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is it wrong to start your own label primarily to release your own trax?
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| richg101 |
this is something i have been querying in my head recently.
as some will know i have started a label known as 101 recordings that is approaching its first release.
it is focusing on mainly music i personally would buy if i heared it, and if i make a track i generally like it enough that i feel i would buy it on vinyl so would release tracks by myself..
now, my main reason is that none of the labels i want to be signed to are interested in my music. dj's play it out, labels say they like it:) but never suggest signing it. i belive in my music. it is no way in the same league as some music (production wise). but i feel it is good enough for release. and my ideas are original not standard (imo).
now dont get me wrong, i have a collaberation release coming on vinyl with a much greater producer than myself, but i feel some of my productions that have not aroused label interest should see a release. on my own label if needs be...
am i wrong in taking this approach? should i wait until i get more releases on external labels myself? or when looking at it on a broader scale, is there any point in waiting for this 'lucky break' in 'getting noticed'? if i am getting requests for my unreleased trax from dj's, then should i just say "why the f**k not have an official distribution for the small amount of customers who are willing to buy mine and others' music, maybe itll take off, but itll be fun either way"
lets hear your views guys cos im sure many more are in the same situation as me and are considering similar approaches.. |
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| Low Profile |
Well, if you think you can manage a recording label, then this is a great thing to do. Many high profile artist have their own labels, as well as many smaller ones which are tired of getting lousy deals or no deals at all with other labels.
If you plan on releasing digital versions of your material only, then running your own label in not so hard. It may get more complex if you're planning to release "hard" material (vinyl and CDs), since that'll require having vinyl cut (or having your own vinyl cutting facility) and mastering the material specifically for vinyl, and then distributing to dozens of retailers (and getting them to accept your product is a lot harder than setting up a record label account on beatport or audiojelly)
But best of luck with you label, however you do things :D |
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| richg101 |
thats the thing..
i would not release vinyl because the general sound would be less commercial. these days a track has to appeal to huge numbers to be warranted as a vinyl release, or money gets lost.
if i was sent a demo of a track that was really capable of earning big money then obviously it would be worth forking out and risking for a vinyl release.
if the label is run strictly a+r wise, while being on the fun side then i suppose it cant loose. |
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| dj_kane |
| its something im planning to do in the future as im a web designer so i no how to make the site and secure it etc. although i want to wait until i get a release before i do so, so that i can promote in the right way. |
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| staticblue |
The thing is, nowadays anybody can create his own label and pretend to be a music company, but precisely because anyone can do it, you will have a hard work to actually look serious and gain respect from DJ's, artists and of course the people who will buy the music. If you want that kind of respect, you're better off releasing some music on good labels first, get your name out there, and THEN creating a label and eventually releasing some of your tracks on it.
If your music is good enough and professionnal sounding, whatever style it is you should be able to find a label for it. And if you don't, you can still share it for free :) I don't see why people should be so desperate to get money from their music.
Before releasing your music on your own label, you want to be sure that people are actually ready to pay for it.
just my opinion :) |
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| jahnlay |
| Do it, there's no reason not to. I've been running mine since February and it's doing ok. |
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| dj_kane |
| quote: | Originally posted by jahnlay
Do it, there's no reason not to. I've been running mine since February and it's doing ok. |
whats your label? what artists you got signed to it? |
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| zodiac9 |
I think having your own label in order to release your own tracks, is a smart move. Tons of bands from all styles of music, rock, pop, metal, have been doing this for years. There's no reason why you can't still shop for a major label at the same time.
Only reason I got with a small Indie label, is that I have no clue how to manage a label. It sounds like a headache and a hassle anyway, specially for someone like me that knows nothing about business. I was fine with giving out tracks for free, problem is promoting them. I caused a small buzz with one of my tracks, and several online DJs played it. Besides that, it's hard to get a decent amount of people and DJs to check your tracks out. I end up getting burried on soundclicks under the huge volume of tracks there. I don't feel like spamming music forums and begging people to listen to my stuff. It's much easier to get a small label to promote your music and get it into the mainstream. So if you can cut out the middleman by having your own label, more power to you. |
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| >>FK |
| quote: | | Originally posted by staticblue I don't see why people should be so desperate to get money from their music. |
it doesnt necessarly have to mean that they want money out of it though, personally I would think that it would be a good way of promoting your tracks to DJs, doing so from a label could make the DJs more interested and make it easier to spread your tracks around the globe, just my personal thought :) |
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| richg101 |
| quote: | Originally posted by staticblue
The thing is, nowadays anybody can create his own label and pretend to be a music company, but precisely because anyone can do it, you will have a hard work to actually look serious and gain respect from DJ's, artists and of course the people who will buy the music. If you want that kind of respect, you're better off releasing some music on good labels first, get your name out there, and THEN creating a label and eventually releasing some of your tracks on it.
If your music is good enough and professionnal sounding, whatever style it is you should be able to find a label for it. And if you don't, you can still share it for free :) I don't see why people should be so desperate to get money from their music.
Before releasing your music on your own label, you want to be sure that people are actually ready to pay for it.
just my opinion :) |
i fully understand what you mean.
however, its not a want for money from mine and others' music, i know starting a label is a business route ultimately to make money, but i kind of look at it as a way to see real apprieciation of my work. i love seeing loads of people downloading 320 k feebies when i post them but i much rather be seeing people who like it enough to be speanding their hard earned cash on it. even if it means we only see 25 sales or so... |
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| pixxxan |
i think that making ur own label is a good thing. but before doing that i think that you as an artist must have a professional level in ur music and proper mastering. i think its better that u have some tracks released on another label before starting ur own, so it adds more objetivity to the whole idea. maybe if u have sent tracks to labels and been rejected, has been for some reason. maybe ur tracks are not ready yet in terms of production and quality. i dont want to rain on your parade, but there are many labels (really good ones), who are strugling really hard just to stay alive, cause of mp3, few people buy music nowadays. creating a label is a very good thing to do for the trance community, so it must go beyond the idea of being able to release ur own tracks, but to put toguether a whole concept, maybe in a particular music style u like to promote, get toguether with other artists who share ur vision. u must decide wether ur gonna be a "real" label with cd distribution ( i dont think u wanna get into vynil) or start as a web based label. but remember there are thousand other people who just have the same idea, try to offer something original, fresh and professional in al aspects (web design,music,etc... well i wish u all the luck in the world man.
bye |
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| staticblue |
| quote: | Originally posted by >>FK
it doesnt necessarly have to mean that they want money out of it though, personally I would think that it would be a good way of promoting your tracks to DJs, doing so from a label could make the DJs more interested and make it easier to spread your tracks around the globe, just my personal thought :) |
Send a good track to a DJ and he will play it if he likes it enough, he won't care if it's unsigned or if it's being released on "The new leet digital records label" :p |
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