MORE Indie Invaders / POSTED BY: KINGSOFAR

Check out the article in Fortune Magazine titled
‘Big musicians flex their muscle with record labels’
. Jeff Kwatinetz, CEO of the Firm says he is trying to diversify the Firm into a company that not only manages music clients but can produce and promote their records and oversee publishing, touring, and merchandising. He says this is what record companies did in the 1960s and ’70s.

After meeting with various labels, Ice Cube one of the Firms clients chose to release his record himself. Ice Cube felt it was only fair that he own the music and reap all the profit from its sale in the U.S.

“We have ring-tone checks coming in. We’ve licensed music to TV shows. We’ve licensed music to films. It all goes into his pocket.”Says Kwatinetz.

Radiohead’s contract with EMI’s Capitol label has expired, and the band seems to be in no rush to sign a new one. In July, Thom Yorke, Radiohead’s lead singer, released a solo album, “The Eraser,” on an indie label. It was promoted on the homepage of Apple’s (Charts) iTunes Music Store and became the No. 2 record on the Billboard 200 without a major label.

Record sales became so profitable that the labels gave up their revenue streams from ticket and T-shirt sales. Napster came along and CD sales plummeted. Kwatinetz argues that now these same companies are so focused on making their quarterly results from album sales that they can no longer build long-term careers for their artists.

Let’s put this all together. If your a megastar or use to be a megastar with somewhat of a fan base, then yes, you don’t need a major label given you have enough capital. The same platforms labels use (I Tunes, MTV, Internet) to launch artists are available to anybody. The problem isn’t with megastar artists, the problem remains with new artists.

Twitter
Facebook
Newsletter
Recent Posts
  • Carson Cruz Releases New Single “Private Fool”
  • “There Is Hope” Marks the New Release from Sassy Grace
  • New Artist Feanah Rose Releases First Single “Don’t Leave Me”
  • stella. Drops the new single “Heimlich”
  • Winter Andrews Releases “All That Glitters” Ahead of Debut Album ’til the moon fades away
  • Selina Gin Releases New Single Oh My Heart
  • Shelita Releases New Single Fade Ahead of Upcoming Album
  • Nick Howe Releases New Single Airplane Mode
  • Estella Dawn Reinvents “Skinny Love” with Cinematic Dark Pop Magic
  • Sisters Unveil Haunting Debut “Sweetness of Things”
  • Malachi Mize Brings Hope and Healing with Debut Single “Until Next Time”
  • Alanna A. Love Releases Debut Single “Running Away”
  • Jaya Kellogg Drops Addictive Debut Single “Background Noise”
  • SolyMar: gen.wav & KHR!S João Blend Latin Soul and Electro Vibes in Debut Collab Album
  • ZØYA Returns with Mid-Tempo Anthem of Strength and Self-Worth
  • Estella Dawn Drops First Original of the Year with “Move Down Lover”
  • Louis Torre Finds the “Silver Lining” in New Alt-Pop Single Ahead of Debut Album
  • Ronnie Sets Sail with “Yacht Club,” a Roots-Infused Americana Pop Gem
  • Ava Della Pietra Returns With Haunting Pop Single “2 can play”
  • hyoon Drops New Single “Stupid For You” – A Lo-Fi, Soulful Ode to Toxic Love
  • Almondmilkhunni Drops “New Jerzey” — A Smooth, Soulful Shoutout to the East Coast
  • Bobby Bodega Drops “Gravity,” a Hard-Hitting Return Rooted in the Bronx and Hip Hop Legacy
  • Reuben Medlin Releases Self-Produced Album “It’s A Long Walk Home Pt. 2” Chronicling Recovery and Resilience
  • Brent de la Cruz Blurs Genre Lines with Reflective New Single “Day to Day”
  • Lauren Spring Shares Self Soother About Healing After Toxic Love
  • Abbie Anne Breaks Through Self-Doubt with Honest New Track Miss Mediocre
  • Alyssa Caroline Releases Lovesick About Moving On After Betrayal
  • Savannah Burrows Shares Dreamy Indie Pop Track On Again Exploring Love and Second Chances
  • PEGGY Explores Friendship and Romance in New Single FRIENDS TO LOVERS
  • Michelle Núñez Debuts Cinematic Ballad making the most of it — A Raw, Emotional Reflection on Loss
  • Follow

    Home

         

    About

         

    Contact

         

    Daily Readership

    Copyright 2025 Kings of A&R     Website Design by PaleBird