Creating a Independent Record Label

W

wolf15

New member
I was thinking about creating a Independent Record Label with one of my friends, I just wanted know if any guys had any tips, suggestions, or layouts in starting up a Independent Record Label. All help would be appreciated.
 
There are many ways you can do this first your team has to be on the same page, Producers ,Artist, Songwriters everyone. If you building a label you want to build a loyal following of fans to back your movement, so that means your going to need to take your artist everywhere. Top Dawg Entertainment had their artist grinding for years before it really hit hard for them. Music can be easy, building fans that want to follow you around, buy your music and stay loyal will be the real grind.
 
Jeff Blactracks said:
There are many ways you can do this first your team has to be on the same page, Producers ,Artist, Songwriters everyone. If you building a label you want to build a loyal following of fans to back your movement, so that means your going to need to take your artist everywhere. Top Dawg Entertainment had their artist grinding for years before it really hit hard for them. Music can be easy, building fans that want to follow you around, buy your music and stay loyal will be the real grind.
Click to expand...
Okay thank for the information it was very helpful
 
Jeff Blactracks said:
There are many ways you can do this first your team has to be on the same page, Producers ,Artist, Songwriters everyone. If you building a label you want to build a loyal following of fans to back your movement, so that means your going to need to take your artist everywhere. Top Dawg Entertainment had their artist grinding for years before it really hit hard for them. Music can be easy, building fans that want to follow you around, buy your music and stay loyal will be the real grind.
Click to expand...

I completely agree as I am doing a similar thing. Promote your music the best you can and you have to make sure that you have a budget as this is the real test of how seriously you are taking your music endeavors.
 
Yea I was guessing the budget would be the hardest part of maintaining a independent label but its all part of the grind
 
wolf15 said:
Yea I was guessing the budget would be the hardest part of maintaining a independent label but its all part of the grind
Click to expand...

Glad you said it, should make working this plan easier for you.

Do not start a company yet, get your personal finances in order first. I don't care what horror stories people have, noone HAS to suffer through owning a business, you can prepare and plan for it and random emergencies.

If you don't have a real job yet, get one, if you have one, request a raise. Live on 50% of this check, save the rest. Become a cheapskate/miser.Then take on a second job or 2 part time jobs. Save ALL of this money.

Find a cheaper place to live(with mom, student housing or roommate situation with your partner) and get rid of anything that you have to pay monthly bill's on besides rent, electric,basic phone/internet. Stop tricking on women and friends. Buy groceries in bulk, learn to love rice, noodles and beans. Get a used car , bike and/or get a 31 day bus/metro pass.

Payoff ALL your debt's because that stuff will haunt you. Never use credit cards.

Work until you have 100k+ saved up. You might even find better opportunities for income other than owning a record label. Now you can afford a small convenience store, ice cream parlor, car wash, duplex ect.ect. If you jack up your finances again, drop all the liabilities get 3 job's, start over, stack and grow. Before you do any of that, I recommend you at least buy your personal residence..something cheap, minimal fixup cost..all cash.;)

This whole experience should teach you how to budget for your personal life, be frugal and practical with your money. Master that owning a business will not be a "grind", it will be well financed, properly budgeted and profitable...less headaches.

Since you will have a partner, make sure they are on a similar financial path, if they are sloppy in their personal finances, it will spill over into the business. Protect yourself via an LLC or C/S-Corp.

Check out the book: Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey...apply those principles to business
 
Best bit of advice I can give you to build a following from scratch is social media and events. I founded my label in December 2012 from scratch with no following and only a very small scene for the music (progressive trance) here in the UK anyway. Our following has grown mainly from online promotion using facebook/youtube/soundcloud.. We started initially with a just YouTube channel to promote the genre in the UK and posted as much content as we could get hold of, then used Facebook to connect with people who would be interested in our music. Create a Facebook like page and keep the content rolling, and it will slowly but surely start filling up with people who are interested in your sort of music, and the best thing about facebook is the way that other users who are likeley to be interested in your page will see it coming up on there news feed. Besides that if it's electronic dance music your promoting I would advise getting some good local DJ's involved who will be happy to play at events with a branded tshirt for you and put your record label name next to there act name on flyers, you will soon start creating a buzz :)
 
Thanks for the advice I defiantly take note of the information you gave me. The label I am lookin to create with my partner would be based on hiphop, r&b, soul music.
 
Dave Ramsey is the man listen to him on the radio a lot

while doing all the above
write a business plan and rewrite it and rewrite it
your business plan should always be evolving but some things will stay the same

read as many books you can on business

join as many online communities and subscribe to as many business/organization e-letters as you possible can and eliminate the ones that are useless and keep the ones that actually enrich your personal and business financial life

-Coach Antonio
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top