Engadget founder Peter Rojas's new digital music site RCRD LBL launches

Those paying close attention won't be surprised to find out that today marks a special day in the history of Engadget. It brings us no small amount of pride to help announce a dear friend and cohort's new venture: Peter Rojas, who founded Engadget, Joystiq, and Gizmodo, is launching his latest company today, RCRD LBL.

A joint venture with Downtown Records (who retain such acts as Gnarles Barkley and Cold War Kids), RCRD LBL represents a completely fresh take on the distribution structure of music, offering all-digital, all-free music for streaming or download without DRM. Yeah, seriously, free, unrestricted, legal music downloads. RCRD LBL's catalogue already has music from partner labels like Warp and Dim Mak, too, with tracks from a few artists you may have heard from like Mos Def, Bloc Party, and The Stills.

Of course, anyone who knows Pete knows he's one of the few people in this world fanatic enough about both technology and music to pull something like this off. So feel free to head on over to RCRD LBL and show some love -- and try not to blow up their servers too badly, ok? It's only day one for these guys.

-Ryan

P.S. -Oh, and no, this doesn't mean we're letting Peter go so easily. We've managed to retain his services a while longer, so those worried about missing out on some of his amazing and instantly recognizable writing need not worry, because he's still a part of team Engadget.

[bjrcboy @ Nov 15th 2007 12:49PM]

WOOO!

[Phil Perman @ Nov 15th 2007 12:52PM]

Sounds like Motorola phone! :p

[az_runner @ Nov 15th 2007 2:53PM]

My thoughts exactly.

Listen to RCRD LBL on MOTO ROKR with an O ROKR.

[brian welch @ Nov 15th 2007 12:52PM]

No comments when I saw the article, site's already dead. C'mon Rojas, get some bandwidth/decent host. heh heh *(:=

[Johnathon Zirkle @ Nov 15th 2007 12:53PM]

same here...site is down :P

[wout @ Nov 15th 2007 12:53PM]

site's down! Already! Come on! Get some capacity....

[chefjoeardee @ Nov 15th 2007 1:27PM]

MOR BNDWTH PLS

[Mikey-D @ Nov 15th 2007 12:53PM]

Ya it looks like we already broke it :(

[jason @ Nov 15th 2007 12:54PM]

wrst nm vr

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 8:37PM]

WRD.

[Johnathon Zirkle @ Nov 15th 2007 12:55PM]

guess it just shows how many people read engadget when 10 minutes in we crash a site...has anyone actually got into it yet?

[Ryan Block @ Nov 15th 2007 1:00PM]

For those curious about why this post is no longer on the front page, Engadget traffic instantly started to crush RCRD LBL, so we're keeping the post off the front page until things level out a bit!

[brian welch @ Nov 15th 2007 1:08PM]

Awesome. So this is now sort of like a private chat for recordlabel.

So, the site sounds cool. However, the name. Dear lord the name.

The only word I can think of is "un-type-able".

I know, I know these kids these days like to take the vowels out of words. But I reference homestarrunner for this:

THE UGLY ONE: Oh, cuz it's a boy/girl party...

CHEERLEADER, SO AND SO: a B'GRL PRTY?!?

WHAT'S HER FACE: Taking the vowels out of words doesn't always make them cool.

SO AND SO: 'm srry.

Maybe I'm too old? Not too old for homestar/strongbad, I suppose. Also, you damn kids get off my lawn!

*(:=

[danny @ Nov 15th 2007 1:05PM]

Keep an eye out for a site called delabelled.com coming out within a year. It follows the same general idea as this, but with WAY more features and content.

I know a guy working on it and have heard a ton of details, they are just looking for a bit more development funding then it's going to launch. It's going to be huge from what I've seen. But yeah, until that launches this will be... cute... to play with.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 8:26PM]

SNDS LKE BGUS

[Mario @ Nov 15th 2007 1:07PM]

sht w brk t, t sffrd th ngdgt ffct.

[Chris @ Nov 15th 2007 1:33PM]

I, for one, welcome our non-vowel using... ahh, forget it.

I love the name.. I think it's dope. It's the total opposite of how "record labels" behave online, yet it's calling itself "Record Label" err.. RCRD LBL. Kind of redefines what it is to be a record label online. Genius. Go Pete.

[wtfdop0987 @ Nov 15th 2007 1:38PM]

i got onto the homepage....then clicked register....then entered my information and hit submit....then it died....trying again now

[Beau @ Nov 15th 2007 1:52PM]

Uh yeah, streaming is sustained bandwidth usage.

[raulr @ Nov 15th 2007 1:56PM]

I remember when all the blog sites made fun of Motorola's phone names saying its time get over the missing vowel thing. Guess that doesn't apply to record labels, huh Engadget?

[Josh L @ Nov 15th 2007 2:11PM]

Best of luck to you, Mr. Rojas! I'll check out the site later after this flood of traffic dies down a bit.

