Why Not Start Your own record company?

[RousseauBABA]

well...i think first of all musicians should concentrate more on their music..rather than publishing it..

 

[juststackit]

yeah it be will great to die broke and without recognition! whether you publish yourself or someone else does it for you, publishing is how your songs generate money. Writing the hit is the easy part!

 

[heroics321]

well...i think first of all musicians should concentrate more on their music..rather than publishing it..

i don't think many people reallize how many influential, very successful labels are created by musicians. epitaph, fat wreck, dischord, and a-f just to name a few from the punk scene. that whole attitude is what has screwed over artists. it makes perfect sense... but the music distro in the hands of people who could care less about music, besides the money it brings in. its kind of hard to focus on your music when you are being pressured by a label to crank out some radio friendly tunes. sure there might be some acceptions, some good people high up in the industry. but they're kept pretty quiet.

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.

yep, because the first round of copies has to pay the artist's tab for recording fees and other expenses. where you have indie labels spending just enough to get the band heard, and there is a lot less to make up. most bands on indie labels pay for everything themselves, aside from recording and distribution/marketing. motels gass, food, its usually payed for by the merch a band sells.

 

[lykwydchykyn]

Why does this thread keep jumping to the top?

 

[pM of impk21.co]

I agree and disagree!

I say I have a label but do I, who the knows, do I? Maybe maybe not. I call it a label...Yes, some ppl throw out a cleaver gimic name with no meaning to it and say "thats our label". Dont know about some of you, but big labels wont do sh.t unless you have something going for you! Whether or not or are "original" or "copycat" artists, they wanna see something big out of you. So if Im getting money together, producing or having someone produce the album, Im promoting, Im taking it on tour, then what would I be? Obviously not a major label but...... LOL, you hear talented artists out there a lot more these days, making awsome music, not just mainstream, but really good music shopping it around desparatly hoping for a chance to get f...ed by some major label/major indie label (I guess not all labels are shady but...), while in the mean time he could have put forth a little more focus on the business once the creative process was completed and done it himself! Thanx to PC's everybody is an emcee, everyone is label, everyone is an artist, we all have to work 50xs harder now to get around the artist enthusiasts, just like going to a sports game, you may not be albe to distinguish fans from players, til you see who's on the court or in the playing field!

Advice givin to me, take it how you want it. If you are starting out unsigned and new, learn as much of the business as you can. Even if you dont want to do ur own label, you should know at least some of the basics of the music business. People will throw out deals that seem good, til you find out that your Sign on $ was a Loan, and all those recording sessions in the multi-million dollar studio come directly out of your Royalty earnings, it goes on. Not putting anyone down who is or wants to sign big, just know and learn what you are doing! Who knows, along the way you may figure out how you can do things ur self and be successful w/o having someone owning your masters!

 

[bishop55]

Indie Music and the "Industry"

Wow. When I joined the forum a year or so ago I imagined that I would "give back" the many benefits I receive from the users here who know about recording and computers et al with advice from my years of experience in the music business. So far, I have done very little "giving," but here I think I can weigh in.

I would encourage anyone who is thinking of making music to think about being in control of the many processes that this activity involves for as long as possible. To be honest, this is why I became intersted in recording to begin with.

Without being a dick, I will say that I have wasted my share of money on engineers and producers, booking agents, marketing "experts" and poorly advised record company advertising campaigns over the years. Some were good, even great, but when all was said and done, I have always had better results when I took the bull by the horns, did it myself for as long as possible and then let others come in to help at a strategic and well thought out point in the process. I realize many of the folks here are just trying to get a foot in the door. Well, I've got news for you, its not just ONE MAGIC DOOR.

The best route, I am convinced, is to put out your own stuff by whatever means are available to you. But be SMART about it. Start a label. Try to get distribution. If you have trouble talking to labels as an artist, try talking to them as a label owner that is intersted in helping him/herself out. DO SHOWS. Build a following. Play industry seminars like South by SouthWest or College Music Journal. There are often other, more regional seminars to play if you can't get into those.

Build a buzz but most of all don't be desperate. Don't act like you feel. People can smell failure and disappointment. Don't let them know that you are anything but ambitious and confident. If you can manage this without being an alienating prick, and if you have ANY juice whatsoever, you can at least get a fair shake.

my three and a half cents

michael

 

[glynb]

Why does this thread keep jumping to the top?

Because someone won't let it die. In fact at least two people won't let it die. And as long as someone posts something new here ti will jumpo right back to the tope of the list.

D'oh, I've just made sure it gets back to the top too!

