Scott Borchetta E-Mail Thread
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 10, 2010
The following plays into your ‘corporate vs. indy’ slant…
An independent label had the biggest selling album of 2009 and the biggest selling artist of 2008 who is also the biggest selling digital artist of all time (Billboard/Soundscan). She has huge online presence and unmatched artist to fan engagement. The same indy also has the biggest single of Reba McEntire’s career, the current 4-week #1 single "Consider Me Gone", from her soon to be Gold album as well as Billboard’s ‘New Artist of the Year (Country)’ with Justin Moore who has sold over 600k digital downloads and 175k albums scanned/sold. Justin’s album is only 21 weeks old.
Three chords and no waiting for these artists’ fans… Whom they all engage directly.
Yes, even Reba is on Twitter!
Check out Justin’s redneck video blogs – his version of Cribs. You will laugh your ass off… If you are a redneck… And, actually, I think you are a redneck. 🙂
Whether you are or not, Justin’s fans love him… And this thing is growing exponentially in the real world.
https://exg5.exghost.com/owa/auth/logon.aspx?url=https://exg5.exghost.com/owa/&reason=0
A lot of great music coming from our little house in 2010… New Taylor, Jewel, Steel Magnolia, The Band Perry, SHEL and more.
Yeah, I’m working you. So what. You work me every time you send a new email or tweet.
We love the changing landscape and we dare to add a brushstroke…
Best wishes for 2010 Scott
_______________________________________
From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
What does Universal do and what do you/Big Machine do?
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
We are distributed by Universal. We have full Country crew in Nashville – new media, promo, marketing, publicity. When I cross something over I work with the Top 40 promo team at Republic in NY.
They have nothing to do with any other aspects of Taylor’s career and they are currently not doing anything with any other artist on our roster.
_______________________________________
From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
Okay, so other than Taylor, all Universal does is distribution?
How many people are on your team?
Where did the funding come from?
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
Correct. There are three labels under our roof. Big Machine & Valory are fully independent, owned by me and a small investor group (I am majority owner) and Republic Nashville is a joint venture with Universal Republic. For all three labels we currently have 37 people. Three small individual radio marketing promo departments, one main retail marketing & sales department/new media/backroom/HR/accounting (we do our own royalty accounting)/publicity and A&R. Very small we all where a bunch of hats. But we’re having a blast and we don’t have to answer to anyone…
_______________________________________
From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
Meanwhile, I clicked the link and got…an Outlook sign up page. Was this a mistake?
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
Hmmmm… Weird about the link. Here’s the right one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbBtmNhNYW0
On YouTube search: Justin Moore Cribs. They are raw… And his fans love them. The views aren’t off the hook but the buzz with the early adopter’s is amazing.
Fans show up at his shows and they know all the songs, even songs not on the album. We posted all of his songs and engaged his fans to ‘be the record executive’.
_______________________________________
From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
Just so I understand, who’s on Republic Nashville, what’s the story on that.
And how is it decided who’s on which label?
And, why are you guys so successful?
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The Changing Landscape
Date: January 11, 2010
The idea and strategy is to have small rosters with laser focus on each act we sign. For us it made more sense to go horizontal instead of vertical. The initial decision to start Valory came because we had acts with great music sitting and waiting on Big Machine and we didn’t have the priority position to put them in. I then met with Jewel and wanted to make a record and that sealed the vision to do the second label. Justin Moore and Jimmy Wayne were on the bench and I knew we had a good shot at getting Reba. So, Valory was born. I was able to double our output and attack by adding just 6 more people to our Big Machine staff of 17. Big Machine opened 9/1/05, Valory 11/2/07 and Republic Nashville 06/01/09.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Merrimack County
Date: January 11, 2010
Bob,
Your comparisons strike an interesting chord. All three songs obviously share the artist/writer’s desire to share where they are from, where they belong and where they long to be. They all scream to the points you scream about incessantly – engage me, the fan, with something real and make me feel something and I will come back. As a fan it’s a place where I may want to belong. A place not for everyone and not designed to be. If the artist is interesting and continues to engage, it grows exponentially. So much of that is why Country Music works, especially in tough times. Even though the format takes the occasional beating, it’s a place fans go and have a pretty good idea ahead of time as to what they’re going to get and know that their favorite artists will likely meet and exceed their expectations. For a lot of people, it’s ‘home’. And like all music, it’s generational. Discovery still rules and age is critical in that discovery time to attain a large audience. Imagine if Mac McAnally could be a young new artist today! With the playing field leveled by the web, his brilliant songs and music would have the chance to spread among young people his own age and rise to the top and not be held back because the label didn’t know what to do with it. Justin is young and he’s out there to be discovered. And people are coming back for more after they find him. Young artists today have so many more ways to communicate and true greatness may not be stoppable. Exciting times… Thanks for the email conversation. Scott
_______________________________________
From: Bob Lefsetz
Subject: Re: Merrimack County
Date: January 11, 2010
If I want to reprint our conversation thread, is this o.k?
Not sure if I will, but thinking I do…
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Merrimack County
Date: January 11, 2010
Sure
Scott Borchetta
President/CEO
Big Machine Label Group
Big Machine Records
The Valory Music Co.
Republic Nashville
