Once upon a time, aspiring rock stars sent dozens of demo tapes to record label bosses. Now SonyBMG U.K. is scrapping that system, partnering instead with blog software firm Six Apart to offer artists sites for uploading their music.
That will be SonyBMG's primary means for hearing unsigned new acts in the U.K., writes paidContent.org. The company will direct acts to ColumbiaDemos.co.uk or RCADemos.co.uk, which are landing pages for Six Apart's Vox multimedia blogging software.
Upon registration, the artists automatically join a corresponding "neighborhood" for each of the two label imprints. Ultimately, SonyBMG hopes to build a closer relationship between artist and label.
"Digital sales are not going to make up the decline in physical CD revenue. By 2010, income from CDs will be down 50 percent. We need to enter into a new relationship with our artists, where they see us as partners rather than the enemy," SonyBMG Europe CEO Ged Doherty told the London Times.
