Music for a Cause

Music for a Cause is a United States record label established in 2003 and associated with Prime Ventures, Inc. Its operating locations have been described as Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, and Micanopy, Florida. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional music imprint, the label presents entertainment as a vehicle for philanthropy: it develops albums, compilations, and television programming in partnership with artists, distributors, major record companies, broadcasters, and nonprofit organizations, with the intention that a portion of proceeds or related promotional activity supports charitable causes. The label became particularly associated with patriotic and military-themed country music. Its Patriotic Country series assembled recordings by prominent country performers and was marketed as both entertainment and a public expression of support for United States service members and their families. The series comprised Patriotic Country, Patriotic Country 2, and Patriotic Country 3. According to the label's cited reference material, the series sold more than 400,000 copies in total, while the individual releases achieved notable Billboard positions. The first album reached number nine on the Top Country Albums chart, the second reached number six on the Top Compilation Albums chart, and the third reached number eight on that compilation chart. The catalog also received coverage from national news, music, and military-oriented media, and one release reached number one among CDs sold on Amazon.com. A related project, NOW That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection, connected Music for a Cause with the established NOW compilation franchise and major industry partners including Universal, Sony, and EMI. The album reached number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The label's military-focused philanthropic relationships included the USO, the Armed Services YMCA, Our Military Kids, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project. The Armed Services YMCA also incorporated copies of Patriotic Country into a Send a CD to a Soldier care-package initiative, linking the label's recorded output with direct morale support for deployed personnel. Music for a Cause also expanded beyond recorded music into television. It produced programming and prime-time specials for network and cable outlets including ABC, CMT, and GAC. America United: In Support of Our Troops was described as attracting more than four million viewers and featured a broad group of music and television personalities. The company also produced the Patriotic Country television program for GAC and a Billy Ray Cyrus special connected with the album I'm American. In 2011, Music for a Cause worked with Disney Records on Billy Ray Cyrus's I'm American, extending its model into an artist-led album project rather than a compilation series. Across its catalog and media work, the label has collaborated with artists from country, pop, and hip-hop, including Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Alabama, Hank Williams Jr., Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, LeAnn Rimes, John Mellencamp, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and others. Available reference material does not establish the label's present operating status, current leadership, or a current official website.

Music for a Cause was founded in 2003 as a record label subsidiary of Prime Ventures, Inc. Its stated concept was to apply the reach and commercial mechanisms of popular entertainment to charitable objectives. The label's model combined artist recordings, compilation albums, media partnerships, television production, and nonprofit relationships. This placed it within the broader social-enterprise movement, in which a commercial organization uses market activity and consumer participation to advance or finance social goals. The label's best-documented period centered on patriotic country music and support for United States military personnel. Its first major project was Patriotic Country, released in 2004. The album assembled patriotic and military-related country recordings by established performers and achieved a number nine position on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Music for a Cause followed it with Patriotic Country 2 in 2005 and Patriotic Country 3 in 2008. The second release reached number six on Billboard's Top Compilation Albums chart, while the third reached number eight. Reference material associated with the label states that the complete Patriotic Country series sold more than 400,000 copies. The series was promoted as more than a conventional compilation franchise. A portion of proceeds was directed to organizations supporting service members, military families, and veterans, including the USO, the Armed Services YMCA, and Our Military Kids. Other referenced beneficiaries include the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. The Armed Services YMCA also used copies of Patriotic Country in its Send a CD to a Soldier initiative, placing the recordings in care packages distributed to selected service members. This extended the project from fundraising and awareness into a tangible morale-support program. Music for a Cause broadened its industry reach through a collaboration connected with NOW That's What I Call Music!, a major compilation brand. NOW That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection was developed with participation from Universal, Sony, and EMI-related entities and reached number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart in 2010. The relationship demonstrated the label's strategy of using established distribution and compilation platforms to increase the audience for cause-related releases. The company also became involved in television production. It produced content and prime-time specials for ABC, CMT, and GAC. America United: In Support of Our Troops was described as receiving more than four million viewers and included performances and appearances by figures from music, comedy, television, and entertainment. The label additionally produced the Patriotic Country program for GAC. These productions gave the organization a way to communicate its military-support theme to audiences beyond album buyers. In 2011, Music for a Cause worked with Disney Records on Billy Ray Cyrus's I'm American. The release continued the patriotic and military-support orientation while shifting from a multi-artist compilation toward an album associated with a single established recording artist. A related Billy Ray Cyrus television special was also produced. The label's artist network included performers from several genres. The cited material names Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Alabama, Hank Williams Jr., Charlie Daniels Band, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, LeAnn Rimes, John Mellencamp, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Trace Adkins, and Lee Greenwood, among others. Partnerships or strategic relationships were also described with BMG, Sony BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal, Disney Records, and Razor & Tie. The available reference material does not identify a founder, named executive, current owner apart from the stated corporate parent, or current operating status. It also does not document later releases or a current official website. Consequently, the label's historical activities are better documented than its present-day operations.

