ManiaTV Takes a Shot at Being a Music Label

PaidContent has a bit of information about ManiaTV’s latest venture, an attempt to reinvent what it means to be a music label:

it’s jumping into the music business with a new show called Making the Music, which effectively seeks to take over the role long played by the music labels. The original series is focused on hip-hop producer Scoop Deville as he works on a new album—and maniaTV will get a cut of the revenues once the LP is released.

The idea is that Scoop et. al. will be able to use the social media aspects of show as a way to test-market and hone their final product.  Of course, this only works if people tune in and get involved.

I am always interested in new takes on music production and promotion and this is certainly an intriguing idea.  One does have to wonder, with LP sales decreasing pretty steadily, if getting a cut of the record sales is really worth all that much.  Maybe they are cut into the other potential revenue streams such as licensing, touring and merchandising?

Merlin is a New Model for Label Success

Merlin is a very cool company that is succeeding with a new model for success as a “major label.”  Unlike traditional labels, Merlin actually represents a huge number of indie labels under a single banner (via ArsTech):

“Merlin isn’t a “real” label in the sense that it doesn’t do business the same way. The group negotiates licensing arrangements on behalf of its members so that small labels can get the benefits of a more sizable organization, but Merlin does not take any control of copyrights and does not do marketing or promotion.”

This is a great example of building a business model in response to current conditions.  Instead of desperately trying to hold onto the old model where making money was about selling albums, Merlin saw a need a provided a solution.

The Majors could learn a lesson from them…but they probably won’t.

Related articles

• ‘Fifth Major’ Label Merlin Finally Bears Down On Subscription Music Services [via Zemanta]

Bebo and Universal UK Team for Real Fiction Web Series

As brands and broadcasters continue to find ways to transmit both entertainment and an overwhelming desire to consume material goods and services to the viewing public, there is an ever-increasing presence of brand-intergration into original entertainment.

Not surprisingly, the web, where traditional advertising has never worked, is a laboratory for this sort of content.  Next up to the testing grounds is courtesy of jolly ol’ England…

“In a first between social network and music company, “The Secret World of Sam King” revolves around a junior ’facilities’ employee at Universal Music who secretly founds his own start-up label in the post room. Producers will draw on real-life experiences along with cameo appearances from Universal artists to bring additional authenticity to the setting and story.”

What’s worth noting is the complete transparency of the integration between brand and story.  Nobody is being tricked or deceived about where at least some of the money is coming from.  Whether or not the actual show will be entertaining is a whole different kettle of fish.

Did I just say “kettle of fish?”

Can Curating Save the Labels?

Short answer: I don’t think so.

However, over on TechDirt there are some comments on Ian Rogers (former GM of Yahoo Music) open letter to EMI in which he talks of a new(ish) idea:

“affinity labels. Put together various mini-labels under which similar types of bands are associated. And, include on those labels a few of the “big name” EMI artists. Thus, for all the fans who are fans of some huge artist, by creating these affinity labels, it will help drive the fans of the big name artist to those other bands as well, knowing that they all have a similar sound or musical philosophy.”

I might be crazy but this sounds a lot like every indie label out there except with the idea of using big bands to attract fans to smaller bands.  Every indie label that’s any good is good because of its taste and fans of a label trust each new band the label releases will be worth listening to.

Applying this basic concept to the major labels – basically turning them into a bunch of mini-labels – is something the big film studios have tried to do over the past decade or two.  They formed little “indie” studios within their bigger frameworks to distribute smaller films.

Now, these same studios are discovering that smaller films simply make less money and they are shutting down their “indie” wings left and right (Warner Independent and PictureHouse are recent examples) to focus on big-budget blockbusters.

I don’t see how it will work any better for the labels.

The Music Industry is Waking Up. Too Late?

ArsTechnica has a good look at what’s happening the world of big music:

“Five hundred top members of the music business gathered today in New York to hear that “music 1.0 is dead.” Ted Cohen, a former EMI exec who used the phrase, opened the Digital Music Forum East by pleading with the industry to be wildly creative with new business models but not to “be desperate” during this transitional period. But what is music transitioning to? No one seemed quite sure, except to say that it won’t look much like the music business of the last several decades.”

The music industry has really been the canary in the coal mines as far as the internet economy is concerned.  It will be fascinating to see if they can save themselves before they’ve all choked to death.

Check out the whole ArsTechnica post for more on what was said at the conference and some good insight on what it all might mean.