Are There Too Many Record Labels?

Seems like the "scene" is now very saturated with records labels. Nowadays every DJ has their own "Record Label". Is it necessarily a bad thing? This question has been in debate for quite some time. More labels means  more "average" music. It is easier for your music to be heard, but it also is harder to break through the saturation. With plentiful labels, the amount of "okay" music only increases and it is hard to distinguish the good from the average with all the saturation in the market, however,music taste and judgement is subjective.. On the other hand, the great undiscovered artists now have a shot at being discovered. Nonetheless, if your music is good and you are passionate, someone will recognize you. A label is not always necessary to "make it". Here are a few words that MixMag had to say about the subject. 

These days every DJ has their own record label. Everyone from Steve Angello to Jimmy Edgar has minted one and they just keep on coming, which begs the question: are there too many labels? Has it got too easy to start an imprint? Or is this flush a sign that producers are intent on keeping creative control and introducing new talent?

These questions have been causing some quite lively debate on the floor of Mixmag HQ, so we thought we'd throw two of our writers into the ring to go head-to-head. Here's what they had to say.

Yes, the scene is saturated with labels Tom Banham argues that more labels means more average music

Ask most producers why they've launched their new imprint and they'll gush about all the great unsigned music they get given that just isn't getting released elsewhere. Cue a glut of their own singles no one else really wanted and a handful of sound-a-likes on a two-a-month schedule for the first year, that quickly dries up as the jock realizes that the business of selling music is hard and they'd much rather be in their studio smoking weed and obsessing over kick drum EQs. Because kick drums don't demand filing a 30-page tax return.

You can read the full article here.

What are your thoughts on the cesspool of record labels today? Drop us a comment below!