Why Not Start Your own record company?

[JaQsonA1]

I was thinking we go through all of this work to be recognize by AR people at large labels. But would any of you consider starting your own label? I know that it takes money, dedication, time and most of all marketing but is that not what is being done right now trying to get noticed by people? I m just wondering how many people have thought about this and those that have thought about it and opted against it why?

After reading this thread the this thought came to my mind:
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=128245

 

[randyfromde]

Doesn't it depend on what your focus is? If you want to be a businessman, then be a businessman. If you want to be a musician, be a musician. If you want to be a recording engineer, then be a recording engineer.

Time spent doing one is time not spent perfecting the other.

I would like to own a record company, but my strong points are business, music, recording (in that order). So for me, it would make sense to take care of the business aspect, but it would have to be for another artist. Knowing the other two helps understand what goes on in the process, but I'd never think that I could do them all and be successful.

 

[lykwydchykyn]

A lot of people have opted to start their own labels. But I would put to you, what is the use of starting your own label? What does it really get you apart from some small amount of pretended legitimacy? You still don't have (among other things):

1. conventional distribution
2. What it takes to get radio airplay
3. Established and proven marketing
4. Connections to television, the press, etc.
5. Capital to invest in your career

I'm not saying people shouldn't try to start indie labels, but simply "starting a label" means little or nothing. You're still lacking all the services a label provides, and you're going to have to spend your time trying to get these things on your own.

 

[JaQsonA1]

Thats cool and understandable but what does shopping for labels that will just throw your stuff in the trash get you?

also as far as the education side of it and having to manage and all that stuff, partnering with someone that has strengths where you are weak will that not help you there?

I m not saying either way I m just wondering and trying to see how other people are thinking.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

The cream always rises. If you're good, you'll get there.

 

[lanterns]

I don't

I was thinking we go through all of this work to be recognize by AR people at large labels. But would any of you consider starting your own label? I know that it takes money, dedication, time and most of all marketing but is that not what is being done right now trying to get noticed by people? I m just wondering how many people have thought about this and those that have thought about it and opted against it why?

After reading this thread the this thought came to my mind:
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=128245

speak for yourself. I, for one, have no desire to be recognized by the self serving little bastards. have you seen what's being released by "large labels" these days? hmmm. sorry if you're into that stuff, but it's shite! My "job" as an artist is to create music that is reflective of what I experience in life that other people can relate to. The more people relate to it, the better. Now, I wish I could just get them to listen to it.

 

[ragata]

I suppose it all depends on what you want to achive. Your name on posters all over the country, airplay, mediabuzz - forget it
I have put out a 10" vinyl with on own label, and am about to release an MCD by a talanted local act me and my peers want to support. However, all this has simply meant increased credability for the bands in question, and reviews, quite a few gigs, a bit of attention in the particular scene and a WHOLE lot of hard work and curses.
I can honestly say that it's fun to do it all by yourself, but by now I sure do know that I am a musician first and a "businessman"... we'll I'm not. I'm a guy putting out records, really. What I was trying to communicate was that it's a lot of work for little, depending on your goal. But it sure is great to hold that record in your hand once it's finished
I'm a bit sleepy, so please excuse me if I'm being a bit unclear here...

 

[JaQsonA1]

speak for yourself. I, for one, have no desire to be recognized by the self serving little bastards. have you seen what's being released by "large labels" these days? hmmm. sorry if you're into that stuff, but it's shite! My "job" as an artist is to create music that is reflective of what I experience in life that other people can relate to. The more people relate to it, the better. Now, I wish I could just get them to listen to it.

ok lanterns first of all i wasnt speaking for anyone, i was asking a question. and secondly you are saying you want people to hear your music but you refuse to market it because you "have no desire to be recognized by the self serving little bastards". i ve seen/ heard whats being released now a days and read the thread here about the music industry and posted this thread because i want to know "what everyone else thinking" nothing more nothing less not trying to persuade anyone in anyway. man just read the post for what it is and take a chill pill. so how can they ever relate to your music as an "artist" if you have NO POSSIBLE way to get it out. hence the reason you will never get them to listen to it!

 

[lanterns]

"we go through all of this work to be recognize by AR people at large labels"

the self serving bastards are anyone in the "music business". isn't that term a little obvious and archaic nowadays? anyone in the business of music is not who I want to be working with.

by getting people to listen to it, i meant by not going the conventional route of trying to sell out. that's the challenge of true independent music.

