Setting up a record label, Advice etc.

Joebot · Post by **Joebot** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:07 pm

Now Mr Jurassik is setting up a lable whether he likes it or not!

I thought it would be nice if all the folks who run / work for lable or just have opinions on how it should or shouldnt be done could share advice/ tips/ knowlage/ maybe even a few contacts for pressing, distro & press

any way

a few tips form a punters point of view,

Release good tunes,

regardless of producer/remixer, in a scene like this a great tune by an unknowen speaks volumes above and average tune by a big name ( just my opinion )

Dont expect to make ANY money

even the majors make (reaitivly) bugger all from record sales nowadays (fact), find other ways of gaining income, events, publishing deals, videos or slave trafficing for instance

try and get a great distro deal,

but i cant really comment on this ..

over to ag to flame me down

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:14 pm

Don't put a mortgage on your house to release weird moody tunes with loads of triplets cause you'll be homeless in a few months.

Start a house label to financialy support the breaks one.

thief · Post by **thief** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:16 pm

nec wrote:Don't put a mortgage on your house to release weird moody tunes with loads of triplets cause you'll be homeless in a few months.

Start a house label to financialy support the breaks one.

or a bootlegs label

northernlight · Post by **northernlight** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:19 pm

a question that popped into my mind:

what about protecting the name of the label?

in generaly, do any of you djs, labels and producers do spend cash to protect your names?

i think it costs a lot, doesn't it?

cause · Post by **cause** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:24 pm

I downloaded a pdf explaining the law around trademarks and registering them

If someone wants a copy mail me at mechamusic@btinternet.com

Dancefloor Terrorist · Post by **Dancefloor Terrorist** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:29 pm

registering as a limited company only costs £100 and offers you lots of safeguards. I would (and could) post a lot more but I've got someone ranting down the phone at me so can't concentrate at the moment...

dæmon · Post by **dæmon** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:41 pm

never sign a tune by joebot, and your label will flourish

Joebot · Post by **Joebot** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:48 pm

conspiracy wrote:never sign a tune by joebot, and your label will flourish

Mrs.D · Post by **Mrs.D** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:50 pm

conspiracy wrote:never sign a tune by joebot, and your label will flourish

A little harsh that

alex_virr · Post by **alex_virr** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:52 pm

nec wrote:Don't put a mortgage on your house to release weird moody tunes with loads of triplets cause you'll be homeless in a few months.

Start a house label to financialy support the breaks one.

well I could stretch to trance I suppose....

does trance sell more than house?

Joebot · Post by **Joebot** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:53 pm

miffy wrote:
conspiracy wrote:never sign a tune by joebot, and your label will flourish
A little harsh that

my new hero(ine) miffy

Mrs.D · Post by **Mrs.D** » Tue May 09, 2006 4:56 pm

JoeBot wrote:
miffy wrote:
conspiracy wrote:never sign a tune by joebot, and your label will flourish
A little harsh that

my new hero(ine) miffy

ya know's it!

El Huracan · Post by **El Huracan** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:13 pm

JoeBot wrote:
regardless of producer/remixer, in a scene like this a great tune by an unknowen speaks volumes above and average tune by a big name ( just my opinion )

i really wish that was true, same thing goes for an average tune on a massive label.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:16 pm

youthful_implants wrote:
nec wrote:Don't put a mortgage on your house to release weird moody tunes with loads of triplets cause you'll be homeless in a few months.

Start a house label to financialy support the breaks one.
well I could stretch to trance I suppose....

does trance sell more than house?

Depend whether your talking about trance (proper trance), trance (pop shite), or trance (prog house) as different record shops don't seem to be in agreement which is which any more

clur · Post by **clur** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:27 pm

if you need names and numbers you'd do well buying a copy of one of these books;

Music Week Directory (fucking extortionately priced but a bible for most of the record industry)

MM Manual thingy - think it's called Music Management Manual - this is a good one for promoters and label peeps and isn't as expensive as the above!

Both list distributors/exporters/production companies/designers/press companies/pluggers/licensing & ad agencies etc

Having worked at bigger labels before and now with a smaller one my advise would be; don't take on too much at first. Start off small and build your label really slowly. Also - everyone you know is useful to you in some way - let them help you and you save heaps of wonga!

Jurassik · Post by **Jurassik** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:36 pm

I see nothing wrong with booties... we all buy them, provided they're done well and that they don't stifle new tunes coming through

But this label would be more about saying:

OK... there are some of us out there who don't want the music to just keep getting more and more housey. We like breakbeats, and we don't always want to be having to buy bassline to get our fix of that particular rhythm. We don't want to be backwards-thinking, but we are not down with the idea that moving closer to house music is the only potential evolutionary step forward for breaks.

We are not undancefloor friendly, we simply believe that any of a whole range of potential breakbeat patterns (and we are not talking just the use of a real live break here, but also programmed loops that mimic this structure) can be as dancefloor friendly as four to the floor. We don't see that as a caveman-like POV.

There are a myriad of ways to push things forward, we just don't share the house-orientated perspective on that particular one.

Or something like that...

Oh and I'm not looking to set myself up as some sort of figurehead either. Very up for collaborative efforts.

Joebot · Post by **Joebot** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:43 pm

fair enuf

any more advice questions or comment on settin up /runin lables?

Jurassik · Post by **Jurassik** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:52 pm

heeheehee...

We could have slogans like 'suck my plod'

Or 'honk if you hate house music'

Joebot · Post by **Joebot** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:54 pm

-retired- · Post by **-retired-** » Tue May 09, 2006 5:56 pm

Jurassik wrote:
Oh and I'm not looking to set myself up as some sort of figurehead either. Very up for collaborative efforts.

I can see it now

The Richard Branson of breaks . . . .

Supatronix cola

Jurrassik Mobiles.

Setting up a record label, Advice etc.

Setting up a record label, Advice etc.

Re: Setting up a record label, Advice etc.