 

[ndycus1]

Your poll asked, "would you do it if you had the resources ." That would mean that time, money, and everything else that went into it would not be a problem. But I also think that it would be extremely difficult to start a successful label. I don't think that there are enough people out there that are willing to buy cd's that aren't coming from major labels. These days, the majors are having hard enough times selling their music. If you decide to do it, then good luck. It just seems to me like promoting bands without the help of the large mediums would be a very hard thing to do. But that's just what I think.

 

[garf]

think again

In october of 2004 Wired magazine they had an interesting article called The Long Tail . The premise is that the future of enertainment is in the millions of niche markets. For example, 57% of total sales occur in items that you cannot get anywhere but online. This where the title the long tail comes in, because you have 39,000 songs that you can get at your local Walmart & best buy, and another 160,000 songs that are only available online.

The music industry is focused on the area they can offer the greatest service, i.e. getting a group into the retail stores. For the groups that hold that type of attention, this is a great deal, but for the vast majority its next to impossible becuase to get shelve space you have to bump someone else.

When I think of the music that I am working on I have no illusions that it will be occupying some prime shelve space in Walmart. Heres where you have to rethink: what is success? If I am selling a few CD's everyday off a website this is success in my opinion. So the label aspect of this is rather besides the point other than giving it a name.

It also gives me a high probability of success in setting realistic goals. If you are looking to sell millions, then doing it on your own is not going to work. But if you are dealing with a niche market there is no point in thinking that any of the big labels are going to be 'stampeding to your door'. And therefore there is no reason not to do it on your own. IMHO

 

[digit]

Running your own label is a lot of work. I was really suprised by how much time it takes away from making music. When you think of all the steps necessary from manufacturing to distribution to advertising etc... you end up spending all your time just running the business.
Like this week, I've spent the last 10 days just doing paperwork and looking at contracts. It gets really frustrating when you've got songs waiting to be mixed and you can't get to them.

 

[Shack]

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.

Damn it man. You are me! Except I got 2 more kids than you. Running a label is hard work. I'd say the hardest part is radio airplay, plus there is so much stuff out there, it's unbelievable and a lot of them are good too.

 

[Commander]

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.

That's kind of where the "self serving little bastards" come into it don't you think?

 

[Ptownkid]

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.

Amen lanterns, amen

 

[AvoidTheClap]

i did.
www.avoidtheclap.com

 

[Khompewtur]

I did too.


Did I mention I'm less than 50 posts from 1k status?

 

[true-eurt]

JUST THOUGHT I'd be the one to keep movement of this thread going...must be pretty powerful subject to go on this long...of course , anyone with such a
perfervid personality to attract so much interest in the first place on an age-old subject should do well for himself..do you think not?.......mmm....hey
forget the Record Label.....I want this guy to represent me and my music!!!!
Can you imagine what it would be if we could actually hear him speak....!!!
And that is exactly what it takes in this business to make it ...and to keep it.
GUTS(lots of them)...Perserverance...Confidence in yourself when no one else has...And the willingness to do something ...JUST BECAUSE THEY SAID YOU COULDN'T..OR SHOULDN'T.....HOPE YOU GO FOR IT ...AND MAKE IT..AND KEEP IT.....REMEMBER OL 'TRUE -EURT' IF YA DO......Perks never hurt anybody....lol

 

[Sanjanjoseph]

if you can make it work while balencing the music and recording then your amazing. it seems to me like you would quickly loose sight in the other aspects that are the reasons why you made your own label in the first place.
i play guitar, i have a mic and some other recording equiptment, but i couldnt handle making a fine tuned cd, atleast not for now, let alone publicity. but some people are alot more ready for that job...and it must be a sinch gettin sighned when its your own company .

 

[homeboyz]

Well

I released my first cd on "MY" own record label, not a lot of sales, but it takes a hell of a lot of time and energy from you and family alike.
about to release the 2nd one and I'm not stopping until something happens here...............Make or Break

 

[bigwillz24]

Been a while since I've seen this thread

Guess I'll update a little.

That CD I was working on is pretty much finished (actually it is finished but I keep going back and finding shit wrong with it)

My wife and I had another baby boy.

I quit smoking.

I also enrolled in school for Audio Engineering more preparation so whenever I meet opportunity I'll be ready.

I'm still having problems with my web host and it looks like there not going to be resolved so I'll be looking for another one soon.

I'm looking for a person who knows and wants to promote a CD cause I just don't have the time or energy to do it myself.

Other than that everything is peachy

I'll update more if you guys want but somehow I don't think most of you guys would want me to unless it's something significant.

 

[glynb]

Your URL doesn't work,

http://www.ybm-music.com/

at least not at the moment 9:33 (European time) 04 April.