---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it all started, record companies…"
description: "\"When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahme..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_707380.jpg"
---

#  When it all started, record companies - and there were…

![“When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahmet Ertegun, who ran Atlantic Records, who were record collectors. They got in it because they loved music.” quote by David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_707380.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_707380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-crosby-8990_a-good-thing_when-it-all-started-record-companies-and_707380.jpg)

> “When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people who loved records, people like Ahmet Ertegun, who ran Atlantic Records, who were record collectors. They got in it because they loved music.”

[David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Early record companies were driven by passion for music, not profit, shaping a vibrant industry.

**In simple terms:** Passion fueled early music business.

Key Takeaway

Support music for love, not just profit.

Themes

music history industry passion

Mood

nostalgic reflective

Type

historical cultural

When to use this quote

- starting a label
- collecting vinyl
- curating playlists

Key Concepts

record collecting artist support independent labels

Questions to Reflect On

- How can passion be re‑introduced today?
- What role do collectors play now?

A Different Perspective

Modern industry often prioritizes profit over art.

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[Collectors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectors/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Record companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-companies/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/)

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