Status Active Founder Tori Sparks Country of origin United States of America | Location Nashville, Tennessee Founded 2007 | |
Distributor(s) BDC/Burnside Distribution Genre Rock
Blues
Soul
Jazz
Americana
Folk Official website glassmountainrecords.com | ||
Glass Mountain Records is an American independent record label that was launched in 2007. It was created by singer-songwriter Tori Sparks, and represents an example of the DIY business model that has become popular among musicians since the 1990s.
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Brief background
Glass Mountain Records was formed in 2007 by Nashville and Barcelona-based artist Tori Sparks. She sought legal aid to escape a contract with now-defunct record label Platinum Plus Universal Records, then opened GMR and its publishing arm, Hand Over Foot, in the same year. Sparks stated that the purpose of starting her own label was to continue to release albums while retaining legal and artistic control. Tori has since released four independent albums and has been asked to speak at music conferences and universities on various music business topics,including South by Southwest, and syndicated programs such as Music Business Radio. She has written articles for ProMusicU, Sivers.org a monthly column for Nashville-based Dream Row Magazine, other industry groups and publications. In 2009, Glass Mountain partnered with BDC/Burnside Distribution in Portland OR for physical and digital distribution.
DIY business model
Glass Mountain Records is an example of the DIY business model, that has been popularized since the 1990s by independent artist-entrepreneurs such as Ani DiFranco (Righteous Babe Records) and Martin Sexton (Kitchen Table Records). These artist-run labels are characterized by smaller in-house staff, or greater reliance on outside independent promoters and distributors, as well as greater flexibility and artistic control. Former major-label band Radiohead helped to bring the DIY trend to the forefront of public consciousness 2007 when they elected to release their album In Rainbows without the help of their former label EMI/Capitol.