Starbucks Forming Its Own Record Label

from the I'd-like-a-tall-iced-rock-song,-easy-on-the-bassline dept

Tue, Mar 13th 2007 3:25am — Mike Masnick

Starbucks long ago started experimenting with becoming more of a lifestyle company than just a coffee shop. In fact, in the past, we've noted the company's success in selling albums from Ray Charles and Bob Dylan -- as well as promoting films. The company's forays into the entertainment world haven't been all great, however, as attempts at creating CD burning kiosks and in-store download kiosks haven't been nearly as successful. The latest plan, though, is that Starbucks wants to create its own record label, recording musicians and then selling the CDs not just in Starbucks, but at other retailers as well. It's an interesting strategy, but given how much the recording industry has struggled lately to embrace new business models, it's not going to make sense if Starbucks sets itself up as "yet another" record label. If it's really focused on using the music as part of a bundle of goods (such as selling coffee...) it actually could make quite a bit of sense. It really could be part of the recognition of what new business models digital content allows, where the music is financed because it helps sell something else. Hopefully Starbucks' execs recognize this.

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20 Comments

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dorpus, 13 Mar 2007 @ 4:15am

Political Extremist Coffee
Is it just me or has that chain gone increasingly political? The stores increasingly make a big deal out of grown by "small farmers". The local store now has books on Darfur next to the cash register, demanding that we buy it. I've stopped going.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2007 @ 4:30am

No. It's right in line with the whole "embrace the world" mentality which the liberal left wants to share.

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/czech_pres_environmentalism_is_a_religion/20070309- 060020-3030r/
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Shohat, 13 Mar 2007 @ 4:49am

A strong DRM could really benefit Starbucks here
Sell music cheaply , but make it play only when user is in the shop. Too bad that current DRM technology developers just fight among themselves instead of creating a strong unified standard, and putting all effor into it.
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Enrico Suarve, 13 Mar 2007 @ 5:02am

Re:
Yeah - the bastards

Looking to improve the lot of people outside your own neighbourhoods rather than continuing to allow your own corporations to tread all over them for the sake of money

Gits - they should promote third world rape like everyone else and like it

As for the president of the Czech republic - finally, someone with the balls to stand up and say that environmentalism is political, damn right it is, politics is about winning votes and you do that by giving your people what they want - who the hell wants that kind of decision making?. Dammit, the rest of the world should follow the model in the US and completely ignore their people in favour of what those in power want, bloody commie democracies

Besides he's right - we don't need more expensive studies since there IS already enough data - we need people to do stuff instead of talking all the time - bloody talking all the time lefty liberals

Thank god the republicans in the US stand for the people and say "enough is enough" we WILL do something about this and not just talk....we will reduce oil usage (domestic and foreign), we will introduce tough new laws to reduce energy wastage and by golly we will invest in renewables and green technology

Thank god for right thinking republicans everywhere – the world is safe
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JeroenW (profile), 13 Mar 2007 @ 5:28am

this reminds me...
There's still no Starbucks in the netherlands. I wonder why.
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jc, 13 Mar 2007 @ 6:14am

Re: Political Extremist Coffee
yeah....who would want to learn more about Darfur? It's just the greatest human rights catastrophe in this generation.
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Rabid Wolverine, 13 Mar 2007 @ 6:24am

Globalism...
I say we cut down the rain forest, burn ALL of the oil, devestate the environment and spend all of the money.

Why?

Do you really think your'r kids are going to come and see you when you are in the nursing home?

The time for revenge is now!
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dorpus, 13 Mar 2007 @ 6:43am

Re: Re: Political Extremist Coffee
There are any number of catastrophes needing urgent attention. Why do I have to have a particular view imposed with my morning coffee? I'm not coughing up $4 for a partisan organization.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2007 @ 6:45am

You forget...
Starbuck's is basically the safe haven and home for loser poetry, novel, screenplay, and song writers who don't know where to go with their "artistic material", black clothes, thick-skulls, and box frame glasses.

Starbucks figures, hey, these pukes are lost and desperate, so we could and should start a recruiting campaign in all of our stores! Picking up starving and wannabe "artists" from their locations and putting those "indie" bands into fruition with their super-record label.

