Tunecore and Universal have teamed up to offer new services for indies. The full details are here:

tunecore.typepad.com/

If this is true and not just hype then this is serious news and indie labels (AIM & Merlin) need to act.

Digital distribution has removed the barrier to entry for all. Now anyone can get into iTunes, the recording revolution of the 1990s has made it possible for anyone to get "radio ready" releases but despite all of these strides, marketing, promotion and licensing have proved to be difficult for artists.

There are many who provide "umbrella services" such as Absolute (expensive), Ditto (not as professional) and Tunecore.

None of the above offer a total in-house solution but with the deal with Universal, it is possible to hire their depts for your releases on an affordable basis, or at least that is the theory.

The portals shall be unveiled in October but in this day and age it makes sense to 'hire' the majors or large indies.

Universal, if they do this properly, will have the best of both worlds. They will make money from handling indies and if they are able to do deals with them, they may end up buying into acts or offering label management duties.

I am surprised that none of the indies or Merlin offer this. One of the biggest problems artist have is trusting PR to take your record and get results.

Could this be the first steps in the evolution of the majors ?

No response ?

This is one of the most interesting MUSIC developments yet no response from anyone on this board. Why am I reading about New Labour and conspiracy theories on the main board ? Isn't that what Your Views is for ?

You're quite right KZ!

Where have you been anyway?

My personal view is that almost anything tainted by a link with the majors is bound for disaster but perhaps I'm too cynical.

But I take your point about evolution and must say that, despite us all knowing the old model is dead, none of us has yet come up with a new model that is proved to succeed (though Dizzee Rascal has done rather well).

As far as I understand the deal, UMG isn't creating "an affordable and credible service oriented label for indies".

It is the other way round: Universal will use Tunecore as an digital distributor for its labels/artists.

The biggest music company in the world wasn't able to build its own digital distribution system. So they invested in Ingrooves (2006) and now they have to use Tunecore.

In the long run, deals like this one and the one between Sony music and eMusic are bad for independent labels: The (one or two) majors will dominate digital distribution.

Not according to Tunecore. Sure Universal will be using Tunecore to distribute but also they will be opening up their manufacturing, studio, marketing and licensing departments to Tunecore.

They are already offering mastering at an affordable price and each of their labels will be opening up their departments to Tunecore users. Read the press release as it is all there.

My only fear is that it is all smoke and mirrors and if Universal don't give as much as is being promised in the press release.

As for where I have been, I have been around but not really posting as been very busy.

UMG " will be opening up their manufacturing, studio, marketing and licensing departments to Tunecore."

Ok. But who need these services from UMG? There are enough small players. And does the press release say anything about the terms and conditions for the independents?

From my point of view, this side of the UMG/Tunecore-deal is only about getting more product into the (much too big) pipes of Universal.

I might be interested in some specialist marketing from one of Universal's niche labels. It's an academic debate at this stage, but it is something that I would consider.

Universal are such a massive company sometimes it is hard to actually find the person responsible. Many releases by bands via Universal have got lost in their ever expanding catologue. So the danger here is that this could happen.

Tunecore seem to be announcing it as just a distribution type of deal.

This new model is one that I think should be the future with the Majors offering themselves as the marketing arm to labels and therefore becoming more profitable.

I first wrote about this about 5 years ago when I took my label off Universal. I will certainly look into this in detail for future projects so thank you for flagging it up for all of us.

It is important but its success will determine whether it is a totally real idea or just window dressing.