I‘m not so sure record labels have a role anymore though. Artists need production, distribution and marketing. Production is cheap and easy today. Perhaps this “new production” will change the sound in some direction, but just like there is a sound of the 70′s for instance, this will be the sound of today. Distribution will soon be self service, and we’ll probably see marketing agencies specialized in music pretty soon. Come to think of it, that is probably what the labels have to become in order to survive.
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I think that’s already the reality for many labels.
Take french label Ed Banger (“home” of Justice and Uffie). Their website shows clearly what their goals are:
- links to the label’s facebook or myspace page
- subscription to newletter
- artists bookings
- press inquiries
- contact for vinyl distributors
- contact for DJs (and of course usual listeners)
- merchandising & t-shirts
distribution is clearly coming after marketing, and is motivated by the small, specialized market they pretend to have (DJs playing vinyls).
I recently did this together with The Embassy. It´s no biggie. But still.
http://cgi.ebay.com/You-Tend-To-Forget-The-Embassy-Carl-Hammoud_W0QQitemZ280317405329QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item280317405329&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
Love it.