Chicago-based OurLabel, a crowdsourced record label and platform where users earn rewards for funding, promoting and discovering new music, is planning to launch soon, having teased it in Hacker News today.

"To put it in terms of things that already exists, its MySpace + Kickstarter + various support services + CDBaby," co-founder and President Brandon Robbins explained on HN.

OurLabel is accepting recommendations for unsigned artists to be featured and supported on the site. The top referrer gets an iPad 2.

LAUNCH has been in touch with OurLabel CEO Asaf Elani and will publish a deeper look at the product soon.

Similar services include SonicAngel, a music discovery and artist support and distribution platform, and Topspin Media, a direct-to-fan marketing and retail software platform for musicians, filmmakers and authors.

Brandon wrote that SonicAngel requires someone to already be discovered/signed to take advantage of crowd funding: "...Every artist/band [on OurLabel] has an opportunity to produce an album if they raise the funds to do so."

Commenters on HN are posting mixed reviews.

"I don't understand what this is needed for," Tichy writes. "What does a record label do these days? Not counting the few people who still want to buy records."

In response, aelani wrote that the key is the hybrid-model that OurLabel boasts and fan involvement.

"...Getting the fans involved in the whole process is interesting (especially when they can derive rewards from their engagement," aelani writes. "There a lot of big music fans out there that would love to have a say and a piece in the action."

CONTACTS & LINKS

OurLabel
Website: http://ourlabel.com/
Blog: http://blog.ourlabel.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ourlabel
Twitter: @OurLabel

Asaf Elani, CEO
Twitter: @AsafElani
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aelani
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105984737896498897803/posts

Brandon Robbins, President
Twitter: @brandonjrobbins
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonjrobins
Google+: https://plus.google.com/103840977849299522450/posts

LAUNCH Blog