How To Start A Music Label From Scratch: A blog on how to start your own indie electronic music label.
This week has been a busy one for me, as I have been working hard to launch my new label, Alpha Pup Records. This is a few weeks later than I had planned, but it was necessary to make sure everything was in place before we unleashed this baby on the world.
The first release on Alpha Pup Records is the debut from The Glitch Mob, an up and coming trio of producers that are creating quite a stir in the underground Los Angeles beat scene at the moment.
There are many different reasons why people start a music label. Some people want to add value to the scene, others want to make loads of money, some people just like the idea and there are probably hundreds of other reasons.
My main reason was that I wanted to get more involved with the music industry. I’ve always been a very creative person, so producing and creating music has always been my way of expressing myself. However, I’m more of an ideas/concept type of guy and not so good when it comes down to actually producing the music.
The aim of this blog is to show you how you can do this without any prior experience or knowledge about running a record label.
I’ve been reading a lot lately about the evolution of independent labels and their different approaches to running a business. Ran from artists’ bedrooms, to an actual office space, all the way to having a separate booking agency and merchandise shop. Most often I am asked by friends who have stumbled upon my label, or people I’ve met during my travels, about how to get started with a label. So I thought of writing this blog post as a quick guide for anyone who is looking for starting their own independent record label from scratch.
Why Start A Label?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is, why do you want to start a label? If you are trying to create a space where you can release your own music without having any other plans or goals set in place, then starting a label is not such a great idea. In fact, there are plenty of platforms nowadays like Bandcamp that give you the option to sell your own music directly on their platform under your own artist name without any additional costs. This might be the best solution for you if what you are they saying is true.”
The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of label you’re going to be. The second thing is to get a logo, website, and social media accounts set up. We will cover how to set up your social media accounts in another article. For now, I want to focus on getting your logo and website ready to go.
You’ll need a logo that reflects the kind of music you want to release on the label. If it’s techno, a trapezoid with a triangle over it might look nice. If it’s house, maybe something with a house in it would be more appropriate.
Try to keep it simple, because a lot of times logos are used on vinyl records and they only get about 3 inches tall in most cases. You don’t want something that has too much detail or is confusing when shrunk down.
The Internet has truly revolutionized the music industry. It has made it possible for every single band in existence to reach a global audience. It has also created an environment where it’s much easier for new artists to get noticed and for music fans to discover new talent.
But the problem is that this level playing field has also created an environment where there is simply too much music out there, and the internet is so noisy that it’s hard for anyone or anything to really stand out from the crowd.
Unless you have your own record label…
In this article, I’ll show you why now is a great time to start your own record label, the basic steps needed to get started, and some tips on how to make your new label a success.
Today we’re going to discuss how to start your own label. Starting a record label is not easy and it’s not for everyone. It’s a big commitment, so maybe you shouldn’t start a label. But if you’re ready to release music on your own terms, then this is for you.
First we’ll go over the basics and get you up to speed on what makes a record label different from other businesses. Then we’ll go over some practicalities of running a label and how to make sure it survives in the long run. We’ll also talk about what kind of people are best suited for starting their own labels, as well as why some people shouldn’t bother trying at all.
Finally we’ll go through the steps needed in order to launch your own record label…
When I started my label, I was a music marketing consultant with absolutely no experience running a record label. I knew what it took to get an artist heard, but I didn’t know how to pay for the artists’ albums, how to manufacture them, or how to distribute them.
But I had two things going for me: 1) I was relentless and 2) I had a lot of time on my hands. In this post I’ll share a few things that helped me along the way.
1. Find something you’re passionate about
2. Be prepared to put in the hours
3. Have a plan
4. Find people that have done it before and ask them questions
5. Use your resources
6. Spend money wisely