Why are labels needed?

The company Navigator Records , which has existed since 2006, has been operating both with top Russian artists - DDT, Splin, Beasts, Garik Sukachev, Mumiy Troll and Zemfira - and with young people and even holds a festival for beginners “navigation” . The head of the label Alexei Kozin spent on the initiative of Colta. RU Likbez about how the model of relations between artists and labels has recently changed, and at the same time told what the main problem of record-business is today, why in Ukraine they produce more high-quality music and what is good in the animation group.

-What myth of the record industry did you most often hear from the current musicians?

- The new generation of musicians is not as stupid as the previous one. They are smarter, more independent and some kind of tools associated with production and marketing, sometimes even owned than representatives of the industry. Say, now if the group comes from Moscow, St. Petersburg or the cultural center, where there is at least some infrastructure, then they are already in a party, already have an idea of ​​how clubs work, what promotion can be made for a concert, already have experience of an independent publication of albums or studio work.

15 years ago, the main misconception regarding the record industry sounded like this: a group is taken from the street, subscribing to a contract-and then everything happens with it at once and quickly, so everyone dreamed of a contract. Today no one dreams about the contract. Now young musicians believe: "I do not need these record companies in FIG." And they are also mistaken.

-So why do they need a record company?

- This is the key question: for what? For example, in order to play clubs, to hill the community of fans that already exist, to cook in their own juice - for this label really does not need. Now few people will remember this, but the first Russian artist, who began to do everything completely himself, was Olga Arefieva and her reggae group. They printed the records themselves 15 years ago, sold them only at the concert and abandoned the contract with Rice Lis'S, then Maigzhor. Then it was really an act, because at that time it was impossible to take the video on the camera, it cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the contract with Rice was a guarantee that your video and songs would be essential as Agatha Christie. So the young people came up with independence.

The most important thing for music now is the radio.

-That is, a record company is needed to become a star?

-No, you can become a star without a record company. Previously, the label was an unconditional gate into a certain world, which you can’t go into a different way. You could not without a record company to come to the West to a normal studio, not only because it cost serious money, but also because good studios have always been chosen as a client as a client. This was a kind of guarantee that the work would not be done in the table, that it would be published, the “ZabiReen”. If you did not have a guarantee, contract, then you had practically no chance to sound on the radio and TV. But in Russia, this world has never really been. In the era of the physical carrier of the record companies were primarily the opportunity to be with an album on the counter (musical distribution), as well as the opportunity to get broadcasts and support for media. Now everything has become even easier - the distribution is barely breathing, there is almost no telik, the clips live in YouTube , which no one is managing: if you want - please make a channel, place a page on a social network, post the notes. Few people buy music, everyone pumps free, but traditional media still remain conservative. The most important thing for music now is the radio. If you are without label, independent, then the road to the radio is practically ordered.

- Why?

- Because the editor or program director, who selects songs for the radio, is more interested in, in addition to the song itself, what will happen to the artist further, whether he will grow or will not if the song shoots. The station editor risks the ether, and the label gives him a guarantee that the artist will continue to develop and work with other media will continue, primarily with competing radio stations. Unless, of course, this is not a case of an unconditional hit, but over a year of such songs there are no more than a dozen (both Russian and Western). Here you are - a journalist, you are given two songs for promo - one from a group from the street, the other from the group that enters through friends; What kind of listen to you are the first?

- Probably from friends.

- Here! The task of the label is to be so familiar to the industry. Further about the advantages of the record company: firstly, as I have already said, it is easier for her to work with media, primarily with radio stations, since mostly old songs are spinning on the air, and backing catalogs belong to labels. Secondly, it is easier for companies to work with promoters and clubs in the start of the start of the project launch-this is very important. Getting a date from a good site to a young artist is not so easy. Thirdly, this applies to distribution (traditional music stores) and digital marketing. It is one thing to simply place your notes on iTunes , and another is to get top positions on windows and banners. Unfortunately, this luxury is available only for ITUNES , Google Play and cellular companies. For all their visible democracy and openness, the largest musical services do not work directly with artists.

Despite all the advantages that the labels remain, we are aware that time has changed, the record company cannot afford to be the main one. Today the main is the artist. But, unfortunately, not all our colleagues from the record companies understand this.

