How the rise of technology will change the music scene - Q+A @VirginEMI
By Natalie Turner-Sylvester
Robert Pascoe – General Manager at Virgin Records
British record label, Virgin EMI Records, is one of the biggest record labels in the music industry who have recently bought Abbey Road Studios. They are home to 175 artists, but it was interesting to discover that roughly 75% of artists that they sign actually fail. This sounds like a large amount, however Robert explained that the 25% do exceptionally well and therefore maintains the company’s profits.
Robert was humble and spoke about his past and journey to his position at Virgin Records. He used to be a barber and built a solid reputation, where he was in high demand. Essentially, he said that you get respect by having a craft and he strives to be the best in anything he does and this is inspiring. When starting out and he unwittingly paved his way into the industry by promoting records from his laptop in his bedroom and creating a database. This grew and he was getting noticed and thus he had started a business and his very own brand. Robert soon learnt that “contacts became everything” and he reiterated this to us during the Q+A. He went on to say, when you meet someone, remember their name and have something interesting to say in the first 30 seconds – “never walk away and think, I should have asked that”.
We continued to discuss the process of a record label and it is much more complex than I had previously thought. These days, there are several different routes that artists take in order to get signed. Robert described the various artists that approach the label, for instance, some want to create a ‘summer banger’ and others strive for longevity with a whole album ready for publication. Robert said that “if you believe in commerce first, you can’t back track to art” and this resonated with me. I believe that you should do what you love and are passionate about and to not be solely fixated on money because there is more to life. Although ultimately this fast-paced life revolves around money and we need to survive, it is also important to be happy and not so mercenary or superficial.
We discussed how technology and its constant evolution has impacted record labels. Robert said that the biggest challenge is the sheer pace of technology, where every week there is something new. He recalled how Top of the Pops was huge but now with everything being on demand now, it is harder to promote acts. Robert’s words were “it’ll scare you in two years’ time”. We spoke about how VR will soon break the music industry, change the dynamics and the whole game. Soon people will be watching concerts and gigs from their homes. There are positive aspects of this, however we also discussed the negative implications. This being that our generation and future generations will most likely become more antisocial and not live in the moment which I find quite sad. Robert also said “try and not have a digital life, have a real life and interact with people” which I couldn’t agree with more!
Data scientists analyse date to see if the label should keep investing in this artist. The metrics and optics display how big a record is. It was interesting how Robert broke down the different types of artists there are. Taylor Swift is a prime example of an artist who pretty much does everything. She is like her own record label and gets 100% of the publishing money that many artists do not get. She writes music, hooks, chords, has creative control and is therefore her own producer, compared to Rihanna who does not produce. Robert said how Pharrell was a producer for years before he became a star. He said that it is rare to get someone who is both. “Writers and producers are inherently hermits.”
Overall, it was great to get an insight into how record labels function and the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of these renowned and upcoming artists. Thank you Robert!