TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- Bad Label Management?
Pages (4): [1] 2 3 4 »

Bad Label Management?

Hey guys,
I'm a regular poster on the forum but I don't really want my name on this one. Looking for some serious advice though.

I submitted a demo to a pretty legit label by a top 100 DJ and got the bite to sign it. Provided a second track for a B side, signed the contract and waited.

Waited a few weeks and got a reply back saying they wanted a Remastered version of track 1, but with the bass beefed up just a bit.

So that made me realize i had to do my own mastering, so i went ahead, got that taken care of and sent it back out.

The next email i got is what blows my mind and im not sure what to do.

"At _insert time here_ you need to add a new lead"

I've talked to a couple guys in the industry and they have told me that this is poor label management, and that i should basically tell the label that I have already signed the contract, and that the track is good as it is.

I truly don't want to change the track at all, ive club tested it multiple times and it's gotten great reactions. Also ive gotten great feedback from other guys in the industry and other labels.

So, the question is...what should i do? Do i say..."No" and risk losing the release...or do i bow down to what they want and write a new lead (over the one that already exists) and make the track over cluttered.

If it wasn't a decent label i probably wouldn't care and id just scrap the release...but being a first release, i had no clue i would have so many problems.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

if this help to you i have been where you are and my answer was "NO" they asked me for more compression on the kick. Ok i did, found it appropiate.

They asked me to delete a melody from the track O.o i answered no.

More labels were interested on that track so, if you think the track is really worthy pass and look for another label if they don't release it.

say no. what label?

Thanks for the quick responses guys. Yeah after sitting down and trying to work something out with the lead i just cant bare to add something ontop of it.


Sorry, i don't wanna say what label, or name anybody.

All i can say is that, it's a sub label of one of the bigger labels, run by a DJMag top 100 DJ.

Which...theres TONS of those...lol so i think im safe saying that.

I agree with the responses so far, tell them bollocks and go elsewhere. The industry is in a state where labels are releasing huge numbers of tracks, if it was liked by an established label as you say I doubt you will have any trouble getting it signed elsewhere.
Try Fly at Bonzai, Stephen at Olympik (on these forums) and Amir at Proxoz. I can testify to the professionalism of all three.

Good luck

That's BS that they want you to change the musical structure of the track. Why the eF did they sign it to begin with??? I can understand if they told you the mastering needed some tweaking, but asking you to remove a lead and such, that's really pushing it.

quote:

Originally posted by Prototrance Try Fly at Bonzai Good luck

Agreed on Bonzai, they have treated me well. They leave me alone and seem to appreciate that I do my own unique thing. Yep, Fly is Da man!

There are plenty of lables out there. Don't waste your time on a fickle one.

You are doing a disservice to your fellow musicians by not telling them what label is being shitty, why should you try to protect the name of a label that doesn't know how to be a proper label? They clearly don't have it on point, spreading their name and your story will force them to either be proper, or close down. Artists control the labels, not the other way around. It sounds cheesy, but by hiding their identity, you are letting them win.

quote:

Originally posted by cronodevir You are doing a disservice to your fellow musicians by not telling them what label is being shitty, why should you try to protect the name of a label that doesn't know how to be a proper label? They clearly don't have it on point, spreading their name and your story will force them to either be proper, or close down. Artists control the labels, not the other way around. It sounds cheesy, but by hiding their identity, you are letting them win.

There's a first time for everything and I STRONGLY agree with Cron here. You're only hurting us by not telling us who it is. If you really want to keep from posting it please PM me; I'm really trying to get a grip on who to work with and who not so info like this is very important to be shared throughout the community. I hope you understand the relevance to other musicians. I'll keep it to myself I just feel we need to all stay away from labels like this.

if you are Pm'ing ppl can you pm me i would like to know for my own good about this label please.

Just to play devil's advocate for a second...

Have you considered that there may be some merit to what they are asking you to do?

I mean, I realize that it is easy to become attached to your tracks, but is it possible that you might try to step outside yourself for a moment and listen as objectively as possible to see if maybe what they are suggesting might make the track better?

I don't dismiss what others have said here, and it is certainly believable that the label is being a bit unreasonable asking for these changes.

That being said, I am often in this situation with my studio partner. I'll get a track almost all written before he gets a chance to hear it, and there are times where he'll listen to the finished product and want to make a ton of changes to a basically finished track. Frequently these changes are pretty major and will require me to essentially tear the track apart. While it can be a little bit hard on the ego at times for me, it usually results in a better track overall simply because I have a second pair of hears and a second perspective.

Again, the label may be being totally unreasonable here, and without hearing the track I would be unable to make such a determination. I'm just suggesting that sometimes a second pair of ears can make you see and hear things that you may not have otherwise considered and look at things from a different perspective. It can be a good thing to take a second look at your music with those suggestions in mind to see if they do indeed have merit.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric J Just to play devil's advocate for a second... Have you considered that there may be some merit to what they are asking you to do? I mean, I realize that it is easy to become attached to your tracks, but is it possible that you might try to step outside yourself for a moment and listen as objectively as possible to see if maybe what they are suggesting might make the track better? I don't dismiss what others have said here, and it is certainly believable that the label is being a bit unreasonable asking for these changes. That being said, I am often in this situation with my studio partner. I'll get a track almost all written before he gets a chance to hear it, and there are times where he'll listen to the finished product and want to make a ton of changes to a basically finished track. Frequently these changes are pretty major and will require me to essentially tear the track apart. While it can be a little bit hard on the ego at times for me, it usually results in a better track overall simply because I have a second pair of hears and a second perspective. Again, the label may be being totally unreasonable here, and without hearing the track I would be unable to make such a determination. I'm just suggesting that sometimes a second pair of ears can make you see and hear things that you may not have otherwise considered and look at things from a different perspective. It can be a good thing to take a second look at your music with those suggestions in mind to see if they do indeed have merit.

