Those who question the need for record labels at all frequently point to brands as an alternative source of investment for artists, certainly established ones and possibly newer talent too. With Red Bull, Classic Rock magazine and the Mail On Sunday all announcing plans to launch their own record labels this year, and Bacardi's much reported partnership with Groove Armada going live, perhaps they're right.
Though I remain cautious. Consumer and media brands generally dabble in music in the short term, which isn't necessarily useful for artists with a long term agenda. Case in point: the biggest 'brand launches label' story in 2007 - Starbucks expansion of its music platform Hear Music into fully fledged Paul McCartney-releasing label - came to an abrupt end this year when, with the recession looming, the coffee firm axed all non-essential activity, its record label included.