Sanctuary finds new home

Universal sold Parlophone to Warners. And now, Sanctuary has gone to BMG.

I suppose that at least, this time, it's not gone to an existing major label - BMG used to be half-owners in Sony-BMG until they sold up in 2008, but haven't been a major for half a decade. Apparently, though, they're kinda regretting that, and want to be a major label again:

Hartwig Masuch, chief executive of BMG, said: "We have made no secret of our ambition to create a new force in the music industry focused on delivering service and revenue to artists."

He added: "We believe this deal will be good news for those artists, good news for our partners, particularly in the independent sector, and good news for the music industry as a whole.

To be fair, selling off your major force in the music industry and not doing it for five years was a pretty good way of making a secret of these ambitions.

It's not entirely obvious how owning the Iron Maiden back catalogue is going to create a new force in the music industry, but who knows?

Sanctuary lost

Universal Records has announced plans to close Sanctuary Records for all but catalogue work in the UK. Universal intend to concentrate on the management and merchandising side of the business; no word yet on what will happen to the sizeable roster of artists, which includes The Charlatans and, um, Lordi.

Rough Trade swerves out of Universal's clutches

Sanctury Records have flogged their 49% stake in Rough Trade ahead of being taken over by Universal. Beggars Banquet have snapped up the portion, bringing the group into a family already including some of the more prestigious indieish labels in the UK, including Too Pure, 4AD and Wiiija.

Not all record labels are whelping like lambs

For example, there's sanctuary records - record sales up 26 per cent last year in a supposedly declining market.

Now, since Sanctuary are facing exactly the same challenges as Every Other Label, how can they be thriving while the majors fail? Perhaps its something to do with a focus on releasing records by acts that people want to buy, and keep on wanting to buy; maybe its down to their "three sixty" approach - they see themselves more as a music entertainment company rather than a record label.

And maybe by avoiding pumping millions into a spurious battle against kids with CD burners, they've kept focus on what they're meant to be doing - flogging music.