I don't think that some labels are in it for the money. I believe all of them are in it for the money. You cannot put all that effort, all that time, all these hours necessary to run a record label into something that doesn't pay off in some way. Housing needs to be paid, children need to be fed, gasoline gets more expensive... are Intrada, FSM, Varese, LaLaLand etc. in it for the money? Hell, yes they are, you better believe it. Why are you going to work? You may like your job, but would you do it if you would't get paid a dime? However, I also do believe that these labels are not in it only for the money. Nobody who's only in anything justfor the money is going to start a specialty soundtrack label. Take a look at the people at and behind these labels, at Douglass Fake, Lukas Kendall, Robert Townson, whoever... these are first and foremost fans. They have a real and honest passion for film scores. This passion shines through the words of anything I have ever read by these folks and all those CD releases are evidence of that passion. It's real, it's honest.
The difference between them and many of those who buy these releases is that they have managed to turn that passion into something that affords them to make a living out of it. They did the jump and opened up their own label, producing CDs that they feel passionate about in the hope that at least a few others will feel likewise so that in the end of the day, the effort and time put into producing such a CD will pay off. Running a record label, any record label, is a business. But to build and run a soundtrack specialty label practically requires a passion and a love for the medium to begin with, otherwise, why bother? I applaud all these labels for what they are, and I don't think any of these specialty labels are in it only for the money. If they're doing sound business, all the better, because that means these labels will be around and continually produce more of those fine soundtrack CDs, quite a few of which will eventually end up on my shelf.
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