More reason for me to loathe Starbucks and their shell of a lifestyle.
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John, 13 Mar 2007 @ 6:48am

I think they did it
In a very browser-and-search-unfriendly-flash-oriented site you can view the press release at HearMusic.com.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2007 @ 7:23am

One more reason to skip Starbucks. This is evidence that they're making more money than they know what to do with. I stopped going because of long slow lines, flimsy paper cups and no place to park. Oh yeah and all the faggots in the way that order a small (aka "tall") coffee and slum there all day.
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Tommy 2face (profile), 13 Mar 2007 @ 7:49am

I disagree with Tech Dirt
Starbucks created a loyal following just as Apple has with their Mac’s or even NASCAR. There is great opportunity for substantial gains in the music market share IF a company understands the current market trend. When tapes were out they were selling for $12 to $16 dollars. When the compact disc was introduced the industry exploited the new technology and sold the same music for $20 - $25 dollars even though the new material was less expensive to reproduce. The bottom line people are sick of getting ripped off to listen to music. If Starbucks introduces their style of music into the industry with a cheaper retail price, and offer the same music in their coffee shops for download. They will create a revenue stream of return clients for their coffee products who purchase the product while downloading the music. They should even limit the download speed of the music to keep the clients in the store longer.

If this is done correctly they could change the music industry for the better.
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whargoul, 13 Mar 2007 @ 8:56am

I could care less about their music
I've see what they sell next to the cash registers and, aside from a couple of Beatles and Doors CDs, it's mostly crap. I'd like to see free wireless internet (even with a minimum purchase) without having to signup for a T-Mobile account.
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Javarod, 13 Mar 2007 @ 11:21am

Hmmm, I'm curious, is Starbucks Music going to be just another record label, or perhaps they'll try to reinvent the music industry. Lord knows the current model is broken, the studios get rich, and the artists hope to get lucky.
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antony, 13 Mar 2007 @ 1:27pm

are there ppl actually drinking this swill! i've been forced to down it twice and cannot taste any coffee...someone's making a motza out of the stuff and idiots drink it!
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whargoul, 13 Mar 2007 @ 3:23pm

RE: Antony
I agree Antony, most of their stuff tastes like a burnt tire; but they do have a couple of drinks that aren't too bad.
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Charles Griswold, 13 Mar 2007 @ 7:06pm

Coffee
Right now I'm drink coffee out of a cup that says "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Starbucks". I got the coffee from a Heritage Coffee Company kiosk, and it's a fine cup of coffee.

Before you ask, no I didn't buy the cup from Heritage. I got it from a coffee stand called Jitterbugs in Wrangell, Alaska.
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cyberfiction, 4 Mar 2010 @ 8:27am

Jitterbug Cafe, Wrangell Alaska
Happily, we stumbled upon a little place called the Jitterbug Café which served real cappuccino. I was so excited, after two days of drinking the brown water the ferry was passing off as coffee. The proprietress was a young, heavy-set woman with an effusive manner, welcoming all of us from the ferry who had followed our noses to her shop. She gave us a refrigerator magnet that said, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.” We promised to display it proudly when we got home (even though I confess that I do drink Starbucks,especially when I travel and I can’t find what looks like a trustworthy local coffee joint).
(excerpt from "Murder on The Alaska Ferry" a travel mystery by Therese Mageau (http://www.cyberfictionpublishers.com/2010/01/murder-on-alaska-ferry-pdf-version-with.html)
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cyberfiction guru (profile), 4 Mar 2010 @ 8:35am

Re: Jitterbu Cafe Wrangell Alaska
Happily, we stumbled upon a little place called the Jitterbug Café which served real cappuccino. I was so excited, after two days of drinking the brown water the ferry was passing off as coffee. The proprietress was a young, heavy-set woman with an effusive manner, welcoming all of us from the ferry who had followed our noses to her shop. She gave us a refrigerator magnet that said, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.” We promised to display it proudly when we got home (even though I confess that I do drink Starbucks,especially when I travel and I can’t find what looks like a trustworthy local coffee joint).
(excerpt from "Murder on The Alaska Ferry" a travel mystery by Therese Mageau (http://www.cyberfictionpublishers.com/2010/01/murder-on-alaska-ferry-pdf-version-with.html)
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carl, 22 Aug 2010 @ 2:06pm

band
with regards to starbucks starting a record labal we might be intrested have a look at our music and or achivements to date www.thesighting.co.uk and www.myspace.com/thesightingband
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