WORLD MUSIC

3.4.2 INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELSIndependent labels are the forces of the world music market. We owe them the work of cleansing themusical genre, discovering artists, founding careers, risk-taking on projects of creation, and so forth.Furthermore they do not have the same restrictions as majors, who have to invest a large sum of money inmarketing for smaller amounts of shipment. However, the success of certain labels, such as Lusafrica,must not mask the reality of this sector, where a majority of small record companies work on a precariousbudget.With about 200 labels producing traditional and world music in the Irma’s database, the sector presents avariety of patterns:- Certain companies ally the activities of production and of distribution: Harmonia Mundi (WorldVillage, The Song of the World, etc.), Next Music (Sound system, Al Sur, etc.), Night & Day,Coop Breizh, Keltia Musique, Nocturne, Club du Disque Arabe, etc.- Others are part of the pioneers who contributed in establishing the reputation of French productionin terms of world music. They possess an important capital of catalogs today and continue toproduce: Buda Musique, Lusafrica, Ocora Radio France, Arion, Celluloïd, Inédit, Créon Music,Iris Musique, Label Bleu, etc.- Younger labels attempt to stand out by their differences, by developing original artistic concepts:Accords Croisés, L’Empreinte Digitale, Cinq Planètes, Long Distance, Nord Sud, etc.- Certain labels concentrate on one culture in particular: Gafaiti (North Africa), JPS (CentralAfrica), Oceania Records (Pacific Ocean), the Oz Production (Brittany), Ricordu (Corsica), etc.- Others like Cobalt, Daqui, Marabi and Rue Bleu are connected to festivals or event companies,whereas others like Nova Records, to media.Dynamic on their own niches of market, certain independent labels understood at a very early stage theinterest they had in diversifying their commercial partnerships. They therefore deal directly withspecialized operators (museums, cultural institutes, specialized wholesalers, etc.). With a lack ofmarketing operations, independent labels can develop communication strategies to arise the interest ofshop retailers. By starting the promotions upstream to the release of the album, they try to create a“buzz”and pass it to a media partner at the release of the album.The influence of concerts on the sales of records is enormous. Gilles Fruchaux from Buda Musique statesthat “it is the best marketing plan and the best way to enter into the diferent regions of France, if we workwith a competent booking agent”, because it is regional sales that make the diference. 20 000 to 30 000France Export Handbook–World Music