The Digital Revolution was a great leap forward in technology, setting the stage for an overhaul in the way music is conceived, produced and distributed in the modern day. It was a monumental levelling of the playing field that should have greatly stimulated the art and the industry.
Unfortunately, the Digital Revolution was a disruptive event that threatened obsolescence for vast wings of the established music industry and so the establishment fought to maintain its advantage, throwing all its weight behind such practices as streaming, a practice which benefits corporate giants over independent artists. You ever wonder where your Spotify subscription fee goes to, considering artists only get £0.002 per stream? It goes to the big 3 record labels (Sony, Warner, Universal) to pay for the privilege of having their back catalogues on the service. Spotify serves the big 3 at the expense of new and independent artists. This is 'dialectical materialism' in the process, it is a pattern that is repeated again and again throughout history.
The world at large has still failed to realise the potential of the Digital Revolution.
But while material progress will be repressed, it cannot be stopped.
Off with their Records advocates business models which should be standard in the modern age. We practice a limited streaming policy, catering specifically to that experience, while advocating the production of 'digibundles', musical works designed for download, taking advantage of all that digital distribution has to offer, including vastly expanded potential for supporting artwork and ways of presenting the music. That £12 a month could be going straight to the artists that you listen to rather than to multi-billion-dollar corporations. Digibundles are the future, not only for the music industry but many other mediums including video, games and other hitherto-unformed artistic expressions.
The challenge we face today is a world where streaming has become the norm and downloading is not readily supported by the prevailing technology. This is because the big 3 are the ones who shape the prevailing technology. Just as Sony invented CD format, they have thrown all their weight behind streaming, forging deals with tech companies to put all their focus on this method of distribution, leaving downloads in the dust. This is fine for the big 3 because they no longer care so much about new music, they are happy resting on their laurels and milking their back catalogues. But make no mistake, downloads are the best way for independent artists and labels to distribute their music and streaming is the absolute worst.
Off with their Records is not a standard record label; there are plenty of those around and I wouldn't waste my time doing anything somebody else is already doing. We are an unwavering pillar of integrity standing tall against the shitstorm. We are doing things right, because if you always do the right thing, even if you fall, you win.
Off with their Records is based in Norwich, UK, and was conceived in 2016 by Ryan Williamson. Our first digibundle was released on April 17, 2017.