(Article in the L.A. Sunday Times:)

"With the Island Def Jam Music Group gambling $20 million on Mariah Carey after she was paid more millions to leave Virgin Records, it's clear that the major labels are more ready than ever to risk their resources on acts iwth potential album sales of millions. Marc Geiger's New label sets its sights a bit lower.

"If you can sell 10,000 records, you're in if you want to be," says the music buiness veteran, whose iMusic venture will officially launch this summer. In fact, the ability to sell a minimum of 10,000 CDs is the ONLY criterion for label candidates. Geiger doesn't care what style of music you make, what age demographic you appeal to, whether you can dance or what language you sing in. "We're not even saying 'If your record's good enough, we'll sign you,' " he says.

The way to make this work, Geiger says, is to keep costs low. The label is not offering big advances to artists, nor will it propose expensive promotional campaigns for mainstream radio and TV exposure. What it is offering artists is full ownership of the master tapes, total creative control and a 50-50 split of net revenues.

Contracts will be only for one album, and expenditures will be made only with full agreement between the artist and the company. Geiger has already had several notable takers. John Doe, the band Berlin, rappers Tre(from the Pharcyde) and Speech(from Arrested Development), and English band Gene have all signed on, with 20 more in negotiations, he says, adding that the approach is particularly suitted to artists who have had some level of mainstream success and major-label support in the past and retain a reliable following but who no longer fit in the major-label and mainstream radio world.

Doe is using the label to release his first acoustic-based solo album, "Dim Stars, Bright Lights," with such friends as Aimee Mann and Jane Weidlin in guest roles and plans for an August release. The onetime Geffen and Elektra artist says he has no problems with the smaller scale of the plans.

"I got to a point pretty quickly where I wanted to make records," says Doe, who remains a member of L.A. punk leader X. "I didn't want to wait for someone else to say I could. Maybe there is an ego hurdle, but not for anyone who's a true creator. If I had the opportunity to work with a major label, I would probably do it. On the other hand, I don't think I would get as good a record or be as satisfied."

iMusic is part of a bigger company with major distribution(through BMG), and can operate in effect as a "hybrid" of indie and major services."

wellbeyond said:

lmfao

What would be the benefit over doing thing the way he's doing them right now if they won't pay advances and won't do promotion? Right now all the revenues go to Prince.

Next!

joeycoco said:

Simple...he'd get the benefit of having the resources of a major label if he desired them(read the last sentence again...several times over), instead of doing what they're doing now, which is emailing club members and asking them for phone numbers of overseas records stores!!...LoL..If THAT'S the low standard you think someone like Prince should stick to when trying to sell his music worldwide, then you think far less of his career possibilities than I do...lol

Slightly more info from the article:

"Geiger says that iMusic is a fulfillment of of ideas at play at ARTISTdirect, a company he co-founded six years ago as an Internet-heavy platform for music acts. It's had ups and downs, but has maintained a leading presence in developing artists' Web sites and fan databases. It presaged iMusic by releasing albums by acts ranging from Mann to Cher.

Last year, ARTISTdirect started a joint venture with Interscope Records founder Ted Field to create ARTISTdirect Records, a label bying to compete on the major scale. Geiger, who is vice chairman of ARTISTdirect, believes the time is better than ever for a label that can target what he sees as an increasingly overlooked but extremely fertile "middle ground" of the music business. Geiger has assembled a small staff for iMusic, but will be able to draw on resources of the bigger label, if appropriate, on a project-by-project basis.

"When Ted came in with the traditional record business, we could also be in the middle ground as part of this company,", Geiger sayds. "So we can actually have a choice for artists, depending on who they are, where they are in a career and what kind f deal structure they want."

wellbeyond said:

this does makes more since than what he is doing now,having MANI lick stamps and email us

wellbeyond said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Prince do that already? Remember Rave? What a big success that was.



I think Prince is exactly doing what he wants to do right now, so if this is the way he wants to do business then who are we to say he "deserves" more. Looking back at the last 7 years of his career he really doesn't deserve to get much more. He's the one who fucked up. Still, he has more options to get his music to the public, but he would have to do things he strongly disagrees with right now.

Prince wants to keep his masters, refuses to pay for his videos, but wants to sell millions of copies and make a shitload of money. That's not the way things work.

thechronic said:

LOL....ROFL.....STILL ROFL.....

Im sure this could help Prince but, doubt he would be interested..it just sounds to logical for his lil ole brain to comprehend..


now, wendy and lisa on the other hand should seriously look into this....

Where r the benefits to Prince with iMusic?
Right now, he's writing, recording, distributing his music, with all profits going to him. He needs help in promotions, and they clearly state they can't help there.
Prince's distribution, some may say, needs help also...imusic probably COULD help there.
Although, I see TRC on many retail shelves, so he's not doing as bad a job as some may lead u to beleive.

He should sign with Posthuman Records

I was gonna start another thread about this,but I will post it here instead: the Def Jam label has developed a "Classic Soul" record label called Classic Soul Records.The label wants to sign forgotten R&B artists and give their careers new life.So far,the following artists have signed: Barry White,James Brown,Stephanie Mills.Talks are continuing with Teena Marie,Earth Wind and Fire,Bobby Womack and a reunited Lionel Ritchie and The Commodores.The plan is to get all these artists back into the studio recording new music,and sending them on tour.These artists are all but forgotten by the mainstream and most major labels would never give them a second chance.Def Jam/Island is willing to give them that second chance.


Now,I know Prince would never sign a deal like this (for one thing,he doesn't consider himself an "R&B artist").But wouldn't this label be a perfect home for The Time?

EvilWhiteMale said:

lol, P would likely rather eat a whole ham before signing with Posthuman.

:p