The New York Times Magazine this week took an in depth look at super producer and new Columbia co-president Rick Rubin.
"So many of the decisions at these companies have not been about the music," says Rubin. They sign artists for the wrong reasons — because they think somebody else wants them or if they need to have a record out by a certain date. That old way of doing things is obsolete, but luckily, fear is making the record companies less arrogant. They’re more open to ideas. So, what’s important now is to find music that’s timeless. I still believe that if an artist gains the belief of the listener, then anything is possible."
In addition to focusing on the music, Rubin’s recipe for saving Columbia and the rest of the industry includes creation of a "word of mouth" viral marketing
department, elimination of all titles and a move toward a subscription service model. Interestingly, Rubin appears to resist moves by labels to profit from
additional artist income streams like merchandise sales and touring.
None of this is particularly revolutionary. But coming from Rick Rubin who is universally considered a brilliant thinker with a 20 years of success creating hits for such diverse acts as The Beastie Boys, Metallica, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, he may carry enough weight to finally turn industry babble into action.
