Shiny Globe shows New Imprint Imminent

MusicRow’s notorious crystal ball is showing that a major Nashville label is planning to create a second imprint, and may announce the new venture as early as next week.

Over recent years we have seen second imprints arrive and depart. In fact, companies such as Sony Music Nashville, UMGN, WMG, Big Machine and Broken Bow currently have two or more imprints.

What are some of the elements for second label success? In some cases, the new imprint is created and then acts are signed. However, if a label has a roster bursting at the seams with success, say a trio of platinum acts plus a group of mid-level artists all starting to break through, then a second imprint could be the perfect prescription to help capitolize and grow those assets. Either way, the additional resources allow a label to effectively expose and launch more artists in less time.

What might a second imprint look like? If the newly-formed entity mirrors the model used by most other Nashville labels, it will feature a fully staffed second promotion team that will utilize existing resources from other divisions inside the label.