The organisers of Record Store Day have rejected accusations that they have “betrayed” small labels.
Last week, Sonic Cathedral and Howling Owl claimed that the event is “not beneficial” to small labels.
In response, Entertainment Retailers Association, the company behind Record Store Day, have released a statement to The Vinyl Factory.
The statement begins: “Music arouses passions. The music business arouses passions. And when you’re dealing with something as emotive as music, that’s how it should be. But it does mean that almost any initiative you take in the music business, however benign, will find its detractors.”
It continues: “To make it clear, the purpose of Record Store Day is not to promote independent labels. It is to promote independent record shops (the clue is in the name).”
“Of course, because indie record shops disproportionately support independent labels, indie labels are among the biggest winners from RSD. While media coverage inevitably focuses on superstar acts often signed to major labels, in fact three out of four RSD releases are on indie labels. That’s hardly a ‘betrayal’ of indies.”
The statement ends: “Give us a break”.
This year’s Record Store Day includes releases from Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The White Stripes and more.