Ways to Make “Roc Nation” More Distinguishable, Research Proposal Example

“Roc Nation” is a music label owned by the long-time rapper Corey Carter popularly known for his stage name Jay-Z. The label was started in 1996 by Carter and his partners, Kareem Burke and Damon Dash (Connley, 2017). It was originally named “Roc-A-Fella” (Connley, 2017). Jay-Z has been a pillar and muscle to the label despite its up and downs. Equipped with different strategies, Jay-Z has propelled the label into ultimate success, but what should he focus on changing or improving to make it even better and different from other labels? Which ways should he follow to make it distinguishable and attractive? Depicted below are some of the ways of improving the “Roc Nation” label;

Cultural Centered

In recent years, making a music label famous and prosperous has proved to be challenging due to several labels worldwide. Caryl (2013) wrote that “the best record labels are cultural icons that can reflect the era we live in as well as any social study” (par. 3). That denotes that when a label focuses on the cultural perspective in music sold and recorded, it has better chances of taking up the music industry in its own pockets. Culture defines a person and their tastes, and thus a culturally centered artist has a better reflection of absorbable music taste in its trending times. The author elaborates by saying, “the labels to which we submit and subscribe are those we consciously and subconsciously allow to define our own identities; they’re extensions of our personalities, signifiers of ourselves” (par. 3). The point depicts that a culturally centered record label will attract people through their personalities and identities. The music points out the center of attraction of the genre culturally and connects people through common originalities. The ideology of culture and music blends well even in modern societies as it brings people together.

Types of Artistes and “Repertoire”

A recording label is advertised by artists signed to it. The promotion of a label will heavily rely on the recording artists one has signed through their music and performance in the music world. Talent hunting should be another strategy by Jay-Z. Top talent means top music, which reflects a top brand promotion. Murphy argues that “repertoire,”- which typically means “talent hunting,” is a major pillar of a record label. Jay-Z should put an emphasis on talent hunting exercises to fish out the best artists in the game. Murphy points out another crucial point, a serious and likable artist, and not just talent. Trust how you feel about an artist, especially if you have been or you are one yourself- which happens to be an advantage to Jay-Z. Murphy writes that “affinity is the door to infinity” (par. 4- Artist and Repertoire) to show that it has to endure for a music label to succeed. It is not an overnight success. Hence, working with an artist who is your friend will make the journey easier and smoother. In music, like in other businesses, there are quarrels and misunderstandings; thus, choosing the best artists and one in your context will make the journey of success easier and less stress endured.

Zarczynski (2021) elaborates on how the label “Roc Nation” improved artiste collaboration during the pandemic, which was a genius move in the industry in selling the label. Clever “brand partnerships” saw the label sell the name despite the industry’s low moments of the pandemic (Zarczynski, 2021). I would advise Jay-Z to improve on the sector of collaborating with potential artists in selling the label.

Projecting the Future

A successful label or any business entity is the one with a well-planned future strategy. In “Roc Nation,” a person has such experience- the boss himself- Jay Z. Connley (2017) described Jay-Z as a future-oriented entrepreneur, which is one of his tactics for long-term survival and prosperity in business. I will encourage him to press the gas pedal on this road of future orientation and improve his tactics of foreseeing the future. A successful label must predict the future and plan how to improve per the generation changes. For instance, music genres are upgrading and improving every year, and musical taste per population is also changing drastically. A song produced a decade ago does not fit today’s population unless the population dates back to that year, and if it does, the numbers will be low. Attack magazine also argues about change and how inevitable it is in the modern world. The author writes that “……music is an inherently and exhaustingly transient scene, tastes chance and style evolve at a lightning pace” (par. 1- A Unifying Style). The point depicts that as a recording label, a future projection is vital in predicting future music trends and tastes among fans and audiences. Exploring styles and genres under the same major genre will maintain a label, and music produced will sell. With no future plan and embarking on abrupt and blind changes, the label will crumble. Mr. Jay-Z should consider embedding his future long-term plans of money into artiste and talent retaining and remodeling in order to cope with the fast-paced music industry. A future projection makes it easier to analyze and predict future trends, especially in a fast-changing market.

