In the upcoming digital future, there will still be distribution channels, which offer a convenient way for the customer to find, preview and buy music via some platform. Some of them may only provide a fraction of those services, i.e. via automatically updated directories of available music. The major issue here is to allow the user to find the music he is interested in, which will lead to the emergence of bigger sites. In the other extreme, it has never been easier to put up a catalogue of music and use out-of-the-box shop software, so there will be space for small portals and individual sites, too.
Almost everyone seems to agree that the days of the (vinyl) label as we know it are over. Vinyl sales are lower than ever, digital media is not only reality, but CD players are a common sight in clubs around the globe. Production is software-based for the most part, and artist promotion heavily comprises of AIM chatter. Lately, not only have a couple of Mp3 rosen up, even the big distributors and online shops provide ways to sell your tunes online for a minor fee.
Yet, a label is more than a funnel for tracks on their pipelined way to the distributor. From my perspective, there a three key functions a modern label should serve
- Quality control
- Promotion & platform
- Artist & music services
There used to be additional tasks a label was supposed to handle, but it nowadays basically strips down to these equally important three. Label surely will have to focus on these functions, but on the other hand be able to utilize new approaches to reach their goals within each function. The importance to focus simply stems from the fact, that the digital age provides enormously easy ways for artists to promote themselves. Why should you cooperate with a label when you can do it on your own?
Basically, a label should act as a quality filter, take all the business and promotion burden off their filtered artist rooster, and provide a branded facade to the world. We’d better term them agencies.
Sounds all good, right? In my experience, almost all labels are good in one point or another, yet substancely lack in others. To survive, they will have to improve, thus justifying the provision/fee they take from the artist. Currently, the only reason to release on a typical label is to be able to use their name for booking reasons. But if all value they provide is their name, the artists will run pretty quickly.
Now, imagine the perfect label of the near future. What would they do different? Of course, they would have to have a good taste as a base for the quality filter. The more music floods the market, the harder it is to be acknowledged. But as there are various label with good taste, they would have to provide a solid structure and services:
- Dealing with various distribution channels and their formats,
- good handling of information and payment to the artist,
- providing a network of contacts,
- promotion network and management,
- good responsivess in communication,
- a customer relationship management,
- etc.
Moreover, I’d expect the perfect future label to offer new horizons. What about bringing together audio and video producers to release tracks with video support? Other examples may be constant remixes between artists of the rooster (some labels are already experimenting with that), remix source packages available for an extra fee, and managing contacts to musicians of different genres for collabs.
Overall, labels will have to adapt their processes and become agencies, providing structure and services. The better the taste/artists and those services are for both the artist and the customer, the morely likely is a success.
Which elements of a modern/future anatomy of the perfect label do you see?
Technorati Tags: music, label, distributor, artist, rooster, quality, services, structure, filter, success, future, perfect
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