The record label is dead: long live the record label

SOURCE: wordpress.com

                                               Are record labels necessary for artists?

As we saw in the last blog post, a record label is a major part of an artist or a bands success. They help fund them so they can get off their feet. But in this new day and age, new artists and bands are popping up everywhere and funding themselves independently. This leads some of us to ask, are record labels really that necessary anymore? This article from The Telegraph newspaper argues that record labels are still as important as ever.

First, record labels have refused to keep doing their main job which is developing new acts. This seems obvious but without the backing force of a huge label, many up and coming artists are not able to advertise themselves successfully. Once signed on to a record label, they experience much more popularity. This leads onto the next point which is that small independent labels or artists that choose not to get signed are not as skilled/do not have the funds available to put themselves out to big audiences. While putting music on the internet is very quick and easy and having to good recording equipment accessible to the public, sometimes artists are forced to take a step back so they don't run themselves into debt.

The second biggest reason is that despite the fact that times have changed, artists still strive to become signed to labels. They know it's their best option. It's much better to have, "...partners to support their professional careers." (Moore). Labels don't just promote artists, recently, labels are able to develop the relationship between an artist and their fan base. They can create deeper and engaging relationships between an audience and the performer which is becoming increasingly more popular. Also, labels have adapted to handle the long winded struggle with piracy. They now are able to provide audiences with free high quality streaming of the artist's content. 

I think that this article was really interesting because not all record labels are about making money. Some really are in it for the artist and the audience. I know one record I follow called Fueled By Ramen is able to promote their artists in such a way that the fans are able to connect more. This developing relationship is boosting sales for artists and helping them create a dedicated audience. All in all, record labels are really important to artists, although I do think that record labels should be making a bit less than the artist. While crucial for success, they are getting rich off of the artists' talent.