- Not all?

- Yes. Because earlier, listeners for music had to pay in any case, pirates or licensee - it doesn’t matter, but now what's the point of going to the music store behind the disk - everything can be downloaded on the Internet. This record company should persuade the listener: let's buy legally, let's pay for at least a little bit. Therefore, now the company and the artist should clearly understand what tasks they are facing and whether they can have a joint movement forward. Make a decision when treated as a promotional tool, and when starting to earn money. Time requires greater flexibility and professionalism.

Today the main is the artist.

There are examples of artists who independently solve issues related to creative administration, with management. They are able to make a large show on their own, release and write a plate at a high level, but at the same time continue to cooperate with record companies. There are not many of them - “Mumiy Troll”, “Elsa Ocean”, “DDT”; They are rather exceptions to the rules. Each of these groups has experience in independent publishing, and after this experience they returned to cooperation with record companies.

- For example, “Mumiy Troll” released the last album “ SOS sailor” along with the Navigator. What did they get?

-Firstly, the publication itself and its distribution are a complex, unique performance, there was enough work with packaging. This is a myth that people stopped buying music on discs. We also had part of the work related to the media.

- The new record of the Mumiy Troll group causes the default media interest.

“But you can deliver her to the store on time or not on time.” You can print it badly or well. Radio stations may not notice it or turn on the song on the air. You may have a successful or unsuccessful promotion. For example, I can say that the single with the SOS sailor sounded on the air of the Russian Radio, and in general the album supported the Russian Radio. And this is the number one radio station in Russia. Everyone is spitting towards the Russian Radio, but at the same time I do not know a single artist who would refuse to rotate at this station.

The problem is that today the labels are not invested in music.

-Do you need additional efforts or material investments so that any new song falls on the air of the radio station?

- Negotiations are required. The stations are not very willing to air new material. Why do they need a new song when the old ones work: proven, tested? Nevertheless, the record companies reduce the artist first of all the communication channels: there is a difference whether you will seek the attention of media for a year or will you get it in a week. The artists, by the way, do not have the question of why a record company needs, although they could just do everything themselves. In any case, the record-company is an agent of the artist, it can act only within the framework of the powers that the artist gives her.

- Among young musicians, a myth of bonded contracts is common. Like, they are signed as in slavery - they take the rights to everything: five albums forward, concerts, music in advertising and cinema. And in response, nothing is guaranteed and, if anything, they say: you yourself are to blame - your songs are bad.

- A contract is a living matter. The most important thing in it is that sooner or later it ends. People will not be able to work together if they do not understand each other and do not want to work with each other. If the artist and the label do something together, one and the other have an idea whether this successfully, whether this gives him economic benefit, in the end.

In my opinion, the problem is that today the labels are invested practically nothing in the music - in a studio recording, in the shooting of a video. Sometimes they have nothing to invest. Previously, licensing of rights and sales of discs gave serious earnings. For example, the “animals” repelled a studio recording and shooting several videos from the release of the first album. The concerts have not yet begun, and the money earned was already enough to open an investment in the recording of the second record. Now another situation: the sale of music on physical media has declined globally, licensing of rights also does not give special income. The fact that music in advertising gives a stable income is also a myth. The Navigator does not have many advertising contracts. Meanwhile, studio expenses have not become less, today the record costs as much as it cost a few years ago. It is necessary that the record companies begin to invest again in the music at least a little. Here in the cinema - please, there are investments - there is movement, although 90 percent of the product is a slag that cannot be watched. In Ukraine, much more music is produced, because you can produce three times more on the invested ruble than here. Everything is much cheaper there, moreover, you get quality. I think that in our pop industry percent of fifty material, if not more, has been produced in Ukraine. Many labels are just weelled for us to work.

We can sign an artist not only because of his songs, a cool sound engineer who works with the artist can be an argument.

- Can a young artist who will come to the “navigator” tomorrow, count on the fact that you will invest in it?

- If you like the material, then yes. By and large, there is no difference that it is money or work, but this does not mean that we are investing in all.

- Individual approach?

