While major record companies continue to struggle–racked by downloading teens, a creative drought and a bloated cost structure–independents such as Or Music are setting an example for the big boys.
“Companies like Or Music are really showing the way the independent sector should work,” says Dave Novik, a music industry consultant and former RCA Records executive.
Or Music espouses a simple remedy for the tattered record business: Put the emphasis back on nurturing artists whom consumers will fall in love with and follow for years. He also advocates embracing the Internet.