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.

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- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represent ...

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 sub ...

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 Cadence Music Group and US-based Fontana Distribution. The company was established by M ...

. 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 * Dangerbird Records *

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 Idles ...

* Downtown Records (select releases) *ECMD Film & Music Distribution * Element 9 * Eleven Seven Music *

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 ba ...

* Emanon Records * Extreme Music *

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 ...

* Famous Records * Fat Wreck Chords * Fat Possum Records *

* Global Underground * Hatchet House * Hoo-Bangin' Records *

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-h ...

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 b ...

* Ipecac Recordings * Kung Fu Records * Little Idiot *

Mad Science The Mad Science Group is an enrichment services company that specializes in delivering educational and entertaining science experiences for children by presenting concepts in a visual and interactive manner. Mad Science franchisees offer after-scho ...

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. Jame ...

* Mpire Music Group * Matador Records *Mancini Entertainment Group * MySpace Records *

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 distr ...

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, and The Wonder Years. They have ...

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 late ...

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 move ...

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 nota ...

*Pocket Kid Records * Prosthetic Records * Pure Noise Records *Pipe Dreams Records *

Psycho+Logical-Records Psycho may refer to: Mind * Psychopath * Sociopath * Someone with a personality disorder * Someone with a psychological disorder People with the nickname * Karl Amoussou or Psycho, mixed martial artist * Peter Ebdon or Psycho, English snooker pl ...

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 * Relativity Music Group * Rap-A-Lot Records *

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 *

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 *

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 S ...

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 Mu ...

*SoSouth * Telarc Records *

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 * Trill Entertainment *TortureSquad Inc. * Twenty Two Recordings * VP Records *

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 h ...

* WaterTower Music * Wichita Recordings (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 Cadence Music Group and US-based Fontana Distribution. The company was established by M ...

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