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UMG, Sony, Warner

paulfromcamden

paulfromcamden

Baffled
I was looking at some new releases today and realised I don't want to buy records from the last three big major labels any more.

I'm not boycotting them as such, I don't have anything against them. It's just that when there are so many small labels putting out great music, run for love and operating on a shoestring, I'd rather give my money to them. Especially at a time when so many people are struggling financially.

I wondered what other members think.
 
I mostly buy from smaller labels and audiophile reissues labels. Don’t buy much mainstream new music or back catalogue nowadays, so that rules out the majors to a large extent.
 
paulfromcamden said:
I was looking at some new releases today and realised I don't want to buy records from the last three big major labels any more.

I'm not boycotting them as such, I don't have anything against them. It's just that when there are so many small labels putting out great music, run for love and operating on a shoestring, I'd rather give my money to them. Especially at a time when so many people are struggling financially.

I wondered what other members think.
Click to expand...
I sort of get the New releases angle but what about reissues? No Blue Note, Impulse, Rhino.......Even on New releases you're missing out on some exciting stuff from Shabaka Hutchins who's signed to Impulse.
 
mikechadwick said:
I sort of get the New releases angle but what about reissues? No Blue Note, Impulse, Rhino.......Even on New releases you're missing out on some exciting stuff from Shabaka Hutchins who's signed to Impulse.
Click to expand...

Yes Impulse crossed my mind as I'm a big Shabaka fan - perhaps that's where I make an exception! But honestly there are always way more releases I'd like to buy than my modest budget allows so there's always lots I'm missing out on anyway.

I have reservations about some of the more ridiculous Blue Note products but it's great that the catalogue is being properly looked after and issued in a sensible fashion. And that obviously requires there to be a market for UMG to sell to.

Not trying to be too hair shirt in my approach or suggesting anyone follow suit - just my realisation that I feel happier giving my cash to a small label than a $30 billion corporation.
 
I view them as custodians of the past as well as still releasing much new stuff of interest, e.g. the vibrant new London jazz scene is spread between independents and majors, as music always is. Given how much music history is still of interest to most of us here, e.g. Blue Note, Verve, Impulse, Riverside, Atlantic etc etc it is a case of use it or lose it, and if we lose it we’ll end up paying out for pirated crap (DOL etc) which is just a re-EQd CD or needle-drops as they have zero right or access to the master tapes. Nothing disappoints me more than visiting a record shop and seeing people unknowingly paying good money for badly produced “public domain” junk.

I have huge criticism of the major labels and how badly they have cared for some of the greatest artistic achievements of humanity, e.g. most of the Impulse master tapes being lost in a fire, but even so they remain better than the alternative.

Whilst I’m always a huge fan of new music and I’d say the majority of my music collection was smaller acts on independent labels properly preserving the past is essential. I’d also argue that audiophile reissue labels are only viable because of tapes preserved in major label vaults. I’ve no idea what master was used for say the new Acoustic Sounds of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme given so much literally went up in smoke, but it is a superb sounding record and hopefully far more on the way. The whole thing is synergistic, we have always needed both cutting edge small labels and vast archives. UMG, CBS Sony etc are the latter and should be viewed as the nearest to a global library we currently have. Their job is to preserve and distribute culture as far as I am concerned and I will happily consume their products along with all manner of exciting new limited releases from fresh new talent on Bandcamp etc. It is all part of the same big picture.
 
mikechadwick said:
I sort of get the New releases angle but what about reissues? No Blue Note, Impulse, Rhino.......Even on New releases you're missing out on some exciting stuff from Shabaka Hutchins who's signed to Impulse.
Click to expand...
Blue note is universal
Impulse is universal
Rhino is warners
the majors own ALL music Universal / Sony /Warner + TV & Film
amazon keep trying to buy them & almosi bought universal to gain control global on production & distribution

Can Music Stores, Indie Labels Survive The Big Distribution Debacle?
US music stores are in crisis after months of late, inaccurate and missing shipments from Direct Shot, the exclusive physical goods distributor of UMG, Sony and UMG that’s putting the entire independent music eco-system at risk.

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/201...els-survive-the-big-distribution-debacle.html

Universal Music Group's labels include A&M Records, Astralwerks, Blue Note Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Harvest, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Label Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP SETS RECORD WITH NINE OF TOP 10 ALBUMS ON BILLBOARD 200. Aug 30, 2020.
 
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