Musings from the High Castle

The guy behind Engadget and Gizmodo - Peter Rojas - has started up his own record label, called RCRDLBL.

Yeah, I know - a very Web 2.0 name for a record label. I wonder if he used this when thinking up the name. Just kept on hitting the generate until a Web 2.0 name came up that was slightly synonymous with the music industry.

So, what's the major difference between this records label, and say, Sony BMG? Well, music from RCRDLBL is free. Yup, you read right: it's all free. Bands are paid not from track sales, but from advertising on the site - a complete departure from the traditional model.

This is something that isn't huge, but has the potential to be. There are already some quite well known bands - and by that I mean I've heard of them - signed up: Bloc Party, Art Brut, Claude VonStroke to name but a few.

The music selection reminds me of what was available on MP3.com 4 years ago, lots of B-sides from well known acts, but this could all change quite rapidly. The audience are receiving free music and the artists are getting paid from the advertising that they help the site generate. The better their music offering, the higher the chance the site will receive visits, thus the higher the ad revenue. Makes sense in a Web 2.0 manner. A very bold and empowering business model is behind this venture and something that the Silicon Valley gumption and entrepreneurial prowess behind it will make work.

If this works then it could change the overall business model of the music industry in general. Radiohead's pioneered the way in selling their music in a new fashion - fans paid what they thought was right for their album. Courtney Love may be following suit - although I think she'll find she might not make as much as they did (although there are still some questions on that too)

Then you have idiots like Prince who are trying to take on Piratebay. Guess he'll be the new Metallica and PB the new Napster.

There is a definite need for forward thinking in the music world, and certain ideas and actions are paving the way to a better way. There are people who are fighting this, because this new way isn't as lucrative as it is currently, and relies on people having real talent in performing, something that is in real short supply.

*sigh* - guess I'll stick with listening to some Maximo Park. For free.