 

[jonhall5446]

I work at a personals service. My job is to approve the singles ads. Almost everyday I hear some jackass who goes babbling on about their record label and how they own a record company, please. It seems that a lot of folks have the "ability" to start their own record label, especially Nashvillians. If you have a computer with some crappy loop software then you can start a record label. Makes me sick

oh by the way, I own a record company, shoyourbutt records, and we are comin out with our fall release. We just landed a deal with soundcheck.com and our song is #50 on the rap chart, cue the crappy midi music... brother please

I say start a record label if you really can make it worth a damn.

 

[JaQsonA1]

congrats Jon i agree with you that if you can make it worth while then do it. the race is not given to the swift nor to the stong but to he that endureth and if you can endure the rejection of the "self serving bastards", then go for it. you are one of many success stories that remain to be told. keep rocking!

 

[Thorguitarist]

I was thinking of starting my own kinda recording studio...Sorry If I'm off topic. I'm 16 and me and the bassist have a "mini-studio" which produces quality music for our age, most bands want to record but have no money in my area..so right now i have a free service and have recorded a song for a band down the street. I know this isn't major record label, but i figured i charge $25 to use my studio for the album of the band. Go from there?

 

[lykwydchykyn]

What I'm saying is, why bother "starting a label"? If you have a CD to sell, sell it. Put it on CDbaby, get it in some local shops, play some shows, put up some flyers, etc. People talk about "starting a label" like it magically does something for you. I suppose if it gives you an extra air of legitimacy to get your product on a few more shelves, go for it. But it's not going to get you what getting signed to a decent label does.

I'm all about DIY, that's why I hang out here. But I don't see what starting a label gets you. If you have stuff to sell, just sell it.

 

[ProducerBigC]

I've done the label thing on and off over the years and it's to time comsuming considering the fact that it took me away from producing and dj'ing. I now realize that I'm NOT a business person, I'm a CREATIVE person. I've got 3 full length hip hop releases to my company's credit and NOTHING to show for it. I don't even hear from the artist from theses projects that often anymore.

For a lot of us dj/ producers out here, we start these labels for exposure for our own projects. At most times we have purchased equipment, so we just start recording and eventually you're going to have enough songs to make a album.

That's when the problem's (headaches) start.

 

[bigwillz24]

Maybe my ongoing experiences will clear up why some people should not start there own record company. I started YBM Entertainment a "indie" record label with a couple of friends. Basically we started the label out of frustration, sending demos to big labels only to never hear from any of them, not knowing anyone in the music business circle that actually had the clout to back up all the B.S that came out of there mouths like "Ya man you guys are awesome and with me we are gonna make some serious money or the I can make you guys famous crap. Besides that the paranoia that comes with getting screwed. I have heard songs on the radio here that i would swear that some other label had used the idea from a song on a demo I sent them and made money off of it. Ya I could probably fight it in court but when you don't have the money to back you for lawyers, proof of copyright, and all that other crap well... why try? Starting your own record label isn't that hard. All you really need to do is go down to the county clerks office pay 20 bux for a DBA and file for a Tax Number and bam! your a record label. But thats the easy part making money and establishing yourself as such is the hard part. I haven't made one red cent since i went to the courthouse and "purchased" my business. Why? Because now I have to wear a million something odd hats. I have to be the C.E.O, the producer, the songwriter, the promoter, the publisher,the manager, the musician, the rapper, the singer, web site moderator, well you get the picture. I also have to do all this a a very limited budget usually it what i have left after paying bills in my apartment and taking care of my wife & son. Although fun the project consumes all of my spare time. I go to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week sleep maybe 4 then get up and put up with no name rappers who can't seem to stay out of jail long enough to ever finish anything there recording. After that i sit down and attempt to mix and master stuff that took entirely too long to finish, then try to come up with a new track for that other guy and do all this while my son begs for me to play him and his Legos and the wife wants her QT as well. Im currently working on finishing a full length album for one of the artists i work with he seems to be the only one with the same ideas and the determination that i have and realize that its all hard work. We have 9 songs recorded and we are shooting for 7 more. I would like to focus more on the production but i've already commited to so many other tasks and with no money to hire help well it's usually all up to me. Starting your own label isn't a bad idea to me though, I love music and I was raised to believe that anything that you didn't have to work hard to get isn't worth having. So if you feel that you could run a label by all means start one if not, find one that supports your music. Hell i'd sign you but I have enough problems as it is.

