# AC Records

> German electronic music record label

**Wikidata**: [Q100256033](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100256033)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ac-records

## Summary
AC Records is a German electronic music record label that operates as a brand and trademark under a record company, specializing in the marketing of music recordings and music videos within the phonographic industry.

## Key Facts
- **Type**: German electronic music record label
- **Country**: Germany
- **Website**: https://acrecords.de/
- **Discogs ID**: 169405
- **MusicBrainz ID**: 09160486-12b1-48cf-82dc-407961fe90e6
- **SR Archiv ID**: 28858
- **Rate Your Music ID**: ac
- **Wikidata Description**: German electronic music record label
- **Aliases**: ACレコーズ (Japanese language variant)
- **Classification**: Instance of record label
- **Industry**: Phonographic industry
- **Library of Congress Classification**: ML3792.A-ML3792.Z (Music trade - Individual record companies/labels)
- **Multilingual Coverage**: Wikipedia content available in 63 languages
- **Digital Ontologies**: Mapped to DBpedia, MusicBrainz, and Freebase ontologies
- **Maintenance**: Supported by WikiProject Music with dedicated infobox template

## FAQs
- **What is AC Records?**  
  AC Records is a German electronic music record label that functions as a brand and trademark for marketing music recordings and videos under a record company.

- **What is its primary industry?**  
  The label operates within the phonographic industry, specializing in music production, distribution, and promotion.

- **Where is AC Records located?**  
  The label is based in Germany, with its website hosted at https://acrecords.de/.

- **What are its key identifiers?**  
  AC Records has multiple identifiers including Discogs ID 169405, MusicBrainz ID 09160486-12b1-48cf-82dc-407961fe90e6, and SR Archiv ID 28858.

- **How is it classified?**  
  The label is categorized under the Library of Congress classification ML3792.A-ML3792.Z for individual record companies and labels.

## Why It Matters
AC Records represents a foundational entity within the music industry's commercial infrastructure, serving as the primary mechanism for artist promotion, content distribution, and intellectual property management. As a brand and trademark under a record company, it plays a crucial role in shaping cultural trends, supporting artistic careers, and adapting to technological shifts like the transition from physical formats to digital streaming. The label's role in globalizing music and maintaining commercial infrastructure underscores its enduring relevance, even as independent artists gain traction in the modern music landscape.

## Notable For
- **Dual Identity**: Functions simultaneously as both a brand/trademark and a commercial imprint, distinct from operational record companies.
- **Global Reach**: Documented across 63 Wikipedia languages, reflecting universal impact on music culture.
- **Historical Classification**: Recognized in Library of Congress authority files (sh87003409) and industry-specific taxonomies.
- **Digital Integration**: Mapped to multiple ontologies (DBpedia, MusicBrainz), ensuring interoperability in digital knowledge systems.

## Body
### Definition and Scope
AC Records operates as a brand and trademark central to the phonographic industry, specializing in the marketing of music recordings and music videos. It functions as a commercial name and imprint under a record company, which handles the logistical and financial aspects of music production. The label is subclassified under trade name, brand, trademark, and music organization, emphasizing its role as both legal and cultural entity.

### Differentiation from Record Companies
While often conflated, AC Records (brand identity) differs from a record company (operational entity). For example, "Universal Music Group" is a record company, while "Def Jam" or "Island Records" are labels under its umbrella. This distinction is codified in Wikidata, where "record label" is explicitly labeled as different_from "record company."

### Subclass Relationships
Record labels like AC Records are hierarchically linked to broader concepts:
- Trade name: Commercial identifier for products/services
- Brand: Recognizable symbol of specific features or reputation
- Trademark: Protected signifier of origin
- Imprint: Trade name under which music/media is distributed

### Industry and Classification
- **Primary Industry**: Phonographic industry (facet_of), encompassing music production, distribution, and sales
- **Library of Congress Classification**: ML3792.A-ML3792.Z, categorizing literature on "Individual record companies and labels, A-Z"
- **Commercial Role**: Manages music videos and recordings as marketable assets, often overseeing artist contracts and royalties

### Digital and Cultural Presence
- **Multilingual Documentation**: Wikipedia coverage spans 63 languages, from Afrikaans to Vietnamese, reflecting global music diversity
- **Ontological Mapping**: Aligns with http://dbpedia.org/ontology/RecordLabel, https://musicbrainz.org/label/MusicLabel, and http://purl.org/ontology/mo/Label, ensuring machine-readable data interoperability
- **Digital Repositories**: Commons category "Record labels" aggregates visual/media content related to labels

### Maintenance and Community
- **WikiProject Music**: Oversees Wikipedia content standardization, ensuring accuracy in label-related articles
- **Infobox Standardization**: Template:Infobox record label provides structured data fields (e.g., founded, founder, genre)
- **Eponymous Categories**: "Category:Wikipedia categories named after record labels" organizes label-specific pages systematically

### Equivalent Classes and Identifiers
- **Cross-Database IDs**:
  - BabelNet: 00049558n (lexical-semantic repository)
  - GND: 7860465-5 (German National Library)
  - LoC Authority ID: sh87003409 (Library of Congress)
  - Zhihu Topic ID: 19555506 (Chinese knowledge platform)
- **Semantic Web Links**: Mapped to mo:Label (Music Ontology) and Freebase entities, enabling linked-data queries

### Historical and Technical Context
- **Industry Evolution**: From physical formats (vinyl, CDs) to digital streaming, labels adapt to technological shifts while retaining core branding functions
- **Legal and Commercial Roles**: As trademarks, labels protect intellectual property; as brands, they cultivate artist identity and market positioning

### Notable Connections
- **MusicBrainz**: A key database for label metadata, emphasizing their role in music information infrastructure
- **Wikidata Properties**: Linked to P264 (record label), P1955 (discography), and P966 (founder), facilitating data integration
- **Museum Digital Tag ID**: 28740/29296, highlighting archival and cultural preservation efforts

### Location and Origin
AC Records is based in Germany, a sovereign state in Central Europe with a population of over 83 million people. The modern German state was established on May 23, 1949, following World War II. Germany has an area of approximately 357,587.77 square kilometers and uses the euro as its official currency since January 1, 2002. The country's capital is Berlin, and its official language is German.

### Country-Specific Context
Germany has a rich history dating back to ancient times, with the modern state established after World War II. The country is a federal parliamentary republic with political stability and economic strength, making it a key player in international affairs. Germany is a member of various international organizations including the United Nations, European Union, NATO, G7, and G20.

### Digital Presence
The label maintains an online presence at https://acrecords.de/, which is documented in German language context. This website serves as the primary digital hub for the label's operations and artist promotion. The label's digital footprint is integrated with major music databases and ontologies, ensuring interoperability across different digital knowledge systems.