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Olympik Records would love to hear from you (pg. 6)
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| Stephen Wiley |
Well, it's me and two other owners. In the end, we decided that we wanted to be Beatport exclusive. There are many reasons, I'll list them.
The most obvious is their 2.49 a track, and even though we don't plan to profit a dime off this, we're going to need money in our account to pay advances for bigger artists.
File Sharing: Tracks that are distributed to multiple distributors increase the rate at which your track will be leaked. I actually had to point out last year where dancerecords.com released a Perfecto package two days early, thus distribution has been stopped with them.
Check out the top 100. From a % standpoint, I'd say your chances of getting into the top 100 is at least 2x when being BP exclusive, and while money isn't a big deal, serving my artists the best I can is and I believe Beatport Exclusive will help that.
| quote: | Originally posted by G-Con
Just wondering, why is it you wish to be Beatport exclusive?
Distributing through Beatport is certainly essential as they account for something like 80% of the market (last I heard). But why would you wish to be exclusively beatport rather than use as many distributors as possible? |
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| Stephen Wiley |
Distribution begins in 2 weeks! For a list of distributors already secured please check out our web page @ www.olympikrecords.com under the releases section.
For more information visit the ol' MySpace. As always, I'm all ears for some demos. Perhaps some of you holding back will send me your treasures now :thepirate |
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| Stephen Wiley |
First release is Tuesday, the 28th !
Mad Eye - Sorrow
Original / Underwater / Mango pres. Shoreliners
More on our release schedule can be seen on our MySpace.
I again encourage anyone here to put your name in the hat and not to wait around until the label is extremely booked up. Right now we're full till the first week of June and it's only going to get longer. Get your demos in guys! Send the links over to [email protected]
Olympik Records MySpace (for more info) |
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| Kismet7 |
| Just curious, do pay your artist's any advance? Or give them money so they can improve their recordings? |
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| Stephen Wiley |
| That's not something I feel comfortable talking about on a public message board. Every artist, and every contract, is different. The goal of the label is the break even after artist payment & our 50% donation to charities. It is tough to be giving out a lot of money in todays one click away piracy society. |
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| Kismet7 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stephen Wiley
That's not something I feel comfortable talking about on a public message board. Every artist, and every contract, is different. The goal of the label is the break even after artist payment & our 50% donation to charities. It is tough to be giving out a lot of money in todays one click away piracy society. |
So as a label owner, your goal is to break even? As an artist i'm not sure if i'm happy to hear that. If you are going to run a label, shouldn't you be thinking about your ability to remain a label, not to mention a growing label, and to accomplish that, you need a strong business plan, ways to be profitable and financially responsible?
I mean the artists you sign, if they are commiting music to your label, they also are taking a risk by signing to your label. If your label isn't doing well to be profitable, and creating viability for the artists you sign, then what reason do you have to have a label, what reason does an legitmate artist have to sign to your label? Why not leave it to people who are looking to take their label and their artists somewhere. Not to bust your balls specifically, because this is the case for countless labels that are on Beatport, but you seem to fit under the toxic cluttering of labels that have no business plan, no viability goal, and seem to solely exist because of the rather simple means to put out music on the internet.
Given the financial climate of the dance music industry, albeit a admirable thing to do, but how do you afford to give 50% to charity? How bout giving it to your artists instead so they can imrprove their life, repetoire, and methods of making music? As a future label owner, i'd reinvest in my artists and label, and I'd know the money is going somewhere good.
If labels were about breaking even and charity work, I don't think i'd have 1/10th of the quality music i've heard in my life. I think labels should be left to the people who are hungry to be successful and as a byproduct of that hunger, investing in and developing talent and putting out amazing music. |
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| Stephen Wiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kismet7
So as a label owner, your goal is to break even? As an artist i'm not sure if i'm happy to hear that. If you are going to run a label, shouldn't you be thinking about your ability to remain a label, not to mention a growing label, and to accomplish that, you need a strong business plan, ways to be profitable and financially responsible?
I mean the artists you sign, if they are commiting music to your label, they also are taking a risk by signing to your label. If your label isn't doing well to be profitable, and creating viability for the artists you sign, then what reason do you have to have a label, what reason does an legitmate artist have to sign to your label? Why not leave it to people who are looking to take their label and their artists somewhere. Not to bust your balls specifically, because this is the case for countless labels that are on Beatport, but you seem to fit under the toxic cluttering of labels that have no business plan, no viability goal, and seem to solely exist because of the rather simple means to put out music on the internet.
Given the financial climate of the dance music industry, albeit a admirable thing to do, but how do you afford to give 50% to charity? How bout giving it to your artists instead so they can imrprove their life, repetoire, and methods of making music? As a future label owner, i'd reinvest in my artists and label, and I'd know the money is going somewhere good.
If labels were about breaking even and charity work, I don't think i'd have 1/10th of the quality music i've heard in my life. I think labels should be left to the people who are hungry to be successful and as a byproduct of that hunger, investing in and developing talent and putting out amazing music. |
You have assumed way too much here. #1 - You don't know anything about me or the people running this label. There are 3 of us, all music purists, with over 25 years of experience in dance music in different areas. We want to grow this thing into the #1 label in the world. Of course we want to make a profit, but all profits (every red cent) will be re-invested into the label (and its artists) regardless. We will never pocket a penny. That doesn't mean we are going to be giving money away and not trying to be the best label on the planet. I can't believe you would think that.