 

[JaQsonA1]

Maybe my ongoing experiences will clear up why some people should not start there own record company. I started YBM Entertainment a "indie" record label with a couple of friends. Basically we started the label out of frustration, sending demos to big labels only to never hear from any of them, not knowing anyone in the music business circle that actually had the clout to back up all the B.S that came out of there mouths like "Ya man you guys are awesome and with me we are gonna make some serious money or the I can make you guys famous crap. Besides that the paranoia that comes with getting screwed. I have heard songs on the radio here that i would swear that some other label had used the idea from a song on a demo I sent them and made money off of it.

Thats a huge deal to me people taking a demo that I sent them and making money off of it. That is a big risk when sending out your music. One of my friends told me that he knows this guy who has had plenty of songs stolen from him by "big" name artist but he didnt fight it because for one he didnt have the money too. Whatever you do its gonna be work point blank period. I think that you have to be confident enough in yourself to be able to make it work. There are just as many success stories as their are horror stories about starting your own business be it music or anything else. But I agree not everyone should try it!

 

[ryanlikestorock]

I ran a small record label up here in Canada for a couple years. I started it to help some friends out and to start a "real business", or so I thought. After a couple years of spending a bunch of money and fighting with my friends about who owes what to who, I shut it down to focus on the studio end of things.

When offering advice to anyone thinking of starting up a label, I pass on the words that a distributor told me when I asked him to help me out. He said: "Work with bands who don't need you, but bands who know you're good and want you to be on their team".

Additionally, I make the suggestion of only working with bands who knock your socks off. There are way way too many "okay" bands out there. Wait it out and find one that kills you.

 

[gullyjewelz]

I started an indie label a few years ago. Thinking this would be "IT". I was green though. It was not until AFTER I started the label when I realized I did not have an indie label. I had a home recording studio. lol I released one project and recieved such hell fire criticism that I nearly stuck my head in the sand.

I took a step back and realized though, even the most bitter of criticisms that came my way came with offers to assist. I ended up meeting 5 different producers who threw beats my way. They all said, my cd was wack -- but b/c of production -- not song-content/lyrical-content.

The moral ? Do whatever you can to put yourself in the stream of things. There will be good, bad, and ugly. Take it all in, and make those proverbial lemons into lemonade--and add some VODKA to it before you start sippin on it.

I have upgraded that studio now to where I really have a DECENT little home recording studio. I am still learning how to mix, master, etc. I even plan to hire some outside help, to turn my home rec. studio into a FLEDGLING indie company. (I would rather avoid the term "label" because to me a label infers that you have more than one artist).

 

[gullyjewelz]

and another thing!!!!

Small Businesses are considered the back bone of the US economy. Whether that is tru and valid is debatable. Anytime you have an opportunity to open a business, something good CAN definitely come out of it. (Obviously, the opposite is true as well).

Starting an independent label is = opening your own business. That is, with any business you must be able to put the right people in the right places, in order to operate economically. The more economical a business is, the more chance there is to turn a profit.

All in all, starting an indie label all comes down to motivation. You do not have to become a mega-millionaire to consider your self 1) successful, or even 2) an official label. As long as the company you start satisfies the goals youset forth, then you are not only starting a label, but you are successful.

It is possible to earn a decent living off of one's music, without becoming the next Jay-Z type 50Cent superstar.

 

[juststackit]

ah where to start...
A friend of mine who recorded his own jazz album said he had trouble getting it reviewed by magazines without a label's name on it, no matter which name it was. SO putting your own company name is good for legitimacy.
Also take in consideration that small indie labels can make money off of selling thousands of albums- big companies on the other hand need to sell hundreds of thousands to see any money.
Just because you sign doesn't mean you sell out. You need to negotiate to have complete creative control (hard) or else walk away (also hard) from the deal.
To me the best thing about a big company is their ability to distribute and promote your work. The trouble is that even if you have a deal, the company might not promote you as hard as they could (happens alot!). Thats why people leave usually.
When I get to the point of releasing my album, I will probably just look for a distribution deal, where they help get your record into stores for a piece of the pie. That way they won't have creative control, etc.
If you want to make money as a label, the easiest way is to get bought out by a bigger fish. If you want to start a label just to get your album in the right hands, you might be better off hiring someone to pitch it, like a lawyer or a manager. Big companies get about 400 demos a week. You need someone with connections to pitch your stuff! If you want to start a label to record other bands then you need to decide if you are a studio or a label. What would you be able to offer other artists? I don't know about you, but I want whats good for me, and I just don't have enough energy to see other bands through a process that I sturggle with on my own stuff! All in all, your own small label along with a good team of professionals (lawyer, manager, groupies) and a distribution deal seems like the road to success (one of the roads anyway).
It seems like your own publishing company would be good for yourself, but this is where I know the least! Anyone know something about self publishing and tracking?