Record labels and socialism

[gorillafuck]

In a socialist society, would record labels be rendered obsolete?

I mean, distribution of music can all be free online (like it basically is today), posters and advertisements can easily be hand done and photocopied or made with computer programs, and with no private ownership of recording studios I would think that recording studios would just be shared so any group could record in it (with scheduling so you can't just hog it all the time). Large venues could probably just base who is allowed to play there on how many people are expected to show up, and smaller venues could just allow anyone to play.

I don't see how record labels would be necessary at all, unless the form they take is just cooperatives of artists who associate with eachother.

[EvilRedGuy]

I agree completely. Everything will be shared in Communism thats the most important principle.

[Peace on Earth]

Record labels exist as a way to suck as much profit out of artists as possible. With capitalism gone, this purpose is no longer needed, ergo record labels (as we know them) would be rendered obsolete.

[Fawkes]

They would largely disappear and be replaced by collectives of musicians/musically-inclined people that aid other in the processes of recording, distribution, and all that stuff. Many people (myself included) would not be content to release their music solely in mp3 format over the internet, so pressing of records and CDs and whatever new mediums may arise would still occur, and the act doing that would be facilitated by those collectives.

[x371322]

I've always figured that record labels, like any other corporation, would be turned over to the workers (in this case the artists). So the "label" can still technically exist, as long as it's run collectively by the musicians. So I imagine that a music label in a communist society would just be a group of like minded musicians working together to create and distribute their music.

And I see no reason why studios have to be "shared." By that time, the equipment will be easily accessible to anyone, so every artist can just have their own studio. This is already happening today. Modern project studios in the home are just as capable of top quality recordings, even rivaling the "major" studios. You can build a decent studio, capable of professional sound, for under 1000 dollars, assuming you already have a decent computer, and that you actually know what you're doing.

*edit* What Fawkes said. I agree. He posted while I was typing this up.

[blake 3:17]

I would hope there'd still be record labels. There's some fantastic ones like Dischord, Kill Rock Stars and Ninja Tunes which have put a lot of effort into recording, releasing and promoting really interesting and unusual music. Dischord operates as some kind of worker co-op. KRS and Ninja Tunes are more vertical but get stuff out there that profiteers wouldn't touch. I love a lot of the stuff put out on Stone's Throw which probably would only have very limited release without the label.

Verve, the jazz label, has been putting out some great compilations of jazz mostly from the 60s remixed by contemporary hiphop and electronic musicians. It's a straight forward business operation but it makes great music available widely.

A worker co-op model might be the one that makes the most sense in a socialist society. I know lots of folks who release their own music but the responsibility for distribution can be burdensome.

With the current changes in distribution via the Internet, the role labels play will change, and questions around how they're funded.

Here in Canada, some labels and some musicians receive grant money from government funded agencies. These agencies have been losing over the past 20 years, so there aren't as generous used to be. Our stupid right wing Prime Minister tried to make a big deal about Holy Fuck receiving some grant money.

[Rafiq]

Ay, plus, the only people who will do it are ones who are passionate about it, considering that the goal isn't to make profit.

[Sixiang]

Ay, plus, the only people who will do it are ones who are passionate about it, considering that the goal isn't to make profit.
Exactly. I know that I want to listen to musicians that are doing it only for the love of the music, not to become rich and famous "rock stars" as many are today. So I would be happy with getting rid of the profit and money-making behind it and making it all about the music.