As Label Services Have Continued to Change the Music Business, the Competition Has Become Ever More ﬁerce

NATIONAL SERVICE ------------ BY JAMES HANLEY ------------ Check the label: Orbital partnered with Believe on their 2018 LP Monsters Exist As label services have continued to change the music business, the competition has become ever more ﬁerce. Here, Music Week speaks to some of its key players to check the McCracken Kenny pulse of this vibrant sector... SPECIAL REPORT PHOTO: hen CBS Records committed “Label services were around a long time before they the cardinal sin of releasing were called label services,” recalls Paolo d’Alessandro, The Clash’s Remote Control CEO of Motion Agency, which delivers multi-territory as a single without the PR and marketing campaigns. “They used to be called band’s blessing, the punk independent distribution and the distributors would icons channelled their fury have a label manager handling the relationship with into the raging Complete the repertoire owners and, on occasion, would offer Control. “They said we’d be promotion services.” artistically free when we signed that bit of paper,” sneered Joe D’Alessandro has worked with the likes of BMG, StrummerW on the 1977 polemic. “They meant let’s make a lot of Concord Music Group and RCA on acts such as Kylie money and worry about it later.” Minogue and The Prodigy. Mistrust of the industry’s gatekeepers has been a recurrent “Today’s label services are no longer just distribution theme through rock and pop history, as documented on tunes “Artists value routes with a couple of extra perks, they have become a such as the Sex Pistols’ EMI and The Smiths’ Paint A Vulgar having control complex ecosystem built to allow repertoire owners to Picture. But fast-forward to the present day and the avenues focus entirely on their creative mission and have very few to creative freedom are much more open, most notably in the of their overall entry barriers to the business,” he says. “Fewer overheads form of label services deals. release strategy” mean more flexibility to put the investments where they “A services deal puts the artist at the centre of the process, ultimately belong which, in our opinion, is still A&R.” determining where spend is directed and to what level,” Proper CHRIS MANNING Participating artists get to work with minimal Music Group MD Drew Hill tells Music Week. “It also often THE ORCHARD unwanted interference, according to PIAS sales and allows them to retain master rights. If done in the correct distribution director Richard Sefton. “Most label service manner, you get the same promotional, marketing and sales companies now offer the infrastructure which gives opportunities that existed under the old model, but a better artists all the background support that a traditional label return on income generated.” would,” he says. “It often depends on the act, but the musicweek.com 28.01.19 Music Week | 23 Mac and me: to name but a few] – we work with them to boost their Absolute infrastructure as and when they need it.” has enjoyed Universal Music Group-owned Caroline, which picked success with up the 2018 Music Week Award for Label/Artist Services Jane McDonald Company, has teamed with indies such as Because, Communion and Glassnote. “The model is evolving very rapidly,” continues head of international label and artist marketing Ed Scott. “From where we started five years ago, Caroline is now a fully-formed multi-functional global company with “A services deal extensive operations in all the key markets that cover off puts the artist at marketing, promotion, sync, radio and marketing support. “The clichéd arguments against the services model the centre of regarding reach and punch in multiple markets and the process” being able to deliver on every aspect of a campaign are completely bankrupt at this point.” DREW HILL Spokes highlights Caroline’s work with Van Morrison PROPER MUSIC after partnering with the legendary star on four albums. “We’ve seen how much an artist of his stature values growth of label service companies gives a viable alternative the increased level of control, both creatively and option for many acts.” strategically,” she says. “A services deal gives an artist like PIAS enjoyed a consistent run of success in 2018 with Van the freedom to set the pace of their release schedule, releases as diverse as Idles’ Joy As An Act Of Resistance engage in planning the roll-out, appointing their team and (Partisan Records) and the King’s College Choir’s 100 overseeing how their money is spent, all of which can be Years Of Nine Lessons And Carols, which spent nine weeks very appealing for established artists.” at the top of the classical charts. The firm also worked “It gives them a chance to try something new,” adds with Domino on Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel & Scott. “Too many established artists are stuck in a rut, Casino, the fastest-selling vinyl of the last quarter century. of traditional release cycles. A label services operation “The move towards streaming and the decline of physical approaches every release plan with a completely