• 2011

  I'm American is released with Disney Records

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  Music for a Cause collaborates with Disney Records on Billy Ray Cyrus's I'm American project.

• 2010

  NOW That's What I Call the USA is released

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  The label's patriotic country collection associated with the NOW brand reaches number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

• 2008

  Patriotic Country 3 is released

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  The third compilation reaches number eight on Billboard's Top Compilation Albums chart.

• 2005

  Patriotic Country 2 is released

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  The second compilation peaks at number six on Billboard's Top Compilation Albums chart.

• 2004

  Patriotic Country is released

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  The debut compilation reaches number nine on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and begins the label's documented military-support release program.

• 2003

  Music for a Cause is established

  [1]Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org

  The charity-oriented record label is founded and described as operating from Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, and Micanopy, Florida.

A social-enterprise record label combining commercial music distribution, celebrity participation, television exposure, and charitable fundraising, with a particular emphasis on military support and patriotic country music.

• Compilation album · 2004

  Patriotic Country

  The first album in Music for a Cause's patriotic country compilation series. It brought together recordings associated with support for United States troops and military families, reached number nine on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, and contributed proceeds to military-related charitable organizations.

• Compilation album · 2005

  Patriotic Country 2

  The second volume in the label's best-known series of patriotic country collections. It continued the multi-artist format and charitable orientation of the original release and peaked at number six on Billboard's Top Compilation Albums chart.

• Compilation album · 2008

  Patriotic Country 3

  The third Patriotic Country compilation extended Music for a Cause's military-focused catalog. It featured patriotic country material, continued the proceeds-based support model, and reached number eight on Billboard's Top Compilation Albums chart.

• Compilation album · 2010

  NOW That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection

  A patriotic country compilation developed through Music for a Cause's collaboration with the NOW compilation franchise and major industry partners. The release reached number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and supported the label's military-charity mission.

• Artist album · 2011

  I'm American

  A Billy Ray Cyrus album developed with Music for a Cause and Disney Records. The project continued the label's patriotic and service-member-support focus and was accompanied by related television programming.

• 2010NOW That's What I Call the USA charitable campaign

  United States

  Music for a Cause used the reach of the NOW compilation brand to distribute a patriotic country collection while supporting military-related nonprofit causes.

  Outcome. The album reached number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

  Source
• 2004Patriotic Country charitable release program

  United States

  Music for a Cause used a multi-artist country compilation to raise awareness and direct a portion of sales proceeds toward organizations serving troops and military families.

  Outcome. The series was reported to have sold more than 400,000 copies and generated multiple Billboard-charting releases.

  Source
• 2004Send a CD to a Soldier

  United States

  Patriotic Country CDs were included in Armed Services YMCA care packages and distributed to service members as morale and entertainment support.

  Outcome. The recordings became part of a broader care-package initiative for deployed personnel.

  Source
• America United: In Support of Our Troops

  United States

  A prime-time television special produced to combine musical performances and entertainment appearances with public support for United States troops.

  Outcome. The special was reported to have attracted more than four million viewers.

  Source

• 2011

  Expand into an artist-led Disney Records projectProduct launch

  Background

  After establishing a profile through multi-artist compilations, the label extended its cause-related model to a project associated with an individual established performer.

  Action taken

  Music for a Cause collaborated with Disney Records on Billy Ray Cyrus's I'm American and related television content.

  Aftermath

  The project broadened the label's catalog beyond the Patriotic Country compilation series.

  Source

• 2010

  Partner with the NOW compilation franchiseProduct launch

  Background

  The label sought broader distribution and visibility for its patriotic country and charitable programming.

  Action taken

  Music for a Cause worked with Universal, Sony, and EMI-related partners on NOW That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection.

  Aftermath

  The album reached number seven on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

  Source

• 2003

  Adopt a social-enterprise record-label modelStrategy

  Background

  Music for a Cause was formed around the idea that commercial music and entertainment could help advance charitable objectives.

  Action taken

  The label combined music releases, celebrity participation, distribution partnerships, television production, and nonprofit relationships.

  Aftermath

  The model produced a catalog centered on patriotic country music and military-support fundraising, although the available sources do not establish the label's later operating status.

  Source

1. 1Music for a Causeen.wikipedia.org