The music industry has opened many artists’ eyes to the unfair games being played on them. Record labels operate as capital arbitrage businesses that take advantage of artists through unfair contracts. This article will examine how record labels utilize corporate financing to profit from artists.
Record labels act as capital arbitrage businesses, borrowing money at low interest rates and then lending it to artists at much higher rates through record deals. This allows them to profit enormously while taking advantage of artists’ dreams.
Record Labels Have Access to Cheap Capital
Record labels like Universal Music Group have access to extremely cheap capital through corporate bonds and financing agreements with banks. For example, Universal’s parent company Vivendi reached a $3 billion 5-year financing agreement with four banks in 2017, allowing Universal to borrow up to $3 billion at very low interest rates.
In 2021, Universal issued $1 billion in 0.75% corporate bonds. This allowed them to borrow money at less than 1% interest. Record labels use this cheap access to capital as the engine behind their business models.
Record Labels Invest Their Capital Through Artist Record Deals
How do record labels turn their access to cheap capital into profits? The answer is in the artist record deals.
Universal Music Group’s balance sheet shows nearly $3 billion in long-term debt. They utilize this borrowed money by advancing it to artists as part of record deals.
In the record deals, artists are advanced money as a loan. They have to pay back the loan through their future music sales before they can earn any money.
Record Deals Allow Labels to Profit from Arbitraging Their Capital
Let’s look at a hypothetical example:
- Universal borrows $150,000 at 0.75% interest
- They advance this to an artist as part of a record deal
- The deal states the artist gets $0 until they recoup the $150,000
- After recouping, the artist gets 50% of profits
- The artist’s music has to generate $300,000 before they get anything
So Universal is borrowing money at 0.75% interest and then lending it to artists at a much higher effective rate. This allows them to arbitrage their cheap access to capital into massive profits from artists.
In this example, by the time the artist has paid back their $150,000 advance, the label has already made an extra $150,000.
The Math is Heavily Stacked Against Artists
To make matters worse, the recoupment often only comes out of the artist’s small percentage of the profits. So in our example above, the artist might only get 50% of profits, but the $150,000 advance is recouped from their 50% share, not the label’s.
This means the artist is actually paying back a 300% interest rate on their advance until it’s recouped. The system is designed for labels to maximize their capital arbitrage profits.
Artists Could Get Better Rates Through Business Financing
However, successful artists who already have a fanbase and sales revenue can often get similar capital loans at much better rates. Small business loans can offer 5-10% interest rates rather than 300% or more.
Yet when artists are offered a $15,000 record label advance, it may seem like free money if they don’t understand the consequences. In reality, there are better financing options for successful artists than predatory record deals.
Conclusion
The music industry has long taken advantage of artists through record deals designed to profit from capital arbitrage. By understanding how labels utilize corporate financing, artists can make better decisions and avoid bad deals. Maintaining independence and utilizing business financing is key. The truth of the industry shows that artists must protect themselves.