Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several record labels. It has featured many prominent artists including Thursday, Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, Streetlight Manifesto, and A Day to Remember.
In September 2019, years after buying part of the label's catalogue, Concord bought Victory Records and Another Victory for $30 million. Craft Recordings has been managing Victory Record's catalog since Concord acquired the label. Victory has since not signed any new bands or released new records. Instead, the label operates for the current distribution of the label's alumni, as well as for reissues.
Victory's catalogue includes 4,500 master recordings and 3,500 compositions through its publisher Another Victory.
History
Originally focusing on hardcore punk and post-hardcore bands, Victory later expanded its roster to include emo and pop punk acts.
In early 2002, twenty-five percent of the label was announced to have been sold to MCA Records. However, later that year the deal was terminated by Victory. Victory is currently partnered with and distributed by Sony's RED Distribution.
It was announced in April 2014 that the label would be sponsoring a Victory Records stage for the entirety of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival featuring five of their artists: Emmure, Ill Niño, Wretched, Islander and Erimha. They would continue to sponsor the stage through the eighth annual festival with five of their artists to be announced.
Another Victory Publishing
Another Victory is the sister publishing company to Victory Records, founded in 1997. The company holds a variety of worldwide sub-publishing deals, including those with Mushroom Group, BMG Chrysalis, David Gresham Publishing, CTM Publishing, Clipper's Music, FujiPacific Music INC., FujiPacific Music (S.E. ASIA) LTD., Gulliver Music Publishing, Basement Brazil, and Musou LTD. Music Publishing.
Representing a catalog of over 5,000 songs, Another Victory has landed a multitude of big-name placements for its artists tracks various movies, games and advertisements including "Chain Gang" by Close Your Eyes in NHL 15, "Like LaMotta" by Emmure on Secrets and Lies (U.S. TV series), "All I Want" by A Day To Remember in Crazy Taxi: City Rush, "Die Knowing" by Comeback Kid on The Challenge: Free Agents, and "Let Me Teach You How To Eat" by The Reverend Horton Heat on Ridiculousness (TV series).
Distributed labels
Victory has had distribution deals with Sumerian Records, Rise Records, and Red Cord Records.
In July 2012, it was announced that Victory would become the distribution home for Boston, MA based record label, We Are Triumphant. On May 10, 2013, Victory announced they will be distributing I Scream Records. On September 9, 2014, Famined Records signed a distribution deal with Victory. On February 9, 2017, it was announced that Wilhelm Records will be exclusively distributed through Victory Records.
Current
AEI
Carbon Copy Media
Desperate Fight Records
Dragon Well
Famined Records
GMM Records
I Scream Records
Ironbound Records
JMB Records
Jumpstart Records
Life Sentence Records
Lobster Records
Luxor Records
Pop Up Records
Red Cord Records
School Night Records
Smorgasbord Records
Torque Records
Toy Box Records
Undecided Records
Wilhelm Records
Past
Hand of Hope Records
Lifeforce Records
Mutant League Records
Rise Records
StandBy Records
Sumerian Records
We Are Triumphant Records
Criticism
Relations with label
Victory Records has had some negative relations with artists signed to the label. Over the years, multiple bands have cited grievances, conflicts, or filed lawsuits against the record label, while others have stayed with record label for years, or even came back to Victory after releasing albums on different labels.
Former Victory band Thursday has had a conflict with the label, citing issues with royalties. The band also cited an incident involving the Victory Records marketing staff producing whoopie cushions for the promotion of their 2001 album Full Collapse, against their wishes. Thursday stated in the DVD accompanying their compilation album Kill the House Lights that they chose to go to a major label (Island Def Jam in 2002) and after fulfilling their contract, Tony Brummel and Victory Records welcomed Thursday "back with open arms."