Radiohead Manager Launches New Record Label
7/6/2009 By Josiah Hughes

Brian Message, the manager of a little UK band called Radiohead, is the man who once advised the group to break up and masterminded their still-controversial “pay what you want” model for the release of In Rainbows. Now, he’s started a new record label.

Called Polyphonic, the record label will utilize Message’s penchant for creative distribution techniques to get music to fans in a bevy of ways. Partnering with Vancouver-based Nettwerk and UK’s MAMA Group, the label is kicking off with $20 million U.S. in funding.

In an interview with the Telegraph [via TwentyFourBit], MAMA Group CFO Adam Driscoll said, “We will do whatever is most effective to get an artist noticed. Giving an album away for free may get one million people listening to a new artist."

Message echoed these statements at the recent Midem conference, saying, “For us, the key word in all of this stuff, other than trust, is value. Free music has a value for us.”
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