# Exlibris Records

> Danish record label

**Wikidata**: [Q10493033](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10493033)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/exlibris-records

## Summary
Exlibris Records (officially ExLibris Musik) is a Danish record label founded by the publishing house Gyldendal in October 1975. Operating as a brand and trademark within the phonographic industry, it markets music recordings and music videos from its base in Denmark.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: ExLibris Musik
- **Aliases**: Exlibris Musik, ExLibris Musik Gyldendal
- **Type**: Record label (brand and trademark for marketing music recordings and music videos)
- **Industry**: Phonographic industry
- **Founded By**: Gyldendal
- **Inception**: October 1975
- **Country**: Denmark (Kingdom of Denmark), Northern Europe
- **Label Code**: 00715 (short forms: "Exlibris", "Exlib")
- **Website**: http://www.exlibris.dk
- **Discogs Label ID**: 36631 (listed as "Exlibris")
- **MusicBrainz Label IDs**: ad8ca232-a42b-496c-b96f-6323ab9a30e0 (as "Exlibris"), f27121c7-9ed7-434d-b430-aec3c929a28a (as "Exlibris Musik")
- **Rate Your Music Label ID**: exlibris_musik (listed as "ExLibris Musik")
- **Freebase ID**: /m/0dmmyv2
- **Wikipedia Languages**: Danish (da), Norwegian (no), Swedish (sv)
- **Sitelink Count**: 3

## FAQs

**What is Exlibris Records and who operates it?**
Exlibris Records is the brand name for ExLibris Musik, a Danish record label founded in October 1975 by Gyldendal. It functions as a commercial imprint and trademark for marketing music recordings and music videos.

**How does Exlibris Records differ from a record company?**
As a record label, Exlibris Records serves as the brand and trademark identity for music releases, distinct from a record company which handles operational functions like production logistics, contracts, and financial management. This distinction is codified in knowledge systems like Wikidata.

**Where is Exlibris Records based and what is its geographic context?**
The label is based in Denmark, a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe with Copenhagen as its capital. Denmark has a population of approximately 5.8 million (as of 2020), uses the Danish krone as currency, and operates within the Central European Time zone (UTC+1).

**What digital databases and identifiers catalog Exlibris Records?**
The label appears in Discogs (ID: 36631), MusicBrainz (two IDs for name variations), Rate Your Music (ID: exlibris_musik), and Freebase (/m/0dmmyv2). It also carries the formal label code 00715 and maintains an official website at exlibris.dk.

**In which languages is information about Exlibris Records available?**
Wikipedia articles about the label exist in three Scandinavian languages: Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, reflecting its regional focus within the Nordic countries.

## Why It Matters
Exlibris Records represents the intersection of traditional publishing and recorded music, demonstrating how established cultural institutions like Gyldendal expanded into audio media. Operating since 1975, the label has witnessed and adapted to the music industry's evolution from physical formats to digital distribution. Its presence across multiple authoritative databases (Discogs, MusicBrainz, Rate Your Music) and semantic web ontologies ensures its catalog remains discoverable and interoperable within global music knowledge systems. The label's Nordic focus contributes to the documentation and preservation of Scandinavian musical heritage, operating within Denmark's broader cultural framework—a country ranked 2nd globally on the Human Development Index with literacy rates exceeding 99%.

## Notable For
- **Publishing Heritage**: Founded by Gyldendal, one of Denmark's most prominent publishing houses, bridging print and audio media distribution
- **Nordic Regional Focus**: Wikipedia coverage exclusively in Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish), distinguishing it from globally-documented major labels
- **Dual MusicBrainz Identity**: Maintains two separate MusicBrainz identifiers reflecting cataloging variations between "Exlibris" and "Exlibris Musik"
- **Cross-Generational Longevity**: Operating continuously since October 1975, spanning vinyl, cassette, CD, and digital streaming eras
- **Semantic Web Integration**: Mapped to formal ontologies including DBpedia RecordLabel class and Music Ontology Label class
- **Label Code Standardization**: Registered under LC 00715 with abbreviated forms, enabling industry-wide identification

## Body

### Identity and Naming Conventions
Exlibris Records operates under the official designation **ExLibris Musik**, with documented aliases including **Exlibris Musik** and **ExLibris Musik Gyldendal**. The latter alias explicitly references its parent organization Gyldendal, establishing the connection between the label and its publishing house origins. The formal **label code 00715** serves as an industry-standard identifier, with abbreviated forms "Exlibris" and "Exlib" recorded in qualifying metadata.