[Mark @ Nov 15th 2007 2:18PM]

WW THTS SPR. CNGRTS N TH NW ST.

[apeguero @ Nov 15th 2007 2:22PM]

Congrats Peter. May it make you much bank man!!!

Hey Ryan, you tryin' to sport a Che Guevara look or someth'n?

[Mrfreezie @ Nov 15th 2007 2:30PM]

Wow, I didn't know Peter founded Gizmodo.

[Jeff @ Nov 15th 2007 2:34PM]

Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel, please.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 8:28PM]

sorry,there are no vowels. =)

[coffee @ Nov 15th 2007 2:39PM]

Downloaded a few tracks, all skipping like crazy. Streaming is the same. will try again later.

[Jon @ Nov 15th 2007 2:43PM]

I signed up without a problem. Gotta agree with bttls, they get the no vowel thing. Seems like a neat site, I'm looking forward to watching things devolope. Awesome list of lbls so far.

[Ari @ Nov 15th 2007 3:05PM]

http://press.nikonusa.com/multimedia

check out this podcast with peter and nikon. If you guys read Peter's blog you would have known about the site being up before Engagdet posted it and crashed the site. I was able to get in this morning without a problem. Hopefully they'll get the bandwith up and it should be really cool. Good Luck. And Peter enjoy sitting in an office for the first time. I hope you get the corner office :)

[Phil Perman @ Nov 15th 2007 3:14PM]

Ok, now that I can get on the site I have to ask, where on earth is the money coming from. I mean, all the downloads are free, do you really get enough money from adverts to pay the artists? I know how rarely I clock on adverts, and how many other people have them blocked completely. Is there really enough money in it?

[slyecho @ Nov 16th 2007 10:06AM]

Sounds like the money comes from using cheap hosting.

[jaggs @ Nov 15th 2007 3:20PM]

Hmm...interesting. How does a site go from zero to a Pagerank of 4 in one hour?

[dcny @ Nov 15th 2007 4:55PM]

How are you making money if the music is free ? thats the prime way labels make money from the music

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 8:31PM]

It's file sharing to : TH NXT LVL.

[a ham sandwich @ Nov 15th 2007 5:18PM]

sites back up :)

[Pablo @ Nov 15th 2007 5:46PM]

nice site! not much music yet, but its still nice to see stuff like this.

[PEZ @ Nov 15th 2007 5:59PM]

Motorola is going to sue you.

[Shad Harris @ Nov 15th 2007 7:34PM]

proly one of coolest ideas, i hope the future is bright
yo all should check out D.A.N.C.E. w/Mos Def, good stuff
and the Dl was lightning fast - fer real
wow

[dwayne hoobler @ Nov 15th 2007 8:03PM]

wow, no DMR? looks like i will also be starting a new site the following day with artists like gnarls barkley, mos def. buy em, copy em, charge em back. cept i'll prob use a solid hosting provider, a better site designer and some sort of rights management solution. don't want anyone sharing my stolen music. i'll be offering only downloads but at half the price of these guys. wise up kids, www.ripoffwrecords.com

[Sirocco @ Nov 15th 2007 8:14PM]

Give me real labels with real music. Enuf of that "rap" bull.

[Jesse S @ Nov 15th 2007 8:17PM]

He founded Engadget AND Gizmodo?

It's funny, he founded the two tech largest tech sites that "compete" the most...

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 8:34PM]

I got a name for engadget to match the music service

ENGDGT

I also have one for gizmodo:

GZMDO

[Justin @ Nov 15th 2007 8:36PM]

Beautiful, I love the widgets! My sirius internet radio subscription now has some competition.

[Kyle Sellers @ Nov 15th 2007 8:37PM]

I own and operate a coffee shop in Southern California, and pay an annual ASCAP shakedown fee.

Could I play RCRD LBL music exclusively and be able to avoid paying an ASCAP "performance license" fee?

I would make the switch in a heartbeat if I could!!

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 15th 2007 9:16PM]

I'm pretty sure the fee is dead if you use RCRD LBL. Go one now, switch and make the engadget revelution!!!!!!!!!

[TDG01 @ Nov 15th 2007 9:00PM]

great idea, nice content, but i hate the design..

[ADG @ Nov 16th 2007 7:43AM]

Great concept! Although the site looks to be a close copy of BILLBOARD Magazine cover...

[k3n85 @ Nov 16th 2007 9:37AM]

Awwww, 192 kbps .... where's the VBR ?

[Andrei @ Nov 18th 2007 5:03PM]

Congrats on the site.

I had no idea good electronic music made it's way all the way over to West Coast. Kompakt kicks major ass. I threw a party here 2 weeks ago with Gui Boratto and Michael Mayer. It was awesome. I'll be sure to check the site and even give you a helping hand if needed.