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QRD #71 - Label Owner Follow-Up Interviews
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Label Owner Follow-Up Interview with Justin Pearson of Three One G
March 2015

Name: Justin Pearson
Label: Three One G
City: San Diego
Artists Roster: http://threeoneg.com/artists
Websites: http://threeoneg.com
Original Label Owner Interview with QRD

QRD – Any major changes to the label or your general outlook on running a label since last time?

Justin – Things are constantly changing. What sticks out is us trying to figure out a way to give CDs away since they don’t sell anymore.

QRD – How do you feel labels are more & less useful to artists now than they were five years ago?

Justin – I think labels relationships with artists are constantly changing with the times. I do think more power is being given to artists & the need for labels is becoming less important in some ways. For Three One G, our strong suit lays in the community aspect, or “branding” in industry terms.  But other factors that may pertain to this topic would be social media & marketing oneself.

QRD – There are a lot less record stores than their used to be.  How has that effected your model for releasing music?

Justin – It’s depressing & has certainly hurt sales via our distributor. But we are also doing better with our webstore, so I am not sure what is the verdict here to be honest.

QRD – Spotify has become an undeniable force that has reduced download sales while (allegedly) fighting piracy.  In the end what is good or bad about it for you as a label & do you embrace it?

Justin – What’s Spotify?

QRD – Most labels are making a bit less money than they were a few years ago.  What have you done to lower expenses or find new sources of revenue?

Justin – I got yet another day job.

QRD – What social networks are you active on & what ones aren’t worth the time & energy to you?

Justin – It sucks my time, but it’s a means of marketing. So the obvious, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are all parts of the label’s daily life.

QRD – With the rise of social networks & trusted download shops, has your own website become less important than it was a few years ago?

Justin – No, it seems to be more important than ever.

QRD – Do you think fan funding (e.g. Kickstarter) is the future, a fad, or an awful thing for the music industry?

Justin – I personally would never take that route. Seems lazy in some respects, maybe due to my working class upbringing.

QRD – What’s something you leave up to bands to do rather than handling as a label?

Justin – Getting upset about sales.

QRD – Do you see albums, EPs, or singles more relevant than a few years ago or pretty much in the same place?

Justin – I see everything becoming more & more irrelevant as time goes on. The album is not a priority & actually purchasing music is not a common practice among most. I do think it’s all about YouTube videos & other means of social media that are what seems to be prominent among the masses.

QRD – Do you have separate release dates for different formats (CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming)?

Justin – Not by choice.

QRD – Anything else?

Justin – Wish us luck.