ARK Music Factory
Encyclopedia
Ark Music Factory is a record label
based in Los Angeles
, California
. The label was co-founded in 2010 by Patrice Wilson
, who partnered up with producer/composer and multi-instrumentalist Clarence Jey
. In May 2011, Clarence Jey left Ark Music Factory to focus on his own production company Music Intersection. Patrice Wilson also left the company on September 2011 to start "Pato Music World".
Ark's business centers on the recruitment/discovery of new young singers. The artists (or their parents) pay a $2,000 to $4,000 fee to Ark, and Ark then writes and produces music in collaboration with these artists, often producing music videos and promotion of the songs. The singer owns the master recording
, and Ark retains publishing rights
to the song and all the sales from the song.
According to the company's MySpace
page, they categorize themselves as an indie record label. They state that their main objectives are to bring aspiring acts to the musical fore: "We at Ark make it possible for an emerging artist to be discovered, defined and delivered, to advance in their chosen career and be successful." Ark is predominantly based in the US, although they claim that artists they have supported have had success in different regions across the globe.
Ark's Facebook
page claims to be creating a community where artists from all fields can come together to build connections and interact. Their website also claims that their dedicated team has industry professionals who have worked with Miley Cyrus
, the Backstreet Boys
, and Ashley Tisdale
. Patrice Wilson has rebuffed claims of exploitation, claiming that the label provides a relatively inexpensive entry into the pop market for artists:
The staff of Ark Music Factory includes the Nigerian origin Patrice Wilson (also known with the name Pato for his various acts) who is the founder of the company, CEO and Sri Lankan / Australian record producer, songwriter and co-founder and producer, Clarence Jey
. At Ark, Jey writes the music and Wilson writes the lyrics. Ian Hotchkiss and Chris Lowe are the video directors.
when one of their songs, Rebecca Black
's "Friday
" (which also includes rapping by Ark co-founder Patrice Wilson) unexpectedly became an Internet meme
- most heralding it as potentially "the worst song ever". According to the British newspaper The Independent
, Black trended high on Twitter
, after the release. The song has been viewed more than 167 million times on YouTube. , the video has been removed from YouTube
due to copyright claims from Black's family.
Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory has posted two music responses about "Friday" and the controversy it created. The first was posted on March 13, 2011 entitled "Friday (Rap Remix)"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agoapiToLAM&feature=relmfu written and produced by Wilson and Clarence Jey, the second on April 4, 2011 entitled "Say What You Wanna Say"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bus6a5oHqhM written by Wilson and Kustom. Both songs address some of the most common grievances against the song and the way Ark runs its business. Both these postings have received negative attention as well.
) show Good Morning America
(GMA) one-week special feature. After auditions of tens of candidates, Lexi St. George was chosen for the GMA challenge of trying to make a viral star in one week. She recorded the song "Dancing to the Rhythm" written for the show and made a music video that was broadcast on the program on June 30, 2011. The song was also used for Wowwee's Paper Jamz Pro microphones promotional ads.
Record label
In the music industry, 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,...
based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The label was co-founded in 2010 by Patrice Wilson
Patrice Wilson
Patrice Wilson is a Nigerian singer and songwriter and co-founder of ARK Music Factory with Clarence Jey. He also adopted the name Pato as a stage name for his various performances.-Career:...
, who partnered up with producer/composer and multi-instrumentalist Clarence Jey
Clarence Jey
Clarence Jey is an Australian record producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter of Sri Lankan origin now established in the United States...
. In May 2011, Clarence Jey left Ark Music Factory to focus on his own production company Music Intersection. Patrice Wilson also left the company on September 2011 to start "Pato Music World".
Business
Patrice Wilson is co-founder in 2010 of Ark Music Factory. Wilson is also the CEO of the company.Ark's business centers on the recruitment/discovery of new young singers. The artists (or their parents) pay a $2,000 to $4,000 fee to Ark, and Ark then writes and produces music in collaboration with these artists, often producing music videos and promotion of the songs. The singer owns the master recording
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
, and Ark retains publishing rights
Publishing rights
Literally, the right to publish a work.In the music industry, "publishing" is used as a catch-all shorthand for the administration of matters relating to the songwriter's and composer's share of income from a musical composition or recorded work....
to the song and all the sales from the song.
According to the company's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, they categorize themselves as an indie record label. They state that their main objectives are to bring aspiring acts to the musical fore: "We at Ark make it possible for an emerging artist to be discovered, defined and delivered, to advance in their chosen career and be successful." Ark is predominantly based in the US, although they claim that artists they have supported have had success in different regions across the globe.
Ark's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page claims to be creating a community where artists from all fields can come together to build connections and interact. Their website also claims that their dedicated team has industry professionals who have worked with Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
, and Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
. Patrice Wilson has rebuffed claims of exploitation, claiming that the label provides a relatively inexpensive entry into the pop market for artists:
"I'm getting a lot of criticism saying I'm exploiting rich kids and their parents," says Wilson, "but find me another company that would do all this at a cost this low. I don't promise anyone fame. In fact, if someone approaches me with their only goal to ‘get famous,' I tell them they're not in this for the right reasons."
The staff of Ark Music Factory includes the Nigerian origin Patrice Wilson (also known with the name Pato for his various acts) who is the founder of the company, CEO and Sri Lankan / Australian record producer, songwriter and co-founder and producer, Clarence Jey
Clarence Jey
Clarence Jey is an Australian record producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter of Sri Lankan origin now established in the United States...
. At Ark, Jey writes the music and Wilson writes the lyrics. Ian Hotchkiss and Chris Lowe are the video directors.
Rebecca Black and "Friday"
In March 2011, Ark gained notoriety through a viral videoViral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
when one of their songs, Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black
Rebecca Renee Black is an American pop singer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced...
's "Friday
Friday (Rebecca Black song)
"Friday" is a song by American recording artist Rebecca Black, written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson. It was released as a single on March 14, 2011, by Ark Music Factory as Black's debut single. The music video for the song became a viral hit due to criticism of the song's lyrics,...
" (which also includes rapping by Ark co-founder Patrice Wilson) unexpectedly became an Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
- most heralding it as potentially "the worst song ever". According to the British newspaper The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Black trended high on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, after the release. The song has been viewed more than 167 million times on YouTube. , the video has been removed from YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
due to copyright claims from Black's family.
Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory has posted two music responses about "Friday" and the controversy it created. The first was posted on March 13, 2011 entitled "Friday (Rap Remix)"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agoapiToLAM&feature=relmfu written and produced by Wilson and Clarence Jey, the second on April 4, 2011 entitled "Say What You Wanna Say"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bus6a5oHqhM written by Wilson and Kustom. Both songs address some of the most common grievances against the song and the way Ark runs its business. Both these postings have received negative attention as well.
One Week to Hit Big: Pop Star
Patrice Wilson and his Ark Music Factory team appeared in One Week to Hit It Big: Pop Star the ABC (American Broadcasting CompanyAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) show Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
(GMA) one-week special feature. After auditions of tens of candidates, Lexi St. George was chosen for the GMA challenge of trying to make a viral star in one week. She recorded the song "Dancing to the Rhythm" written for the show and made a music video that was broadcast on the program on June 30, 2011. The song was also used for Wowwee's Paper Jamz Pro microphones promotional ads.