Beatport increases quality control, cuts labels

[:regi]

In a move bound to please overwhelmed digital cratediggers in the United States, Beatport has announced that it will be more carefully curating the US portion of its site with new minimum revenue requirements for labels.

Reports surfaced last week that the service expected each label to reach a minimum of $300 per quarter in gross revenues. If an imprint failed to meet that benchmark, the label would be put on probation and forced to make more than $600 in revenue in the following quarter or its content would be removed from the site.

Ronny Kreiger, Beatport's Vice President of Content, stresses, however, that the guidelines are not a hard and fast rule. If a label has "a proper plan and structure...a unique quality sound…and fits with the repertoire we represent", Kreiger explained, there would be no reason for the US Label Management Team to take the label down from the store.

Quality control problems at Beatport are largely seen as a byproduct of the site’s popularity, and it’s an issue the site has tried to address in the past. In 2006, Beatport sent out a similar message to labels regarding revenue minimums, but the company had not been able to look at those reports and make adjustments. Krieger explains that Beatport’s UK and European Label Management culled labels in a similar fashion last year, but "for both teams the results were minor, because for various reasons they weren't as affected by quality issues."

Jean-Patrice Remillard, aka Pheek, who co-owns Archipel Records welcomed the decision. "I honestly think this will be a good thing for everyone. It may cause some people some problems for a while but there will be new ideas appearing, perhaps even new stores that cater better to the labels that may have to leave Beatport."

Even so, it looks as though few labels will be affected. Kreiger pointed out that "the doors are always open for all labels that are cut right now. If they present an interesting concept, high quality releases, a unique profile, we might reconsider and take them aboard again at a later time. Our interest in new and interesting smaller labels has always been there and will always remain."


http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=9088



maybe we will never search for hours to find something good

[re.vise]

Thats a bad progress I think.. What about records like dermaptera? Those guys release there own tracks on their own label with minimum needs and minimum funds, with minimum profit just to spread their music and now they cant anymore.. Thats never good I think.

[:regi]

maybe the little labels will find place in other stores.. beatport wants to be a top quality store. if you look at the new releases 60% is rubbish..that's not a good thing too

[re.vise]

maybe the little labels will find place in other stores.. beatport wants to be a top quality store. if you look at the new releases 60% is rubbish..that's not a good thing too

That's true, but its subjective! What you think is rubbish can make someone else his day. I think a huge internet store like Beatport must (!) provide all type of releases.. Who decides whats a great release? When people start buying crap the label wil make more then that $600 and the crap releases will still be there.

I dont think you can say: thats crap, take it to another store, based on profit numbers.

[:regi]

When people start buying crap the label wil make more then that $600 and the crap releases will still be there.

that's true..

"Reports surfaced last week that the service expected each label to reach a minimum of $300 per quarter in gross revenues."

let's try to imagine..300$...a track is ~2$..now, i don't know how many users beatport has, but i think that if a label manager can't sell 150 tracks he should change job

[Marcus Stork]

Crap.. i love finding great stuff from small and even unknown labels for me. Thats a part of my search of tracks on Beatport. Its great finding good stuff from small labels that everyone else isnt playing.

[Celltek]

You guys are not reading it correctly.

.... however, that the guidelines are not a hard and fast rule. If a label has "a proper plan and structure...a unique quality sound…and fits with the repertoire we represent", Kreiger explained, there would be no reason for the US Label Management Team to take the label down from the store.

[:regi]

yes..it means that if get physical releases something that doesn't sell it's not a problem