- Yes, and this decision is made by the company. Some artist can only be needed by a studio, and then he will do his own management themselves. Now there are no ready -made solutions both in relation to management and in relation to production. There are no established schemes: a sound engineer in a specific studio, the clip removes a specific director. Now the emphasis in the promotional campaign may be on the media, it may be on the Internet. We can sign an artist not only because of his songs, a cool sound engineer who works with the artist can be an argument. The argument may be a good manager engaged in the artist and squeezing some things that the company cannot do due to the fact that it is large and in some way slow.

- Nevertheless, there is a basic contract?

- They are all quite different. This can be a license only for the release of an album - and that’s all, and maybe a production agreement, which includes the publication of the album and concert activity. The question is that the artist is ready to discuss and what is interesting to us. The market consists of a pile of segments. Naturally, it is more interesting for us as companies to work when the product is able to interact with each segment: with the stage, with the media, with the sale of rights. But the contract with the artist is primarily obligations: when the label is obliged to do something. Therefore, we try to take these obligations extremely carefully. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make every project shoot. For each guy or girl with a guitar, this is a very important part of their life at the moment. Interacting with the company, they count on something, but in life it does not happen so that everything shoots. It simply does not happen.

Now young musicians believe: "I do not need these record companies in FIG." And they are also mistaken.

The most difficult and crucial moment in working with the artist is the moment of start: while the song is being seen, while the sound is, while the strategy is determined.

-Let's talk with concrete examples in the “navigator” catalog: here, say, the “animation” group-from the new ones that have achieved something.

- They showed up very tightly.

- What is it connected with? What is good for them?

- They have a big song - this is "Homeland." They can be treated differently. The genre in which they work - Russian rock is a genre that is understandable to a certain and rather big audience. The main mouthpiece of this audience is our radio. Critics do not like Russian rock, usually.

“Homeland” is singing even in Ukraine: the cover version of the comedy program “95th Quarter”

- In my opinion, in the group "Animation" all the worst cliches of Russian rock are collected.

- If we talk about the genre, then Russian rock from the point of view of criticism is generally a collection of stamps alone, far from the most impressive. Truly outstanding names in this genre were 10-15 years ago, like the best albums. Nevertheless, there is a popular genre, there is a radio station. “Homeland” is perhaps the most noticeable track of what was on the air of our radio for the year.

- “Our Radio” took this song with hunting?

- Yes, and this was not the merit of the "navigator." We have noted them for ourselves already from the radio. Why "animation"? Because this is a clear genre, it is clear how to work with it from the point of view of concerts, and from the point of view of the audience, and from the point of view of the media. We have an “animation”, including a concert contract.

- Do you have the feeling that the Russian rock is closed on its audience?

- He may be closed, but the genre does not cancel it. Russian rock still has an impressive audience. It cannot be canceled, as you cannot cancel the same Russian chanson. A new generation has grown up, which needs new stars, which means that they will appear.

- Do you think that “animation” has the potential to become a new “pilot”?

- I think that they have more potential, because the material is always an indicator. Whether the musician makes a step forward with each song or is he repeated. The way the “animation” is now working is respectful. I have something to compare with, because I worked with the “pilot” as a publisher. If the artist takes a new song for the next broadcast - this is good. If you have such songs on the record not one, and a few are excellent. If you have a concert schedule for one month - 2 cities, other - 5, and the next - 7, this is good. These are indicators that there are growth points. The task of the company is to correctly find these points and correctly implement this.

- And in the group "My Michelle" do you believe?

- Yes. I believe that Tanya Tkachuk (group vocalist. - Ed. ) Is a very interesting girl. The group has a fairly strong team from a performing and musical point of view, they make interesting, unusual songs.

"My Michelle" - "DJs"

- You sounded an important idea that the main thing in the cooperation of the artist and label is the coincidence of interests.

- Yes, without it you just can’t work. If not everything turns out today, then this does not mean that it will not work tomorrow. If you really work, then you can always achieve a result.

- What is your model of the ideal group for the “navigator” label? Can you describe the group you immediately grab?

- A dream group is when it inspires everything: music, artist, his management. Sometimes something more: there is more artist than material, or vice versa. But, by and large, it works or does not work, determines the material, songs. There are no finished artists among young people, you always need to work. Even with the material from superstars, it is also needed. I am pleased with the fact that today I see a lot of talented guys who bite into music, work on arrangements, try to declare themselves with all their might, so new names will appear.