The inspiration behind BETA Records developed from a passion for music and a genuine belief that music really does matter. It is that very idealism that has been the driving force behind BETA from its inception and that continues to guide the company now and into the future.
BETA Records was founded by Chris Honetschlaeger and Georg van Handel. In the beginning, BETA Records co-founder and music enthusiast Chris Honetschlaeger - a savvy entrepreneur with an impressive track record of lucrative business deals to his credit - became disenchanted with the business world of three-piece suits and corporate mentality.
He soon teamed up with co-founder Georg van Handel, an accomplished contemporary film composer, music producer and descendent of a long and distinguished musical heritage that includes the famous 18th-Century baroque composer Georg Friedrich Handel. Having personal experience as a struggling musician, van Handel was well aware of the many hurdles that aspiring musicians must overcome in order to make a living with their talent.
Georg van Handel, CEO
With the music industry becoming increasingly consolidated to a few mega-conglomerates where the bottom line of pleasing company shareholders with increased quarterly earnings is sometimes more important than any commitment to supporting and exposing original music talent, Honetschlaeger and van Handel were inspired to strike out on their own and start a record label.
From the outset, the vision of BETA Records has been unique: To actively seek out undiscovered talent and give them exposure and opportunities that they may never have otherwise.
Rather than relying on artists to solicit their music to the label, BETA literally hits the streets in the BETA Bus - a mobile recording facility that can record anywhere - in a grassroots campaign to search for talent in communities throughout the United States.
In addition, the BETA Records website serves as a musical breeding ground and a valuable promotional tool where both musicians and music enthusiasts can discover new artists, network with other artists, and promote themselves, their music and their talents.
The idealism and passion for music that gave the BETA Records co-founders their musical mission extends to the many professionals that have since become a part of the BETA Team. The people that contribute to the BETA experience all bring a variety of skills and talents to the company, but they all come from a musical background and they all share the same passion and commitment to music. For them, being a part of the BETA Team is a labor of love, an opportunity to come together to do something good for music and for those who create it.
That's essentially what distinguishes BETA Records from any other music company: It's a company for musicians by musicians, a place where it's the music that matters.
