Blogs are... Record Labels?

As it has become obvious that the major labels have begun to lose traction in the industry, it is also realistic to point out that independent labels have continued to grow as their digital marketing and distribution efforts can not reach more people than ever before. So if the major label shrink, and the indie’s grow, then what happens to the void left by the indie’s as they move up the ladder? While it is feasible to say that more and more smaller and localized labels will begin, and have begun, to pop up all over the country, there is a new trend that Gerd Leonhard has pointed out as being the next wave in user filtered reviews and referrals. As it has been coined, the blogesphere, or the community of fans that write and update their own personal music blogs, in addition to the more professional services, the most well know being Pitchfork Media, has begun to create a new model that in Gerd’s view is about to change not only how users find music, but how music is distributed, produced, marketed, and discovered. In essence, he believes that blogs are the future record labels.

Seem far-fetched? It did to me at first, but when you actually begin to consider the value that a blog has to offer, it begins to make sense. After all, with much of today’s music available all over the Internet, it is increasingly simple for any fan to find any music by any artist that they so desire. At the same time, web applications and sites have made it easy for anyone to self-publish their own reviews, referrals, and even playable music widgets with their own track list. These resources have made bloggers not only some of the most informed fans, but also the most technologically advanced reporters that can make use of any media and from any device. Just as fans have begun to look to these people for the best advice on new music, it has become more and more feasible for a well-known blog to have the ability to break an artist by simply writing a positive review. Especially within genre-specific blogs, this has become a valuable resource for A&R people all over the country. If this is the case, and such bloggers have access profitable sponsorships and other revenue sources, than who is to say that they cannot become a record label tied into the blog itself? All of the pieces are there: distribution, marketing, a loyal audience, and with a little extra capital obtained through ad revenue or brand sponsorships, even the ability to produce new content. Seem real yet?

The first and possibly most important asset that blogs and their respective bloggers have to offer is their loyal viewer base. Because the of the capabilities of the Internet and the spreading use of RSS feeds and readers, any person with Internet access can receive all of their own personalized news the minute it gets published. This means that any person that subscribes to a feed will receive all of the news and content provided by the blogger: and for bloggers, this means a built in audience that is passionate and responds well to the subject of the blog. What does this mean for a blog-label?

They will use their blogs as the primary attention channel (yes – attention really is the new distribution) and will dish up a complete, interactive and highly relevant multi-media experience that will include TV shows, chats, webcasts and games. Forget about 'websites' and browsers - the BlogJs will do it on all platforms and devices” (Leonhard par 1).

Not only do these news feeds automatically attract attention for regular users, but they also act as a way to distribute the music. While a normal record label may able to reach more physical retailers than a blog, or at least we sure hope they can, it is still much more difficult to attract the attention without spending a large sum of money on marketing and advertising efforts across multiple media platforms. Though it can be argued that a blog’s reach is only as far as the Internet and the readers it attracts, it must be pointed out that generally, if a reader has subscribed to such a blog and trusts its opinions and relies on it for new music and media, than it is also true that these readers are more likely to pick up on the output of that blog. In other words, a blog may offer a smaller radius of influence to a potential artist, but the likelihood that this form of marketing and distribution will be more effective is very high.

And by what medium will all of this content be delivered to the reader? The blogger’s weapon of choice, the widget, has become a widely used device by which media can be delivered, information can be provided, and can even be used as a revenue generating source through the use of target ads and sponsorships. As Gerd describes,

Widgets will continue to become instant, ubiquitous mini-site modules that will allow anyone to re-distribute any kind of content, to any device and any platform, anywhere. Most marketing will be done through and with the users - and some of them will get paid for it, too” (par 2).

Just as it was described above, these widgets, in conjunction with RSS feeds, will be able to distribute content, market an artist, and even allow the creator to be paid as they track usage. As described in the article, partnerships through a sponsor can be used to generate revenue through a similar ad model that free music services are using now. Though there is one major difference: these sponsors will be able to target the audience that is most likely to buy their product by backing a blog that attracts a similar audience. In other words, “These ads will pay as much as $5 per click-thru (CPT), with major brands 'sponsoring' music blogs that fit their exact brand vision” (par 10). What does this mean for the bloggers? They can charge a premium for a more targeted audience, which means a better return rate for the sponsor. This money can then be used to help artists produce new material for distribution exclusively through the site, therefore only boosting attention for the blog and the artist. And the best part? They are available on all platforms so that no user will be restricted just to a computer screen, but will also be able to access what they want, when they want.

What does this mean for the rest of the music industry and its traditional approach? How about utilize the blogs and the resources they provide? As the article puts it, “Look at bloggers as you next A&R people” (par 13). If labels were smart, and thankfully some have wizened up to the ways of the ‘net, then they wouldn’t shun the sharing of music on such sites, even if no one is getting paid, but they should use them to discover the new trends, new bands, and new ways that listeners interact with their media.

The best thing that ever happened to DIY was the blog, as it allows fans to promote their favorite artists and even help their new local heroes find new audiences. It has created the “me” generation of fans: “My taste, my list, my ears, my audience, my artists, my network i.e.... you guessed, it, my record label” (par 4).

Leonhard, Gerd. "Future Stories #1: Blogs will be Record Labels, and Bloggers will be the new Music Moguls. BlogJs anyone?." MediaFuturist 08 Apr 2008 14 Apr 2008 .