### Founding and Corporate Structure
The label was established in **October 1975** by **Gyldendal**, a major Danish publishing house. This founding date places the label's inception during a period when media companies were diversifying beyond print into audio content distribution. Gyldendal's decision to create a record label leveraged existing distribution networks and brand recognition within Denmark's cultural market. As a record label, ExLibris Musik functions as a commercial name and imprint—distinct from the operational record company structure that handles production logistics, artist contracts, and financial management.

### Industry Classification and Ontological Position
ExLibris Musik is classified as a **record label**, defined ontologically as a brand and trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. This classification places it within the **phonographic industry**, operating as a subclass of trade name, brand, trademark, and commercial imprint. The Wikidata knowledge graph explicitly differentiates "record label" from "record company," with the former representing brand identity and the latter representing operational entities. The label aligns with formal semantic web classes including `http://dbpedia.org/ontology/RecordLabel` and `http://purl.org/ontology/mo/Label`.

### Geographic and Cultural Context
Headquartered in **Denmark** (capital: Copenhagen), ExLibris Musik operates within a constitutional monarchy that has maintained parliamentary governance since 1849. Denmark's cultural infrastructure supports the phonographic industry through high literacy rates (exceeding 99% as of 2023), strong digital connectivity, and robust cultural institutions. The country's population of approximately 5,829,863 (2020 estimate) resides across an archipelago of 443 named islands, with over 88% urbanization. Denmark's membership in the European Union (since 1973), NATO (founding member, 1949), and the Nordic Council provides economic and political stability for cultural enterprises.

### Digital Presence and Database Integration
ExLibris Musik maintains structured records across multiple authoritative music databases:

- **Discogs**: Label ID 36631, cataloged under the name "Exlibris"
- **MusicBrainz**: Two distinct label identifiers reflecting naming variations:
  - `ad8ca232-a42b-496c-b96f-6323ab9a30e0` (cataloged as "Exlibris")
  - `f27121c7-9ed7-434d-b430-aec3c929a28a` (cataloged as "Exlibris Musik")
- **Rate Your Music**: Label ID `exlibris_musik`, recorded as "ExLibris Musik"
- **Freebase**: Entity ID `/m/0dmmyv2`
- **Official Web Presence**: http://www.exlibris.dk

These identifiers enable cross-referencing and data interoperability across music information systems, supporting cataloging, discovery, and academic research functions.

### Multilingual Documentation
Wikipedia coverage of ExLibris Musik spans three **Scandinavian languages**: Danish (da), Norwegian (no), and Swedish (sv). This trilingual documentation contrasts with major international labels that receive Wikipedia coverage in 63+ languages, indicating ExLibris Musik's primary relevance within Nordic cultural spheres rather than global markets. The total sitelink count of 3 corresponds directly to these three language editions.

### Semantic Web and Knowledge Graph Properties
Within structured knowledge systems, ExLibris Musik connects to several Wikidata properties:
- **P264** (record label): Primary instance classification
- **P1955** (discography): Enables catalog linking
- **P966** (founder): Links to Gyldendal

The label's metadata is maintained through WikiProject Music, which oversees standardization of music-related content across Wikipedia and Wikidata. The Template:Infobox record label provides structured data fields for consistent presentation of label information including founding date, founder, genre, and country of origin.

### Library and Archival Classification
Within the Library of Congress Classification system, record labels fall under **ML3792.A-ML3792.Z**, categorized as "Music trade - Individual record companies and labels, A-Z." The broader concept of record labels carries the Library of Congress Authority ID sh87003409 and GND ID 7860465-5 (qualified as "Label"), providing bibliographic control for academic and archival contexts.

### Historical Timeline Context
Founded in October 1975, ExLibris Musik emerged during a transitional period in the music industry. The mid-1970s represented the peak of vinyl record sales before cassette tapes gained significant market share, with the compact disc era beginning in the early 1980s. Denmark's cultural policy during this period emphasized support for domestic artistic production, likely providing favorable conditions for a publisher-backed label. The label has since navigated the industry's evolution through digital downloading and streaming platforms while maintaining its brand identity.

### Economic and Industry Environment
ExLibris Musik operates within Denmark's broader economic framework, characterized by a GDP of approximately $395.4 billion (2022), a Gini coefficient of 27.7 (indicating low income inequality), and a median income of $44,360 USD. The Danish phonographic industry benefits from the country's strong intellectual property protections, high digital adoption rates, and cultural emphasis on artistic production. Denmark's currency, the Danish krone (introduced 1875), remains the official tender despite EU membership, providing monetary stability for domestic label operations.

## References

1. MusicBrainz
2. Discogs
3. Rate Your Music