...

Hopeless Records Hopeless Records is an American independent record label in Van Nuys, California. History Hopeless Records was founded in 1993 by Louis Posen. The label's artists are generally considered to fall under the genres of punk rock, pop punk, post-ha ...

InVogue Records InVogue Records is an American record company based in Findlay, Ohio. It was founded by Nick Moore, lead singer of Before Their Eyes, in 2009. In the fall of 2011 InVogue Records signed a distribution deal with Independent Label Group (owned by ...

Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles, ex-lead singer of DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton (Faith No M ...

Kung Fu Records Kung Fu Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald of the punk rock band The Vandals. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California band Assorted Jelly Beans, the ...

* Little Idiot * Mad Science *

Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio. James ...

Mpire Music Group Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single "Holla Holla". Durin ...

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

*Mancini Entertainment Group *

MySpace Records MySpace Records was a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appeared on the social networking site Myspace. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Myspace, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records. Distributio ...

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...

No Sleep Records No Sleep Records is an American independent record label in Huntington Beach, California. They were founded by Chris Hansen in 2006 and have released records by artists including Balance and Composure, La Dispute (band), La Dispute, and The Wonde ...

Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label later ...

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

Nitro Records Nitro Records was an American independent record label, founded in 1994 and operated by The Offspring's Dexter Holland and Greg K. Nitro is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most notabl ...

*Pocket Kid Records *

Prosthetic Records Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...

Pure Noise Records Pure Noise Records is an American punk rock record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded by Jake Round in 2009 while he was an editor at ''AMP''; the previous fall, friends of his in the band No Bragging Rights told him they were l ...

*Pipe Dreams Records *

Psycho+Logical-Records Psycho+Logical-Records is an independent record label based in New York City. Founded in 1999 by rapper and producer Necro, its first release was Necro's debut ''I Need Drugs''. It went on to release notable albums by hip hop artists such as th ...

Psychopathic Records Psychopathic Records is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip ...

Real Talk Entertainment Real Talk Ent. is an American privately held record label that was started in 2003. It is led by CEO/President Derrick "Sac" Johnson and is focused primarily on recording and releasing new albums with Gold and Platinum selling Rap and R&B artists. ...

Relativity Music Group Relativity Music Group was a record label owned by Relativity Media Relativity Media is an American media company founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company brokered film finance deals and later branched into film ...

Rap-A-Lot Records Rap-A-Lot is a hip hop record label co-founded by James Prince and Cliff Blodget in 1986. Smoke-a-Lot Records is a subsidiary. Rap-A-Lot was first distributed by A&M Records with the release of Raheem's 1988 debut ''The Vigilante''. The label w ...

Rostrum Records Rostrum Records is an American independent record label initially located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, now located in Los Angeles, California. Benjy Grinberg is the founder and president of the label, which currently has twelve artists on its ros ...

* Rise Records *

SideOneDummy Records SideOneDummy Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1995 by Bill Armstrong and Joe Sib. The label began as a way for them to release music for their friends' bands. Thereafter SideOneDummy launched the care ...

Solid State Records Solid State Records is a Christian metalcore record label, an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore punk and heavy metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, ...

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.StandBy Records Standby Records was an independent record label originally from Ohio. Lawsuits In 2016 Davey Suicide leaked to Alternative Press that the group had entered into a lawsuit with Standby Records. This prompted label-mates As Blood Runs Black to spea ...

Strange Music Strange Music is an American independent record label specializing in hip hop music and founded by Tech N9ne and Travis O'Guin in 1999. History In 2009 Skatterman & Snug Brim fulfilled their commitment to Strange Music and left the label. In ...

SMC Recordings SMC Recordings is an independent hip hop record label established in 2005 in Del Valle, Texas, by Charles Vasquez, Micheal Luna, and Saroj Thapa. SMC primarily signs and distributes established hip hop artists. SMC grew out of a vision that Sa ...

SoBe Entertainment SoBe Entertainment, LLC is an international entertainment parent company founded by Cecile D. Barker with music, film, TV, night club, management and digital subsidiaries. The record label is a subsidiary of Fontana Distribution and Universal Mus ...

*SoSouth *

Telarc Records Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long associ ...

Trustkill Records Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...

Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a Christian rock record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington where it is situated today. It is home to many well-known musical acts, including Underoat ...

Trill Entertainment Torence Ivy Hatch (born November 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie (formerly Lil Boosie), is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the hip hop collective Concentration Camp, ev ...

*TortureSquad Inc. * Twenty Two Recordings *

VP Records VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York (state), New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and Soca music, soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami ...

Vagrant Records Vagrant Records is an American record label based in California. It was founded in 1995 by Rich Egan and Jon Cohen. The label focuses on rock, but features artists in a variety of other genres including folk, soul, electronic, and pop. It is home ...

WaterTower Music WaterTower Music (formerly New Line Records from 2000 to 2010) is an American record label serving as the in-house music label and run by entertainment company Warner Bros., ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The name and logo are based o ...

Wichita Recordings Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees include Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Ye ...

(select releases) *

Warcon Enterprises Warcon Enterprises was a New York City based independent record label focusing on mostly post-hardcore, started by Bob Chiappardi of Concrete Marketing and Kevin Lyman, the founder of Warped Tour, in 2004.Fontana North Fontana North is a Canadian record distribution company and represents the Canadian wing of Fontana Distribution. It is a joint venture between Canadian-based MapleMusic Recordings, Cadence Music Group and US-based Fontana Distribution. The compan ...

References

External links

Fontana Distribution

Fontana North

Executive Music Group (EMG)
{{Authority control Record label distributors Universal Music Group Companies based in Los Angeles County, California