Whilst Online Streaming Services Grows in Strength the Record Labels Could Learn a Thing or Two.

What is it Lauren-Spencer Smith, Pink Pantheress, and Rapper Dave all have in common? Well, for a start they are all musicians who have so far managed to carve a successful career in the music industry, and they are pretty much in control of their own music, image, and brand. Pink Pantheress even won the BBC Sound Poll of 2022. 

Yet how this can be credited down to both their management and record label? Well surprisingly none, cos, for one thing, none of them are signed up to any label and as far as we know they don’t have any management either. So the question that remains to be asked is, ‘how are they doing it?’

Online Streaming Services

Well, here is an answer; artists such as Lauren are releasing their music via streaming services such as Spotify. Now if you are asking how they even manage to support themselves here’s how they are able to do it. All your record labels, listen up, cause you might actually learn something.

For artists like Lauren and Pink Pantheress they sign up to streaming services such as Spotify for a flat fee, basically meaning that they have to pay to put their material on the site, but this is where it pays off as they receive 100% of the royalties when people buy their music.

I admit that whilst this is still somewhat new to me, bearing in mind I’ve been aware of Spotify for ages, I am surprised at just how the artists are able to make it work for them. Yet, at the same time, I genuinely can’t help but admire the whole genius of the process itself.

Record Labels

Whilst I still support record labels, mainstream, independent, and alternative I genuinely believe that they need to start looking and examining these streaming services as they could actually learn a thing or two.

Here are a few of things that first come to mind whenever I begin to think about this method; 
Music release – unlike the label the artist gets to choose when to release their songs.

Agreements – they don’t have to talk with the label reps to agree on a date and there’s no dispute as to who does what and when.

Writing process – unlike the label the main talent themselves can work at a pace that suits them. There’s no pressure on them to write something, record it and release it.

Royalties – unlike the arguments that can happen between both the artist and the label in regards to who earns what in regards to royalties the artist gets to earn what it is that they have made from their work.

Creative control – this is where it can become hectic between both the band and the record label. The label can have its own ideas as to where the artist could go next in regards to the creative process, the artist however might think differently hence where the dispute over creativity happens.

When you think of these factors you can understand almost straight away why many of the new up-and-coming musicians, bands and DJs, etc decide to go and do things their way and I honestly think that this is where the record labels can definitely learn a thing or two, or more.

I admit here and now that even though I’m not a musician I do know of some very talented musicians out there and for some of them it is a very familiar story. All in all, and definitely when the new artists of today I can understand their reasons for wanting to go independent, and I can also get why labels are so keen to work with new artists.

But either way, if record labels wish to get on board with the musical talent that’s coming onto the scene today they need to work with their artists and listen to what it is they desire. 

Work with not against.