Research: Institution - Creating Our Music Video

A major record label for example, Sony BMG, is a large institution which produces a large number of media texts, one of which are music products. They are usually controlled or part of media conglomerates which allow their artists to promote themselves over a wide range of mediums for example TV and Magazines which may be part of the conglomerate, thus making more money. Artists signed to these record labels are mainstream or have a large audience.
Examples of artists signed to large labels, in this case 'Island Records' are:

Plus many more!

An independent record label are, for example DFTBA Records, who include artists such as:

Hank Green

Chameleon Circuit  

Tom Milsom

The characteristics of the major labels are: artists who will appeal to mainstream audience, the genre of music tends to be that which is in the mainstream for example: pop, R&B and HipHop. Major Labels also experiment with more alternate artists such as 'Florence and the Machine' as they have enough money to do so and know there will be an audience out there for the artist. They also have the ability to promote artists products over a wide range of mediums so everyone will have heard of most artists at some point. 

The characteristics of an independent record label are: more individual artists whose style of music may be different to what a mainstream audience would like or concentrated on a specific theme, for example Chameleon Circuit who write songs about the TV show 'Doctor Who.' Independent record labels also don't have as many artists as major labels as they are not as well funded and don't have the facilities to promote artists on such a large scale. Independent labels often start online, as many of their artists do. 

Our artist would belong to a major record label because the music is accessible to a wide audience and would appeal to the mainstreamers.