Binary Star Music Debuts the Future of the Record Label : Record Label 2.0I’m not a fan of record labels, especially mainstream, RIAA-supporting labels. They’ve done more to inhibit the economic growth of musicians than all the music pirates in the world combined, and I honestly believe the music industry would be better off without 90% of the labels out there.
That said, one label consistently catches my eye – Binary Star Music in Florida. They’re a small, independent label promoting artists like Rayko KRB, Takis, and a few other acts, but they recently announced something that, to me, appears to be the future of the music label.
Why does an artist sign with a label? Increased resources. Distribution. Promotion. Access to pooled assets like studios. All of these things at major labels are an all-or-nothing deal that comes with a hefty fee, a major percentage of profits from album sales, and a requirement that artists sign over any and all intellectual property rights. This, for obvious reasons, is NOT the best deal for the artists.
Binary Star is going a different route – they’re offering a la carte services, from MySpace management to list management to promotion. It’s exciting because artists don’t need to sign with the label, nor do they need to sign over any intellectual property rights. I think Binary Star has a winner here and as their portfolio and rolodex expands, it will only serve to increase the value of their offering. This is the future of the music label – not a behemot bureaucracy out to screw artists, but a service bureau offering competitively priced services that let you choose what you need for your music career without the overhead of a label contract.
Congratulations to the Binary Star team for innovating yet again. If you’re an independent musician, keep an eye on their service bureau model!
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