Pick the band is an interesting concept: it is the first fan run label.  It is a label which relies heavily on the participation and collaboration of the music community to make decisions. It is loosely a talent contest featuring unsigned bands from various locations within the US (it is not global yet), and is orientated around Rock. Fans get to vote on which bands continue to the next stage of the competition, their favourite single, create music videos and design merchandise and album artwork. It invites fans to participate by provide designs, video concepts, song ideas, song title and tour stops. Pick the band really has embraced the possibilities for collaboration that the internet provides; it is an archetypal music 2.0 (or 3.0?) website.

This is a website which understands the weaknesses of the old record label structure and is attempting to redefine, it its own way, what the term record label means within a new music environment. However, it does incorporate some of the tendencies that Record Labels are known, and sometimes criticised, for. It does require Bands to surrender a deal of control over their music, although now it is the fans who influence decisions rather than production managers. If anyone should affect the decision on which t-shirt the band should use, what song they should release as a single, how their video should look, it should be the fans, right? This raises an interesting question though – is the role of a band to satisfy their fan base or to make music on their own terms?  Shouldn´t bands just “do their own thing” and collect fans based on their evolving individuality? It is their music, after all – they should do with it as they please.  What does everyone else think about this idea?