clean slate could be seen as a challenge and an opportunity,” notes and will always give the support required to make an artist Sefton. “As the market develops, how we market releases and management’s ideas work in the marketplace.” and manage campaigns will change. Staying relevant and As a result, the notion of complete independence has ahead of the pack is key.” “We are become increasingly viable. “If label services are about anything, they’re about abel services firms can also work hand-in-hand absolutely empowering independence,” smiles Dowling. “We have seen with the majors. “A services deal is often based on a complementary more artists wanting to run their own businesses alongside split of profits after costs are deducted as opposed to a major label – their managers. That’s entirely possible because of the to a traditional royalty on PPD [published price to one size does not removal of many of the gatekeepers on the route to market.” Ldealer],” says Hill. “But there is scope for a major label to Dowling stresses that working independently doesn’t inject extra cash and take a bigger punt that an act might not ﬁ t all” have to mean working in isolation. “The huge amount of be able to take on their own. The model allows a greater range music being released every week means you have to be of options for releasing and promoting.” NICOLA SPOKES creative with a campaign – everything from when and how “We are absolutely complementary to a major label – CAROLINE you release, to how you engage with your audience can one size does not fit all,” nods Caroline International’s INTERNATIONAL make a huge difference,” he says. UK label head Nicola Spokes. “We are dealing with “Artists and labels can access the market on the creation of art and bringing that art to an audience their own terms with their own creative – it’s not a cookie-cutter process and what suits one vision that they can fully control and artist may not work for another. Major labels and retain all the rights to their masters,” services companies can also work together in a very points out !K7 Records head of artist complementary way – there are lots of ways to innovate and label services Adrian Hughes. in this sector and offer artists very future-facing deals.” “There is more access to data and “Traditional labels will always have their place in the analytics than ever and we use the market,” adds Absolute Label Services director Mark wide range of market intelligence Dowling. “Absolute counts some great independent labels available to invest in the smartest among its clients [Ear Music, Ram Records and Cherry Red way we can.” The multi-faceted company’s clients include Tricky, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Mykki Blanco (who “If label services it also manages). It houses are about the !K7, Strut, AUS and anything, 7K! labels in addition to running a services they’re about operation. empowering “Being a label independence” services provider that also houses Label mates: (L-R) Caroline International’s Ed Scott, Motion MARK DOWLING four in-house Agency’s Mike Bartlett and Colin Young of CC Young ABSOLUTE LABEL record labels Don’t worry, SERVICES and an artist be Dappy: management Absolute works with the former N-Dubz star 24 | Music Week 28.01.19 Uptown punks: PIAS teamed division gives us a unique advantage in the market,” says with Partisan Records on Idles’ Proper’s Hill. “Most deals tend to be revenue shares where Hughes. “We can use this broad wealth of experience to acclaimed debut both parties have the same interest in seeing the project turn provide advice and insight to our label and artist partners a profit. The changes in the market have led to changes in across the global market.” artist behaviour and promotional models, costs to promote Digital distributor and services provider Believe prides via social and playlist are negligible in comparison to itself on delivering bespoke campaigns, from hands-on advertising and hiring promotions companies.” project management and digital marketing to international “Artists wouldn’t agree the deals with label service coordination. “A good example is the recent comeback of companies if they weren’t happy with the revenue Orbital, who signed a label services deal with Believe in 2018,” share,” remarks PIAS’ Sefton. “There is a wide choice for says senior marketing and international manager Malena artists now which can only be a good thing. Of course Wolfer. “The band worked closely with our team to map out transparency is key so artists know exactly what they are the campaign and saw their first album in six years debut at getting and what they are paying for.” No.12, achieving the band’s highest chart entry since 2001.” “Rights are not given away in a label services deal so Amy Dietz, EVP and general manager of Ingrooves Music “The growth naturally a greater share is retained by the artist,” asserts Group, which has worked with the likes of Wolf Alice and Absolute’s Dowling, who counts Steps, Dappy, Jane McDonald Pale Waves, explains how the market is constantly evolving.

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