Goldensounds, Lord-willing, will be a music label owned by Holy LLC that produces beautiful music of many different genres, and even perhaps new genres that are yet to exist. There are several labels that Holy LLC will, by God's grace, own but - to clarify so that there is less confusion why there are multiple labels - Goldensounds will be a distinct label for music endeavors directly managed by Cord Schnakenberg, manager of Holy LLC. This follows the vein of Romans 1 which talks about God creating things (and I believe this includes music and the ability to create music from those musical realities such as notes, sounds, tones, chords, and more) to reveal Himself to the world through those things to be worshipped. Just like nature, food, music, marital sex, and more has been made to glorify God through pleasure, so will this music be made. What is beautiful is made to glorify Him. Like a sunset takes your breath away and is made to reflect the breathtaking beauty of that sunset's Creator, for example. Sounds of Kaleidicloud (which is not only a platform but also a label) will be a label for music endeavors not directly managed by Cord Schnakenberg. Goldenestsounds will be the label for explicitly-God centered worship music made for the audience of one, the Lord, and the edification of His church - though Goldensounds will have worship "in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:20) in its core whether it is labeled as an explicitly God-centered worship song or not.

Goldensounds will be a label that seeks to be used by God to create beautiful music that glorifies Him in word and deed - in lyrics, message, and tone. Beauty.

The word "music label" can be seen as a negative term and it is the resolute assurance of Goldensounds that we are not what that term has come to sometimes mean. We are not interested in cheating artists, controlling their lives/appearances, owning their music, or anything of the sort.

Artists (and everyone involved in these projects, for that matter) will be paid fairly, not contracted in terms that confine people into what they can and can't do away from our contract arrangements, and we have no interest in owning the music of the artists. If it gets scored in a movie or sold outside of our platform, we're not interested in making any royalties from that. Seriously.

So why use the term "music label?" Several reasons. Of all the business model phrases, "music label" is the closest to what we are but not how we are. We're contracted with studios but not a studio. We have music playback but we're not Spotify. We sell music albums but we're not iTunes. We handle distribution - granted, much differently than a traditional label would - but on our platform. We sign artists but don't enslave artists. We handle some legal but we also don't make a living off our legal department going after royalties.

Secondly, we believe we can model through the grace of God what a real music label should be like in purpose, design, and practice.

We are also a label because of our biggest catch to the artist and we don't hide it. Our catch is not tiny percentages per sale to the artist.  Nor is it ownership of songs produced. Nor is it up-front fees for the artist (there are none, though we do share and distribute percentages of the profits received). Our catch is something called "creative sovereignty."

What "creative sovereignty" is, is the fact that we as Goldensounds - the music label - has the authority to bring creative projects in whatever direction we believe they should head. While we will be eagerly partnering with musicians and other creatives to create these beautiful musical experiences together, and this will include partnering with their vision and inspiration and styles and abilities and talents, the music must be beautiful as we deem it to be beautiful. We are only going to produce beautiful music and that can sound like a million things but it cannot be trash. No obscenity. No darkness. No content we don't believe should be produced by us or we steer the project in a different direction or we end the contract. That's our main catch. 

The centralization of that standard of beauty and the centralization of our mission, vision, ethics, and God-connection is what we will hold onto - even when competitors will come that decentralize this and succeed (even beyond what we will) for doing so - but this is a non-negotiable for Goldensounds and Holy.

And speaking of centralization, those things and the platform seem to be the only elements we are centralizing. One of the interesting elements of Goldensounds is the decentralization of the creative process. No longer will artists need to fly to a city like Los Angeles or Nashville to record and produce their work. No longer will one manufacturing facility in the nation or abroad be designated for a label to produce but rather will this work be outsourced to interested creatives who have the understanding, passion, ability, equipment, and time to produce the work for us. This is win-win and it empowers everyone.

Will you join?