You can have your own opinion about what a label or business should be, but I have mine, and I allow potential artists and our artists to know exactly where we stand and where we are going. I've gotten many compliments because of it. To use a word you used, "climates," there are a lot of artists fed up with lazy labels who do not keep them informed and most realize there is not a lot of money in this business. I hope you were careful enough to read how we disburse our money to charities and artists before firing your mouth off. This label pays its artist just as good or better than any other label out there.
Knowing the money is going somewhere good? Maybe you should meet an artist who has lost their brother to a rare disease, who wrote a song about it, and absolutely loves the idea of the label. Not everybody has a me me me mentality on this planet (thank god). |
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| zodiac9 |
Kismet7 has some really good points. Maybe he was a bit harsh, and you are a bit sensitive, but I have some of the same sentiments. I wasn't even going to bring it up, but now that he did, I will.
I was very interested in Olympik Records, but the charity thing kind of stopped me cold in my tracks. I'm all for charity, but I don't like being forced to give. It wasn't clear to me whether 50% would be taken out of any profits the artists made. Sales are so piss poor, as we all know, that 50% would just add insult to injury. I didn't inquire, because it just wasn't worth my time. I'm already dealing with 2 labels. Just telling you, that charity stuff will scare artists off. If you laid it all out and made it clear what we could expect, maybe we would be interested.
I Like your attitude about the label. It's the right attitude to have. Communicating with your artists, being fair in royalty percentages, diligently promoting, and not wanting to make a dime for yourself, all highly commendable. From all I've read here, I believe the label has a promising future. I won't tell you how to do your business, but I think you should be more clear about your business practices. I am going to assume now, that the charity donations come out of the label's 50% share. Am I correct? |
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| Stephen Wiley |
Yes, only the labels percentage is cut in half for charities. Artist royalties and $$ are no different with Olympik Records than any other label unless they request otherwise. The artist (of the original material) gets to choose where the labels charity donation goes.
Please keep in mind this is all after breaking even (for charities). We split our profits with the artists charity of choice. If we lay down an advance, we are not giving any money to anybody until that advance has been satisfied with royalties generated from the track.
As an artist, with regards to money, the only thing you'll notice different with Olympik Records is we'll ask you where you want the labels 50% profit donated before the release of the track. (and you'll get paid when your contract specifies, not at our leisure) |
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| BOOsTER |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stephen Wiley
Yes, only the labels percentage is cut in half for charities. Artist royalties and $$ are no different with Olympik Records than any other label unless they request otherwise. The artist (of the original material) gets to choose where the labels charity donation goes.
Please keep in mind this is all after breaking even (for charities). We split our profits with the artists charity of choice. If we lay down an advance, we are not giving any money to anybody until that advance has been satisfied with royalties generated from the track.
As an artist, with regards to money, the only thing you'll notice different with Olympik Records is we'll ask you where you want the labels 50% profit donated before the release of the track. (and you'll get paid when your contract specifies, not at our leisure) |
I admire your attitude, Stephen, although, I kinda understand kismet's opinion too :/, in today's cruel world someone who cares only about breaking even and investing in charities is not going to make it too far...anyway! I hope you'll be an exception to the rule.
As I have said, I love the way you guys at Olympik present yourself, and once I have some new tracks ready, I will surely be interested ing signing with you. |
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| Domesticated |
| quote: | Originally posted by zodiac9
I just put 2 and 2 together and realized who you are. Stephen Wiley from Olympic Records Radio. I listen to DI progressive a lot. I like the mission statement, seems to fit what I'm doing at the moment. I'll send you some new tracks as soon I get them mixed down. |
That must have taken a lot of thought. |
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| Stephen Wiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by BOOsTER
I admire your attitude, Stephen, although, I kinda understand kismet's opinion too :/, in today's cruel world someone who cares only about breaking even and investing in charities is not going to make it too far...anyway! I hope you'll be an exception to the rule.
As I have said, I love the way you guys at Olympik present yourself, and once I have some new tracks ready, I will surely be interested ing signing with you. |
That's fine if you guys want to have that opinion. I can't say it doesn't concern me, because I want people who are looking in from the outside to want to be a part of the label, but you won't find a label more committed to advancing its sound and artists. I am personally (this doesn't include the other co-owners) approaching quadruple digit red ink. This isn't about money to me. I've spent more money than you could possibly imagine on vinyl, turntables, software, music, etc in the 10+ years I've been involved with this music Mind blowing amounts. And...... it doesn't bother me. This is my hobby. This is my old camaro muscle car that I will pour money into regardless.
I don't care about breaking even. I care about making it to the top 10 on a distributors chart. Breaking even is nice but royalty money is not going to dictate ANYTHING with regards to this label. Royalty money (sorry if this offends you) is chump change and hardly even worth the hassle unless one of the big companies (like an automaker *which we do send tunes to*) pick a track up. We send our music to around the same number of companies as we do DJs. (It's a big, custom compiled list by yours truly)
For the artists who are on the fence or skeptical, talk to some of the artists who have signed with us and see what they say. I'm getting the feeling that those of you on the fence are greatly underestimating the labels desires. |
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