The Daily Swarm - WSJ: Indie labels looks for corporate tie-ins...

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July 02, 2008

WSJ: Indie labels looks for corporate tie-ins...

“It’s about repetition of hearing that song in the grocery store or the movie theater and going to where the people are, because they’re not going to the record store shopping for new music like we all used to,” says Mr. Laswell, 34 years old.

Corporate deals used to be anathema to indie artists who feared such tie-ins would diminish their street credibility. But these days, launching an independent artist requires more marketing effort.

“At an independent label, you have to figure out inventive ways to promote without spending the money. People are doing what they can these days and looking for creative ways to sell music,” says Kerri Borsuk, director of marketing for the Nettwerk Music Group, which manages many independent artists.