After completing their contract with Sony and J Records, Pearl Jam has joined the growing list of empowered unsigned artists just looking to bypass their labels and go more direct to their fans. Like their predecessors it has come down to the ability to control their future, increase their profits and open up a wide variety of inventive bundling options for it’s September 20th release. By using their name, having great songs and hiring the same business professionals that have been working with them in the past they have completely cut out lengthy contracts and undoubtably will have the same level of results. Why are more and more artists doing this? Major labels have lost their way. Before the internet boom, when an artist got signed that meant that the label would pour EVERYTHING they had into you. I can’t blame labels at all for being reluctant in this declining music industry however it’s the lack of ideas and unwillingness to jump all the way in that is killing them.
There’s one valuable point that has been forgotten…people still LOVE music.
Now, I’ve been notorious for saying that I’m not a fan of how major labels have handled their 21st century business models however there is still a place for them if they adjusted a bit. If labels signed “media partnerships” in addition to it’s new 360 deals they would be in more demand and bands like, Pearl Jam would not be lossed. The gap between would widen between the unsigned artist and the majors. Look at Disney. Disney signs 360 deals but they give everything in their 360 rights. As an artist you know that if you get signed by them, you will be given a chance to be involved in all their media projects from creating tv shows for you to being in the next movie. These powerful mediums can still work if done right. In my opinion, if you’re gonna be signed, be signed. Otherwise, DIY is your other choice. There are plenty of unsigned artists that are doing fine financially: Kari Kimmel (you can hear her on countless movie soundtracks, tv shows & commercials), Coffey Anderson (Burn Lounge’s #1 selling artist & plays a ton of churches and colleges for his adoring fans) and Ernie Halter (who has 513,000 twitter followers, tours 9 months out of the year and records out of his bathroom).
My prediction is that with the gap closing between the bigger independents and the majors, majors are going out of business. If majors truly embrace ALL of it’s artists as media partners on top they would increase their sales. Sure, they wouldn’t sign as many artists but at least the desire from the artist community wouldn’t be so negative.
Tags: Major Labels, Pearl Jam, Unsigned Artists
