Metallica Record Label: Who Are They Signed To? 2024 Deal Info & Past Contracts

Curious about what record label Metallica is signed to? Want to know all about past deals, releases, net worth, and Their masters ownership?  Whether you are an artist yourself, hoping to follow in Metallica's footsteps, or you are a curious music lover… You're in the right place! In this post, we are exploring all of that and more, so scroll on 🙂 …

 

Who Are Metallica Signed To?

Blackened Recordings: Metallica is signed to their own independent record label, Blackened Recordings. They previously worked with Warner Bros. but left in 2012. Releases from Blackened are licensed by Warner subsidiary Rhino Entertainment in North America and by Universal Music in other parts of the world. In September 2012, Metallica announced that they would be releasing a new DVD of their Quebec performances in December, allowing fans to choose the setlists. The movie Quebec Magnetic was released in December 2012.

Artist Background: Metallica's Previous Record Labels & Contracts

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Metallica has been signed to a few different record labels throughout their career. In the early 1980s, they were signed to Megaforce Records after their demo caught the attention of label founder Jonny Zazula.

In 1984, Elektra Records signed them after seeing them perform live and hiring their management company, Q-Prime Management. In 1988, Elektra released a reissue of their first album, Kill ‘Em All, which included two cover songs from earlier releases.

In 2008, Metallica's contract with Warner Bros. expired and they considered releasing their next album online. However, in the end, they decided to release it through their own label, Blackened Recordings.

Overall, the band has released 10 studio albums, with the exception of their 2008 album Death Magnetic, which was released by Warner Bros. They are known as one of the most successful heavy metal bands, with over 66 million album sales in the US.

   

Awards: Metallica's Achievements

Metallica has won eight Grammy Awards, six of which were for best metal performance. Their most successful song, “Enter Sandman,” was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards and won Best Metal Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. The band has also won two American Music Awards for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist, and five Billboard Music Awards out of six nominations. In total, Metallica has been nominated for 103 awards and has won 168 of them.

 

How Did Metallica Get Famous?

Embed from Getty Images Metallica didn't become popular overnight. The band, which was founded in 1981, struggled for years in relative obscurity, going through lineup changes, financial difficulties, and going through a tragedy when bassist and Castro Valley native Cliff Burton passed away in a tour bus accident. After putting out four highly regarded albums a decade later, Metallica was well-known in the metal music community. The band gained superstardom with the release of their self-titled fifth album in 1991 (also referred to as “The Black Album”).  

Does Metallica Write Their Own Songs?

The founding members of Metallica, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, are primarily in charge of the group's songwriting. Every Metallica album from “Ride the Lightning” to “Death Magnetic” bears Kirk Hammett's songwriting credit.  

What is Metallica's Net Worth?

Net Worth: $1 billion. They have put out 10 studio albums and 8 live albums since their formation in 1981. They have sold more than 150 million albums globally.  

Other Artists Signed To Blackened Recordings

• Dark Metal
• Death Thrash
• Funeral Doom
• Death Metal
• Melodic Death
• Hardcore
• Industrial Electro
• Many more

 

Does Metallica Own Their Masters?

No, Metallica does not own the masters to all of their music. After quitting Warner Bros. in 2012, they founded their own independent record label, Blackened Recordings, which produced their subsequent releases. However, they obtained the rights to their studio albums, which were reissued under Blackened Recordings. In North America, Blackened Recordings' releases were licensed by Warner subsidiary Rhino Entertainment, and by Universal Music in other regions.

The Wrap Up

There you have it! I'm curious, was that what you expected from Metallica? Let me know in the comment section… To stay up to date with Metallica be sure to follow the official Metallica Twitter Page and the Metallica YouTube Channel for all of the latest Metallica events! Record labels can be very complicated, and there are so many different types of record deals and contracts to be aware of. If you are an artist yourself, exploring possible options for your career, you might wanna check out our example record deal contracts to stay in the know – record label scams are rampant in the industry, sadly.   Not surprisingly, many artists are choosing to stay independent and start an independent record label – we at Industry Hackerz are ALL for that; whatever route gets you to where you want to go! We also have free music licensing templates that you can download and use if you do go that route; protect yourself, always.

You might also like to check out the contract status of these other prominent artists:

• Lainey Wilson Record Label: Who Is She Signed To?
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• Imagine Dragons Record Label: Who Are They Signed To?
• Bruno Mars Record Label: Who Is He Signed To?

 

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