Small and independent or big and commercial, recording companies do have similar primary goals: for their artist to excel, - or, in lames terms: for their product to sell. It is the contrast between the secondary goals of these large and small companies that differentiates the companies from each other.
Small independent companies such as All That Productions Records (ATP), a small recoding company formed in 2005, claims that they are above the “Cookie Cutter,” “one size fits all” music and artist that large recording labels provide.
According to ATP Records, “…we thrive on being flexible enough to adapt a fresh approach to each and every Artist we represent.” Aside from recording, ATP Records also has a publishing division for writers who need representation on Music Row.
Major recording companies, such as Interscope Records, do not provide similar, diverse services that ATP Records does. However, Interscope Records also produces major artists like 50 Cent and Fergie while ATP has yet to produce a known music or written artist.
However, though major recording labels make the money and earn the fame, signing on with a major recording company has been described as a “the biggest risk of (an artist’s) career.”
“An artist who signs a major label recording contract today is probably taking the biggest risk of his or her career,” states Peter Spellman in his article The Real Reason Major Labels Suck. “With a mortality rate of 1 out of 10 failures, it's clearly a crap shoot.”
Though “1 out of 10” artists fail in the process, it seems like it’s the major recording companies that get the bands both money and fame, so what is the significance of small independent labels?
J. Fadden (personal communication, January 27, 2008), guitarist for Heroes of Valhalla, a band-in-the-making, explains that small independent labels help bands get noticed. Fadden explains that small labels help new bands get noticed through sponsoring, financially aided their tours, and advertising their music.
“Basically, they jump-start a band,” says Fadden. “They get the band noticed until the band can sign onto a bigger label.”
Without smaller independent recording companies, how would anyone, including the major record companies, discover these bands? Smaller independent companies seem to serve as the “jump-start” of the band, while the major recording companies bring the bands further.
Sources:
About ATP (2005). Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www.atprecords.com/about.htm
Artists (2008). Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www.interscope.com/artists/default.aspx
Spellman, P. (2000). The Real Reason Major Labels Suck. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://www.rapcointelpro.com/Why%20Major%20Labels%20Suck.htm
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3 comments:
Well, you’ve posted quite a bit. Nervous for this class? Nervous that you don’t do enough? Please Katherine, don’t overdo it. Trust me, I’ve seen you do it before. Just do what’s required and do it well; don’t re-color the rainbow.
I really like your site....I think it's really interesting to look at and since your in mass. comm. and a journalism major? I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts.
I like what you have to say on the recording companies! Keep posting and I will read more!
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