Category Archives: Record Deals and Labels
The Imposters – Spotting the Pretend Record Label
If you happen to be in the market for a label deal, or you think that’s on the horizon for you in the not-too-distant future, you might want to keep the following in mind as you pursue all the options. (more…)
The Artist Personal Manager in the Digital Age
For many emerging artists today, “partners” has come to be a lot less about traditional conduits to the masses – i.e., terrestrial media and, most importantly, record companies – than about Internet and mobile-based allies and services. This is due in part to the inability of the label pool to absorb the torrent of acts now spilling onto the music scene, and also because an increasing number of artists see digital media/technology as a viable alternative to relying on the industry machine, especially in view of the evident difficulties various high-profile record companies have had adapting to life on the digital frontier.
In this regard, some people in the industry no longer see it as the manager’s responsibility to be concerned, short term or long term, with actively trying to get their client signed to a label. (more…)
Record Deals: The Website Grab and other Label Shenanigans
There are some important digital-related property rights that should remain with the artist but which a record company may want thrown into the deal, perhaps hoping they will slip under the radar. (more…)
Do Record Labels Matter Anymore?
I recently hosted a Meetup workshop event for artists focused on the topic of record labels versus going the indie route. I think this is a pretty important topic these days, what with all the loose talk and opinions flying around about the death of the industry as we know it, let alone the plethora of negative stories out there about how labels treat their artists. (more…)
Is The 360 Deal Just A Money Grab By The Record Labels?
This blog is a follow-up piece to my introductory blog on the 360 Deal.
When it comes to the 360 deal’s monetary appeal to labels and music artists, a common phenomenon is driving opposing forces. With album revenues declining owing to falling sales and prices, both parties are increasingly looking to other revenue sources. (more…)
The 360 Record Label Deal – Bane Or Boon For The Independent Music Artist?
There’s an old saying: “There is really nothing new under the sun.” That certainly rings true to me when I think of the 360 degree deal. In its purist form, this relatively “new” breed of record deal is basically the reincarnation, cloaked in contemporary guise, of an old and rather notorious entertainment industry modus operandi (more…)
