Dec. 3 – Twelve-platinum albums, four gold records and two silver ones in Italy and in Europe, numerous hits and a stable presence in the official sales charts around the world: these are Planet Records’ winning numbers. The Italian label is one of three strongest music labels in the field of tropical music in the United States and the number one worldwide. Created in 1998 by producer Roberto Ferrante, in just a few years it has become a reference point among Italian and European independent labels – reaching one million views on YouTube. “Our success – says Ferrante – is the result of the extensive experience gained over the years as an independent label. The recent record crisis forced us to make a choice: aim for greater expansion or opt for a downsizing. I chose to deal with the crisis by buckling down and leveraging our previous successes to enter the American market, precisely because of my passion for Latin music, without losing sight of the broader objectives.” Since 2004, Planet Records is also active in the paper publishing industry, with the bimonthly magazine “Latino!”, which relies on a group label and international locations and operators in Miami, New York, Naples, Milan, Paris, The Havana and Santo Domingo. “Basically – commented Ferrante – we can distinguish two different types of market: the American and South American one is different from the European, and more generally international, one. While the European market Latin music is appreciated regardless of the artist’s background; in America, there are great cultural walls that are strongly linked to the individual communities who listen to such music, thus giving rise to a decidedly mother tongue market.” Turning to his personal life choices, Ferrante explained: “the career of an artistic and musical producer today allows young people to have a lot of space. It is essential, however, to rely on oneself, establishing a name within the indie community, rather than the larger labels: the former is a goal that is possible to reach thanks to the many available channels, above all the Internet. The secret is to hold on, to remain forward-looking, and be able to seize the moment and clearly identify new musical success.” (Paf)
