The Republic Project, officially launching next week with a few recognizable names in the business, is a new company that's hoping to remix the standard mode of operation in the music industry by giving artists a more direct way to sell their music and engage with fans.
Even though artists can already leverage existing social sites like Kyte to produce their own branded online and mobile presence, the Republic Project appears to go one step further by targeting artists who want the independence to market, sell, and retain the rights to their records.
Essentially with the Republic Project, artists will have their own platform where they can sell their albums directly to fans, create and monetize their own video content, blog, and participate in artist and fan chat sessions. Debut artists include Tim Myers, Dexter Freebish, Steriogram, and Still Time.
Think of the Republic Project as putting artists in the driver's seat with their own custom social home complete with branded interactive features so they engage directly with fans, and fans can grab and embed widgets to promote them across the Web. Since the Republic Project's charter advertiser is Pure Digital Technologies - makers of the Flip HD camera - each artist will also get their own Flip cam to make it easy for them to share behind-the-scenes moments in the studio, on the road, or in concert.
Even though we've yet to see proof of concept, we're supportive of the idea and look forward to seeing more develop from the Republic Project.
So, what do you think of the Republic Project's mission? Is this a big win for artists, a huge blow to the big labels, or an idea with little traction? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments.
More Music Resources From Mashable
-ONLINE MEDIA GOD: 400+ Tools for Photographers, Videographers, Podcasters & Musicians
-Social Music: Top 5 Sites to Build a Playlist
-Social Music: Top 5 Music Recommendation Services
-Social Music: A Last.fm vs Slacker Head to Head