To my friends in Second Life:
Four years ago, I started a record label out of frustration with the established music industry. I firmly believed that there had to be a way to operate which rewarded the artist, the listener and the label; that there had to be a way for everyone to win. Instead of perpetually complaining, I decided to do something about it.
Last night, my vision was validated like never before.
The establishment has seen what we're doing, and they want to be a part of it.
NBC has come to the table in a big way and said, "We want to provide entertainment to you, and we want to do it the way you want it done." Other networks and media companies need to take note: companies that adapt in the way that NBC is will thrive. Last night, we saw an unparalleled collaboration between signed and independent musicians. We saw an amazing partnership between a Fortune 100 company, small companies and individuals. We saw the future.
You see, Second Life music is now leading the music industry revolution. Artists like Grace Buford, Frogg Marlowe and, yes, the Sarah Mac Band are gaining intense international exposure via an entirely new medium. Because of the way our community works, existing media companies are embracing our model and our world instead of trying to break it.
I am completely amazed, moved and humbled that, in four hours our little band of people was able to stand toe-to-toe with the marketing might of one of the most powerful media companies in the world. The metrics Pixel Records gathered during and after the event indicate that an inordinate amount of the response to this event was a direct result of your efforts in spreading the word.
Never in the history of music has there been a phenomenon like this. Never before has a community banded together with so much cohesion and mutual support. You are an army of volunteers that moves with the precision of the finest organizations in the world. Most amazing of all is that in working together, we work for both the good of the group and the good of the individuals in it. This amazing resource is available to all who participate in it. Every listener and every artist that is a part of our scene benefits from our relationship.
Please accept my deeply held thanks for what your doing. I am thankful for each and every one of you.
You're changing the music business forever.
Sincerely and humbly,
Mike McHargue, President
Pixel Records, Inc.
Labels: music, nbc, pixelrecords, secondlife
