Linkin Park announce Machine Shop Ventures
Last week, Kiel Berry from Machine Shop published a very interesting blog about Linkin Park’s efforts to create a business model for the band. The rebranding of “Linkin Park” – based on research made in partnership with Harvard – include the foundation of a venture capital firm.
Berry ends his blog with a bold statement that might raise an eyebrow or two:
“To be clear, we are still in the music business, but creating and selling music now plays more of a supporting role in our overall business mix. As we get ready to headline a five-city stadium tour of China this summer, we are also planning to meet with technology companies, consumer brands, and venture capital firms to discuss opportunities for partnership. Of course we’ll play the shows and meet with fans, as we’ve always done. But along with continuing to make great music, today’s Linkin Park is now better positioned to operate in the ever-evolving cultural and business landscape.”
So, creating and selling music plays a supporting role for Linkin Park. Are we still talking about musicians, or about CEOs? TIME magazine latched onto this paragraph immediately and published an article questioning Linkin Park’s motives.
Unfortunately, the author doesn’t really offer us any reasons for his negative opinion. He uses irony to get the point across, but not one proper argument. Total fail. Especially in comparison to Kiel Berry’s extremely well written blog post. Instead the article opens with:
“Remember Linkin Park? The nu-metal band rose to popularity in the late 1990s/early 2000s with the album Meteora and, arguably, peaked in fame with a Jay Z collaboration of mashup tracks, Collision Course.”
Yes, we remember Linkin Park. The band who released an album last year and is currently touring the world. Someone must have forgotten to actually do some research. Then again, why spend time on research for an article without any actual content.
We think the Linkin Park community has more to offer than this, so we want to invite you to discuss the topic with us. Do you think Linkin Park are just adapting to the challenges of the music business? Or are they losing their focus = creating music?
Is Linkin Park still a band or a brand? Join the discussion by replying this blog’s tweet @lpfancorner, commenting this blog’s FB post or by commenting below.
Débora Pereira says:
a band also working on their brand!
Please Michael ❌❌ says:
i’d like to join
Kaylee Campbell says:
They’re still a band. They adapt to stay popular in the business and they sure as hell are good at that
Linkin Park Fan Corner says:
Do you think the music might suffer from that?
Kaylee Campbell says:
Nope. As long as they can rehearse it and play it, I think it’s fine. Different is good. If they want heavier music with screams, that’s fine. If they want techno-y music for a solo, that’s fine. The execute everything they play so greatly.
Mike Yu says:
A band or a brand it doesn’t matter i will support them no matter what.
Joe Gagliano says:
Linkin Park is more than a band.
Linkin Park Fan Corner says:
Good point, but can you elaborate?
Derek Oswald says:
I feel what he’s trying to say, is that Linkin Park have always been a business and a brand. They’re excellent at creating music, hell…they have a ridiculous ear for crafting catchy rock hits. But every detail down to their public image, their art aesthetic, their marketing, merchandise, endeavors and projects have created a ‘brand’. They are known for their incredible business savvy and business acumen. It’s how Brad helped found Bandmerch with his father, how Linkin Park managed to negotiate a new contract with Warner in 2007 despite only having two records at the time. They’re geniuses, and more importantly they surround themselves with people who are excellent in their field. They have a top notch publicity team, great laywers and advisors, and a very dedicated team at Machine Shop. Since day one they’ve handled their band like a business, and the results have paid off in dividends.
Joe Gagliano says:
Sure. They are a collective of 6 ridiculously talented minds that are always creating and reevaluating everything they do. This goes from music to art to what ever other business ventures that comes their way. Their willingness to succeed in everything they do is evident in everything they’ve done.
Orena Bitri says:
When I think of Linkin Park, I think of six amazing guys that matured not only in age, but also in a creative way, to become these incredible artists they are now. I think of them not only as musicians, but also as husbands and dads, and most importantly, people. LP is this band with these six guys, but on a wider view, LP are like a big family, because they keep us close like no other band does, they appreciate us, and they’re aware of the fact that we are the reason they are on that side of the camera. Needless to say, I’m so proud to be part of the family, and to be an LP soldier!
Jimy Toliopoulos says:
Why not both?I thnki they care about both but even if they are just CEOs they are CEOs that release awesome music! 🙂
Linkin Park Fan Corner says:
Do you guys think that all musicians have to rethink their business model?
Jimy Toliopoulos says:
not neceserely(sorry if bad english)
Joe Gagliano says:
No. What works for one might not work for all. Each situation is different.
Umang Sthapit says:
If some group of people makes a record…play live in a schedule doesnt that make them a band? the other projects are their extra work.It won’t suffer them they are doing stuffs like Music for relief since 2004 and other bands who started with them are on hiatus while LP is still going strong.
Towfiq Rahman says:
Linkin Park is a band and my life! Linkin Park always finds a way to make new music and creativeness is limitless the like of mike and chester and rest of the crew are too good to be not calling a band. If there business involved why not at the end it will fund linkin park!
Hanina Amin says:
Linkin Park is still a band & it will always be as long as they are still united as one.
Linkin Park Fan Corner says:
But the blog wasn’t just about merchandise. Every band does that. Linkin Park are clearly walking a special path with founding a venture capital firm investing in start ups, etc. that’s way more than other artists do. It’s definitely interesting to see what will happen in the next few months
Hanina Amin says:
Not all musicians are business minded
Heloisa says:
I don’t see any problem with this venture capital firm, if you have money, why would you invest in just one kind of business?
Anindya Ghosh says:
Simply saying, I don’t know why, but year by year their songs are losing the very agression (say, compare #Crawling with #Roads_Untravelled), which made them famous.
Jimy Toliopoulos says:
you ingnore the hunting party i
that is a lot more aggresive than living things
Anindya Ghosh says:
Then I’m pretty backward, cause I can’t help but love the #Hybrid_Theory more than the hunting party.
Pou Ya says:
I think they’re going to lose their band position, I’m a hardcore lp fan but this is the wrong way. I hope that they back to HT years.
Jennifer Hardy says:
Of course they are