Diversification and Music Blends

A recording label cannot rely on one genre of music as other businesses do not rely on one product. The mixture of rap music and blues or R&Bs will find a wider scope in the music market, thus expanding the outreach to potential audiences. Apart from music genres diversification, one can also diversify in terms of services and operations. For instance, Jay-Z himself opened a branch of Roc Nation that dealt with independent artists (Lynch, 2022). Jay-Z should diversify more in operations and service plus musical genres too. A combination of musical diversification, operation, or service diversification will ultimately lead to wider market space for the entity, hence selling the label to a bigger audience. Diversification is the order of the modern world. Every succeeding sector has diversified in one way or the other. Diversification will also help in managing music genres and services. It aids in reducing aging factors in tastes and preferences. The secret is to produce music for everyone, make it wide and preferable. Every music genre has its best platform, and that is where it performs best (Murphy). Thus diversifying will make your label cover and conquer all major platforms, thus selling the label to a wider audience. Diversification will also reach a wider range in terms of age. A label’s music can start from an audience of teenagers to middle-aged or even old ones. It all depends on diversification skills and orchestration strategies.

Playing by the Rules and avoiding Scandals

On major grounds, scandals can serve as a spark of an ember or a dagger in the heart, depending on the scandal itself. For instance, a label artiste or any member caught for murder or sexual assault will be a blow to the brand. On the other hand, a scandal like an online debate about a certain aspect concerning your label will capture attention and might play the cards in your favor. The laws govern every move of music aspects. Having copyrights and adhering to their operations will mean an open and trusted label. Kenefick (2018) explains the importance of being aware and knowledgeable about the recording copyrights, which differ from artists’ copyrights. He mentions the term “sampling” as used in music recording. “Sampling is na trap which most musicians fall right into it (Kenefick, 2018). For any rule, infringement means a loss of a certain percentage of popularity and trust. Artists may fear your label for being called song thieves or plagiarists. As a record holder, one needs to be keen on laws and regulations. Be clean and lawful, which will build the label around trust and confidence.

There is also an issue of infringing clients’ or artists’ contracts, which attract court cases and law interventions. These acts reduce the quality and trust of the label. Be clean and treat your artists or crew members well for a prosperous label, following their contracts with utmost care. A trusted and clean label means an attractive and successful label.

Conclusion

For “Roc Nation” to be different from other labels, Jay-Z should implement and improve in the mentioned sectors. There are many ways of adopting those tactics and ensuring a better future for the label. Playing by the law, diversification of both music and services, having great future prospects, and having the best artists in the market will sell out the label, making it prosperous and outstanding.

References

Caryl, K. (30 August 2013). What Makes a Great Label? Attack Magazine. https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/how-to-run-a-label-properly/

Connley, C. (30 June 2017). 5 Strategies That Helped Jay-Z Build an $800 Million Career. CNBC, Make it. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/30/5-strategies-that-helped-jay-z-build-an-800-million-career.html

Kenefick, D. (18 February 2018). Intellectual Property and Starting a Record Label. WordPress. https://sites.psu.edu/kenefickentrepreneurshiplaw/2018/02/18/intellectual-property-and-starting-a-record-label/

Lynch, J. (18 March 2022). Inside Equity Distribution: The President of Roc Nation’s Music Distribution Service on Working With Jay-Z to Create a New Ownership Platform for Independent Artists. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-equity-distribution-interview-roc-nation-music-2022-3?r=US&IR=T

Murphy, G. (n.d). It’s Up to us: How to grow Your Record Label in The 2020s. The Journal of Music. Retrieved on 9 May 9, 2022, from; https://journalofmusic.com/focus/it-s-us-how-grow-your-record-label-2020s

Zarczynski, A. (27 March 2021). How Roc Nation Is Thriving With Artist-band Collaborations. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andreazarczynski/2021/03/27/how-roc-nation-is-thriving-with-artist-brand-collaborations/?sh=72d278345621