A former Warner Music A&R has launched a new music company called Harvest Entertainment which will look to work with established artists who want to release new music without giving up their copyright to a record company. Led by former Warner A&R Ric Salmon, the new company will look to partner artists with major brands or media partners that enable them to release new music without a traditional record deal.
That might include projects like the Prince deal with the Mail On Sunday, where the paper bankrolled the UK release of his new album (as a covermount CD) not for a share of the copyright in the new material (which is what a record label would want in return for an investment) but for the promotional benefits the partnership delivered the newspaper (ie a sales spike the week the new album was cover mounted). The man who brokered that deal, Upfront's Simon Stanford, will be among the people involved in Salmon's new company. Other board members at launch include former Warner Music International boss Paul-Rene Albertini, Edge Group's David Glick and Naked Venture's Matt Jagger.
Commenting on the new venture, Salmon told CMU: "Harvest offers a full service platform, partnering the artist with a brand that is culturally, demographically, stylistically and holistically appropriate. From day one, it is a fully collaborative effort. All parameters of the partnership are understood from the outset, including exactly what the artist will allow the brand to use and to what extent".