This +1

Even though the OP did say the track was club tested.


Personally, I've seen too many of these questions here and labels getting all flirty in both here in the Music Producer's Promotions Forum that I think it would be wise to have a general label issues thread.

Relating to the OP's reluctance to do a spill-all on his label - while it's not cool that we don't know who it is, it might be that the label's in the right on this. Without enough information, there's no way to really make any conclusive decision. If there's not enough information for us to make a decision, here, the addition of the label's name isn't going to add anything substantive to the discussion.

I wish there was a place, like RipOffReport.com, dedicated to music producer concerns with their label. It seems like it's really easy, in this market, to get taken advantage of. I know it's a pipe dream, especially considering all the legal shit, like Non-Disclosure Agreements, and other shit like that, but it also seems like labels who were operating on the up-and-up wouldn't be put off by such a thing.

Here is what they have in my city...

http://memphis.bbb.org/

Better Business Bureau

If your business does something questionable, you get investigated, and if it is true, you get added to a list of bad businesses, and they warn everyone in the city to avoid you. I love it.

A friend of mine, and pretty big international DJ, was telling me the other day that he had done some remixes for a big label and they told him to change some of the lead. I think he was asked to changed a certain chord or chord progression, which at the time he thought was odd (they told him exactly what change to make). He made the changes, and commented "well, they were right.....it sounds better!".

Now this was a remix so I guess the label may have more of a right to ask for such changes but the point is they may have had a good reason for asking for this. Maybe in their mind they are trying to "help" you make better music? Maybe the Top 100 DJ heard it and said "this is a great track but the lead just isn't working" so they've asked you to change it hoping you come up with a even better one? Maybe this is their way of "working" with their artists?

I'm just saying maybe....

Wow, this thread really is getting some attn...haha

Anyways...

Why don't i tell anyone who the label is?

Like i said, i dont like naming names, or getting into drama. I dont want my name being out there as the guy who labeled them a bad label, or their attn turned to this thread, of which, they could probably easily figure out who i am just by what i have posted. Simple.

I dont need to screw over the release if its still possible.


Are they right in their ideas about changing the track?

In my opinion...No.

The second track (the b side) they said needed to add more elements to it as well...but i totally agree with them on that, and have made the changes. They were right with that comment.


The track that they want me to change...already has a lot going on at that point on the track. They want me to add another lead...ontop of main lead that i already have for it. Combine that with all the pads, vocal chops, loops, blah blah u name it...and its a cluttered mess. Plain and simple.

Everyone who has heard the track thus far has said "no way...it would sound cluttered there, and i dont know what they are thinking"

After taking a long time looking into it...and trying to maybe work something out, i cant justify it.

I'm gonna send them the updated version of the B side...but tell them my reasons for not changing the main track, and hope for the best.

Honestly one of the biggest complaints i have about this...is they said "Re-master and change this" so i did.

Now to me master means "final product". So asking to add more elements after i have mastered really makes me mad and confused.

Hope this clears some things up.

Sonic_c is this you?

Robby??

Brad?
lol

i bet its ministry of sound. screw em lol.

dude if you like the release, and this 'big' label obviously does, it must be a good track. there are a million labels, of all different sizes out there, tell them no, and if they scrap the release look for another label.

there are heaps of good and bad, big and small ones these days, it's crucial to keep your own integrity (for yourself), and to follow your own musical direction, everyone will be happier in the end, including whatever label you end up with...

start your own label. triple the income (pr sold track though lol).

you should make music in your heart, and find a label that fits it; its most important.

would be interested in which label this is as im planning on sending a few demos out soon. pm me if you don't want to reveal them.

quote:

Originally posted by 19503 start your own label. triple the income (pr sold track though lol).

would be cool to know what do you need to set up a label...

For some reason i think this label is AVA , have that intuition. Could you deny that? I have 2 unsigned tracks that need mastering and after that will be sending promos, this is in my list of labels.

It's not AVA. Ill tell you that much.

Ive sent a fixed version of the B side but i wont budge on the main track. Lets hope for the best, if not, ill pitch it to more labels.

I want to start my own label, but, i want to do it right. Which takes a bit of cash and time. I'm thinking i might plan doing something like that for next year.

Ok, thank you. I'm curious still with the label but won't bother you with questions. If someone has real knowledge of how to set up a label that knowledge would be really appreciated, not only by me i guess.

I think you need some cash to face the possible loss and to pay the artists so it's actually out of my possibilities, but it's one of my dreams indeed.

quote:

Originally posted by Rodri Santos would be cool to know what do you need to set up a label...

couple of tracks and a website. and a deal with beatport, audiojelly or any other of those or more. if u plan to release only your own music its no trouble at all really, and its really satisfying too. signing other artists etc is probably alot more work though, but i dont see the point in doing that. focus on yourself, be a one man army

Yeah, sorry to all about not giving up the label or what not, it's not about protecting the label for me, it's about protecting myself.

However, i do promise that if the deal doesnt go through in the end...within 2 weeks ill come back and reply with the label. I just dont want to screw it over right now until i see where this goes.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.