I’m generally not interested in “generic major label bashing.”  It’s boring and usually falls on deaf ears.  However, one thing I have NEVER understood is why major labels refuse to expose their history or catalog on their own website.

A label’s catalog is its most valuable asset.  Once a song or album is commercially released to the public, it becomes part of a label’s history of music assets.  From that point forward, its the label’s job to do everything in its power to expose, promote and sell that product.

So why do none of the majors promote catalog or history on their websites?  Why is there never a whisper of past successes or the legacy of their artists?  Exposing new artists is only PART of the game folks – you’re intentionally leaving money on the table by not recognizing your catalog.

Check out a few examples: Warner Brothers Records and Universal Music are bad enough – no different than any generic music streaming portal.

But Sony Music, my God….what happened?

They don’t even promote their CURRENT music!  Sony’s site is like a basic business card site I could create in under an hour for fifty bucks (I’m pretty sure they spent far more than that on it). Sony’s site says to me “We don’t care if you buy our product or not, we aren’t even going to try, you may as well not even bother.”  They should post a single photo of Droopy Dog with that speech bubble over his head.

Sony controls some of the best catalog in the history of recorded music!  Elvis, Alabama, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and Aerosmith just to name a few.  Where are they?!?  Where are the artist bios, music charts, photos, videos, album buy links, iTunes buy links?  Looking deeper and tracking down their affiliate labels, the story is no better: Sony Nashville’s website is pathetic and RCA Records is a joke.

at least Motown gets it…

Their site splits into a current and classic section – the classic side doing just what I’m suggesting.  They list all the old artists, list album cover art with buy links and sell ringtones and other new media around their catalog.

Think about all the music that was financed by labels that gets shelved and never heard because the first single didn’t hit.  Majors could start featuring and selling that music on their site too!  Using Long Tail economics, they’re going to sell at least ONE copy of everything and it would cost them nothing to do it.  Why don’t they?

Ultimately its a tragic waste.  A waste of opportunity and a waste of a company’s potential, especially in this case.

And for those non-music folks out there, this same idea can still apply.  A company’s history is good content that not only gives your brand more depth but gives folks a reason to visit.  All of that content, properly positioned, can be searchable and used to increase traffic.

Increaed traffic = more potential customers = more $

There is literally NO excuse for not doing this.