Keeping the Blues Alive Records
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Keeping the Blues Alive Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Keeping the Blues Alive Records
- Legal name
- Keeping The Blues Alive Records
- Website
- https://ktbarecords.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Keeping the Blues Alive Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Music Label
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional) (MPAIACAM)
Keywords
Keeping the Blues Alive Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Album Sales: Sales of studio albums and singles from signed artists through the online store and streaming platforms
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of apparel and branded merchandise through the online shop
- Streaming Revenue: Revenue generated from streaming plays on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Deezer platforms
- Charitable Mission: 10% of profits donated to music education and artist support initiatives, creating community goodwill and differentiating from traditional labels
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Albums and Singles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
| Subscription | Monthly | Streaming |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Keeping the Blues Alive Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA Records) is an independent record label that releases, distributes, and sells blues, blues-rock, and roots music albums from a roster of signed artists including Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Dion, Jimmy Hall, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and Robert Jon & The Wreck. The label sells its catalog directly to consumers through its own e-commerce storefront and monetizes via streaming distribution across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, and SiriusXM. It also markets artist merchandise and allocates 10% of profits to the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to fund music education.
Product overview
Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA Records) is an artist-driven independent music label founded by blues-rock icon Joe Bonamassa and manager Roy Weisman in 2020. The label operates as both a music release platform and streaming distribution network, releasing albums by established and rising blues, rock, R&B, and soul artists. Products include individual artist albums (Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Dion, Jimmy Hall, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Robert Jon & The Wreck), sold through the KTBA Records Shop and distributed across major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Pandora, Amazon Music, Deezer). The label functions as an extension of Bonamassa's nonprofit foundation, donating 10% of profits to music education and artist support initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- S.O.S. 4: BLUES FOR YOUR SOUL (Marc Broussard) Blues and R&B studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Marc Broussard, sold to blues music fans through the label's e-commerce shop and streamed across major DSPs.
- Chance Worth Taking (Marc Broussard) Blues and roots studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Marc Broussard, distributed via the label's storefront and streaming network.
- Heartbreak City (Larry McCray) Blues studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Larry McCray, sold direct-to-consumer and streamed on major platforms.
- Blues Without You (Larry McCray) Blues studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Larry McCray, marketed to blues and roots music fans via direct storefront and streaming.
- Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher (Dion) Rock and blues studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Dion, distributed through the label's storefront and digital streaming partners.
- Blues with Friends (Dion) Blues studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Dion, sold to blues fans through direct channels and streamed on major DSPs.
- Ready Now (Jimmy Hall) Blues-rock studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Jimmy Hall, distributed via the label's direct-to-consumer shop and streaming network.
- Black & Gold (Joanne Shaw Taylor) Blues-rock studio album by signed KTBA Records artist Joanne Shaw Taylor, sold through the label storefront and streamed on major platforms.
- Reckless Heart (Joanne Shaw Taylor)
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple #1 Billboard Blues Chart debuts
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Keeping the Blues Alive Records
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Keeping the Blues Alive Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Keeping the Blues Alive Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Joe BonamassacoreCo-founder and face of KTBA Records. Blues-rock icon who produces albums for label artists and provides his personal brand, network, and production capabilities to the label. Artists on the label have recorded with him as producer and guest musician.
- Roy WeismancoreCo-founder alongside Joe Bonamassa. Longtime manager who brings operational expertise to the label.
- Keeping the Blues Alive FoundationcoreThe nonprofit foundation associated with the label. 10% of label profits are donated to music education and artist support initiatives through this foundation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Keeping the Blues Alive Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ruf Records: Independent blues and roots label founded in 1994 by Thomas Ruf in Germany, with a roster that includes blues-rock artists comparable in style to KTBA's. Direct competitor in the transatlantic blues release market.
- Stony Plain Records: Canadian independent blues and roots label with a roster including Duke Robillard and Ian Tyson. Directly comparable as an indie blues/roots label operating at similar scale and genre focus.
- Mascot Label Group: Independent label group home to Provocateur, Mascot Records, and Music Theories Recordings, with active rosters in blues-rock and roots rock. Comparable as a multi-imprint indie serving established blues/rock artists.
- VizzTone Records: Independent blues label and artist collective featuring acts like Miss Bix and the blues revue circuit. Directly comparable as a small, artist-driven indie blues label.
- Alligator Records: Long-established independent blues and roots music label founded in 1971, representing artists like Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, and Tommy Castro. Most directly comparable as a leading indie blues label with a similar artist-driven roster model.
- Nola Blue Records: Independent blues and roots label with artists such as Terrie Odabi and Kevin Burt. Comparable as a small indie blues label with a similar artist-driven release strategy.
- Severn Records: Independent blues label founded by David Earl, releasing albums by established blues and soul artists such as Steve Guyton and Tad Robinson. Directly comparable as a niche indie blues label with similar scale.
Broad incumbents
- Concord Music Group: Major independent music company owning Rounder, Fantasy, Craft, and Loma Vista, with significant blues/rock catalog exposure. Comparable as a much larger incumbent operating in overlapping blues/rock territory.
- BMG Rights Management: Global music company representing rights across recorded music and publishing with active roots and blues signings. Comparable as a large, established player operating in the broader recorded-music market KTBA participates in.
Regional players
- JSP Records: UK-based independent blues, jazz, and roots label with deep catalog of legacy and contemporary artists. Comparable as a catalog-rich blues/roots indie, though based in a different primary geography.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Keeping the Blues Alive Records social profiles
Digital presenceKeeping the Blues Alive Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Keeping the Blues Alive Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Keeping the Blues Alive Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Keeping the Blues Alive Records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Keeping the Blues Alive Records
What does Keeping the Blues Alive Records do?
Keeping the Blues Alive Records (KTBA Records) is an independent record label that releases, distributes, and sells blues, blues-rock, and roots music albums from a roster of signed artists including Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Dion, Jimmy Hall, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and Robert Jon & The Wreck. The label sells its catalog directly to consumers through its own e-commerce storefront and monetizes via streaming distribution across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, and SiriusXM. It also markets artist merchandise and allocates 10% of profits to the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to fund music education.
Is Keeping the Blues Alive Records a public or private company?
Keeping the Blues Alive Records is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Keeping the Blues Alive Records founded?
Keeping the Blues Alive Records was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Keeping the Blues Alive Records make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Album Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, streaming Revenue and charitable Mission.
Who are Keeping the Blues Alive Records's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ruf Records, Stony Plain Records, Mascot Label Group, VizzTone Records, Alligator Records, Nola Blue Records and Severn Records. Broad incumbents are Concord Music Group and BMG Rights Management. JSP Records is listed as a regional player.
Does Keeping the Blues Alive Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Keeping the Blues Alive Records.
What industry is Keeping the Blues Alive Records in?
Keeping the Blues Alive Records's product category is Independent Music Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIACAM, Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional). Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 3652.