| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : MAY 29, 2000 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| INTERNATIONAL -- INT'L COVER STORY
The Labels THE TUNE Record labels are moving online with a vengeance, investing in hundreds of artist Web sites and in direct-selling services like Bertelsmann and Universal's GetMusic.com, or the artist merchandise site ARTISTdirect.com. To buy time as they gear up their own download ventures and subscription services, they're suing the likes of MP3 and Napster for violating copyrights. SOUR NOTE How do you compete with free? Also, can the labels use the Web to sell more music directly to fans without jeopardizing their critical ties with retailers and radio? Meanwhile, everything from artists' contracts to how music is packaged and priced must be rethought. HIGH NOTE Marketing clout and dollars. Most artists will still need big organizations to promote them to the biggest audiences. Digital distribution could help expand the market for music, especially ethnic tunes. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ |
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