Warner Music Group Launches Cordless Recordings
NEW YORK, NY--Nov 10, 2005 -- Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE:WMG - News) announced today the launch of Cordless Recordings, the newest member of the company's family of labels.
Designed to discover and develop new recording artists in a supportive, lower-risk environment, Cordless will aggressively utilize the latest digital products, formats and online and mobile technologies. Cordless will make use of these digital resources to implement innovative marketing programs to promote its roster of artists.
Rather than exclusively releasing music in the traditional album or single configuration, every few months, the label will release "clusters" -- three or more songs -- by an artist. By doing so, the label will increase the interaction between an artist and their fan base via a continuous flow of new music. In addition, Cordless will have the ability to draw upon the resources of WMG's Atlantic Records Group and Warner Bros. Records on select releases.
Cordless Recordings is the brainchild of legendary music executive, Jac Holzman, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer and creative head of WMG's Elektra and Nonesuch Records. Jason Fiber, the founder of Superfecta Recordings and The Ideal Copy, has been named President of Cordless Recordings.
"When we started to think about Cordless, certain lessons from the past kept returning to me," said Holzman. "The close, creative relationship with artists and their fan base by frequent release of records, keeping costs low and having a methodology that would let us use our medium to introduce our material to more fans. Cordless is a community intended to give new artists their chance, and a process that connects an audience to our artists' creativity. This is who we are and that is what we have pledged to do."
Fiber said, "As a lifelong music fan and a self-proclaimed computer geek, I've always been drawn to the intersection of music and technology. With the Cordless label, the Warner Music Group is experimenting with a new approach to introducing tomorrow's great artists while offering a home for established musicians who want to make the most of today's online world. It's an exciting venture and one that is unique in the industry. I'm honored to be part of the team."
In addition to promoting its artists through online and offline marketing, traditional and lifestyle marketing, touring and radio promotion (college, specialty commercial, satellite and online radio), Cordless artists' music will also be available on a variety of online music services, as well as through the leading wireless carriers. Cordless content will also be distributed on legal peer-to-peer networks.
Artists releasing the first clusters on Cordless include:
Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers
Breakup Breakdown
Dangerous Muse
Nozzle
Koishii & Hush
Humanwine
For more information about these artists, visit www.cordless.com.
Over his 55-year career, Holzman has worked with artists including Judy Collins, The Doors, Bread, Love, Iggy Pop, Butterfield Blues Band, Carly Simon, Harry Chapin and Queen. Until 1970, Holzman was a top executive at Warner Communications, Inc., where he helped establish both the WEA distribution group and WEA International. Later, Holzman became a director of Pioneer Electronics, contributing to the development of CD technology. In 1982, Holzman became the Chairman of Panavision, Inc.
Fiber will oversee the label's A&R, sales and marketing, and general management functions. Before assuming his current position, Fiber enjoyed a long career in both the music and technology industries. In 2001, Fiber founded Superfecta Recordings, an independent record label based in Los Angeles focused on reissuing out-of-print music titles from alternative artists. Fiber also founded The Ideal Copy, an online music retail website specializing in rare and hard-to-find CDs. Previously, Fiber worked at Wherehouse Music, a leader in entertainment retailing, where he spearheaded the creation and expansion of the company's digital retail business. Fiber is a founding member of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers' (NARM) Online Retailing Committee.
About Cordless Recordings
Cordless Recordings is a different kind of record company designed to take advantage of the latest online and mobile technologies. Cordless is not bound by past practice and is free to continuously reinvent itself in response to new opportunities. At Cordless an artist can develop in a supportive, lower-risk environment. Cordless is the newest member of the Warner Music Group (WMG) family of labels. For more information about Cordless Recordings, visit the label's website at www.cordless.com.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group (WMG) became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, East West, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire, operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.