It was only a matter of time: Starbucks has launched its own record label, which will sign both established and new artists. The coffee business is already heavily involved in the area with its Hear Music brand, which licenses songs from other companies, but this is the first time it will undertake its own independent work.
The biggest success for Hear Music so far has been Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company duet album and the company already runs specialist ‘listening’ coffee houses that allow customers to burn CDs and buy music while having a cup of coffee.
The company hasn’t yet revealed details of how the label will work (will all new artists play their first signed gigs in Starbucks stores?) but as the record industry opens up with the advent of digital technology, it is unlikely that Starbucks will be the last non-traditional brand getting in on the music act.
