Indie Label representative IMPALA have suggested a new 10 point plan to see indies getting compensated for discovering new artists, just like football clubs getting money for developing new players.

With the majors getting ever more afraid to invest in new artists, one of their main tactics have been getting independent labels to do their early A+R work for them.
For those lucky indies, they would normally retain 5% of future sales and an up front payment or sometimes yearly funding, known as the 'finders fee'.
However it's not always the case as in alot of cases, the act just gets taken without compensation.
Impala are trying to reduce the chances of this risk from happening by proposing this new plan to the European Commission. The proposal includes the 5% of all future revenues, assistance on accounting and funding as well as asking for zero VAT for digital music sales.
Lets hope they get their wish!

Check out the Impala Homepage for more info on the company - http://www.impalasite.org/

I tend to buy books without having any actual intention of reading them (it's more to boost my ego!!!) but due to extreme boredom, i recently got in touch with my geeky side.

I came across this series of books by blackdog publishing called Labels Unlimited. Each book is dedicated to a label and provides a history of some of the UK's most successful. It also shows the artwork of nearly every release, so if you like your books to contain more pictures than texts then this will be just your thing!

Labels Unlimited: Rough Trade Records
Geoff Travis is probably one of my biggest heroes in the music industry.. alot of the bands he signed weren't really my cup of tea but he did strike gold on a number of occasions. Starting up a popular record store, which quickly led to his own label. Through his unique business techniques, he laid down the foundations of what to do and what not to do when running an independent music business..

His biggest success was probably the signing of The Smiths and although his business went to the shitter some years after they left, Travis picked himself up again and went on to sign the likes of The Strokes and The Libertines.

Labels Unlimited: Warp Records
Leading independent Warp is the home of the incredibly freaky Aphex twin. I haven't gotten around to reading this properly, just hopefully i'll not be getting nightmares from looking at Aphex when i do.

Labels Unlimited: Ace Records
The CV of the two Ace Records founders will be sure to impress anybody who knows anything about Irish Music. One worked with the likes of Jim Aiken, The Chieftains and the Horslips and the other managed Thin Lizzy. The pair set up a london record label that imported old american music and sold it to the british public.

There's other books in this series, notably one based on Ninja Tune due out in the summer... (co-written by pete quicke as well!)

Virgin: A history of virgin records

I've not actually read this yet but with company that signed the likes of the sex pistols and with a founder that pretty much owns the word 'entrepreneur', it should be an interesting read.

The Rise and Fall of EMI Records
This book isn't really a picture book but it's probably one of the best i've picked up. Electronic and Musical Industries has had a craaaazy history, starting up HMV, selling random products like x-ray machines, signing the beatles and wierdly owning the blackpool tower. This book tells you how a little company from England established itself as one of the big four record labels and redefines in my head what a major is meant to be. Suprisingly it's not based around the success artists but more about it's executives and their successes (including the beatles, buying virgin), failures and their backstabbings. for any wannabe music industry heads, you need to check this book out.