National Geographic launches record label

Wired reports that National Geographic is launching a new record label. Dubbed "Nat Geo," the plan is for the label to release music on CD and digitally.

The report goes on to explain that "the new label will focus not on the sound of the rain forest, indigenous tribes, or things of that nature. Rather, Nat Geo Music is looking for modern-sounding bands from various countries that have the potential to attract listeners from other regions."

As for the surprise about launching a label at this somewhat perilous time?

There's a lot of doom and gloom about the business as a whole, but that's the business as a whole. But we don't have two million dollars-worth of product sitting at Best Buy that we're really worried about being returned [by the stores] right now.

Every label and artist needs to find a business model that works for them, If you can find a business model that works for you, then who cares what the rest of the business is doing?