Engadget founder Peter Rojas's new digital music site RCRD LBL launches
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 15th 2007 12:42PM
posted Nov 15th 2007 12:42PM
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.
WOOO!
Sounds like Motorola phone! :p
My thoughts exactly.
Listen to RCRD LBL on MOTO ROKR with an O ROKR.
No comments when I saw the article, site's already dead. C'mon Rojas, get some bandwidth/decent host. heh heh *(:=
same here...site is down :P
site's down! Already! Come on! Get some capacity....
MOR BNDWTH PLS
Ya it looks like we already broke it :(
wrst nm vr
WRD.
guess it just shows how many people read engadget when 10 minutes in we crash a site...has anyone actually got into it yet?
i got onto the homepage....then clicked register....then entered my information and hit submit....then it died....trying again now
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!
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!
*(:=
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.
SNDS LKE BGUS
sht w brk t, t sffrd th ngdgt ffct.
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.
Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel, please.
sorry,there are no vowels. =)
Uh yeah, streaming is sustained bandwidth usage.
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?
Best of luck to you, Mr. Rojas! I'll check out the site later after this flood of traffic dies down a bit.
WW THTS SPR. CNGRTS N TH NW ST.
Congrats Peter. May it make you much bank man!!!
Hey Ryan, you tryin' to sport a Che Guevara look or someth'n?
Wow, I didn't know Peter founded Gizmodo.
Downloaded a few tracks, all skipping like crazy. Streaming is the same. will try again later.
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.
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 :)
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?
Sounds like the money comes from using cheap hosting.
Hmm...interesting. How does a site go from zero to a Pagerank of 4 in one hour?
How are you making money if the music is free ? thats the prime way labels make money from the music
It's file sharing to : TH NXT LVL.
sites back up :)
nice site! not much music yet, but its still nice to see stuff like this.
Motorola is going to sue you.
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
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
Give me real labels with real music. Enuf of that "rap" bull.
He founded Engadget AND Gizmodo?
It's funny, he founded the two tech largest tech sites that "compete" the most...
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!!
I'm pretty sure the fee is dead if you use RCRD LBL. Go one now, switch and make the engadget revelution!!!!!!!!!
I got a name for engadget to match the music service
ENGDGT
I also have one for gizmodo:
GZMDO
Beautiful, I love the widgets! My sirius internet radio subscription now has some competition.
great idea, nice content, but i hate the design..
Great concept! Although the site looks to be a close copy of BILLBOARD Magazine cover...
Awwww, 192 kbps .... where's the VBR ?
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.