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Forums - Music techology
Subject: starting a label
Viewing all 5 messages - View by pages of 10: 1
Original Message 1/5 03-Mar-04 @ 12:50 PM - starting a label
Is the basics of setting up a record label:-
1. Choosing a name and registering it.
2. Choose the artwork and paying for it
2. Choosing a distributor
How does it work with the Distributor? Do you have to give them a predetermined percentage? Can the distributor press and master or is it wiser for me to get that bit sorted?
1. Choosing a name and registering it.
2. Choose the artwork and paying for it
2. Choosing a distributor
How does it work with the Distributor? Do you have to give them a predetermined percentage? Can the distributor press and master or is it wiser for me to get that bit sorted?
Message 2/5 03-Mar-04 @ 01:34 PM Edit: 03-Mar-04 | 01:38 PM - RE: starting a label
hey hey
We (me and Andrew ) are in the process of this at the mo'
Where are you situated?
Vinyl only?
Im still waiting on some guys to email/contact me who run labels to go over the finer points
Things to think about - for vinyl, most places/pressers will do you an all in 1 type run-
i.e - Master/cut master metal plate, Print and stamp labels (1-4 colors?) and print sleeves (1-4 colors again?) , barcode and shrinkwrap.
Most places want over 500 as a basic press number for that kinda thing from priceing emails ive gotten back from alot of the uk pressers
If you were only lookijng to do a first run of 200-300 as a tester of the market then youll probably be looking at 1 colour labels (with barcode mebbe) and black disco sleeves (nothing wrong wi that) to keep the price to a reasonable ammount.
Theres prolly about 3 main distributers in the uk to get the stuff into the shops and offer various deals- P&D is what your looking for if you want them to press your records and distribute as a all in job, but youd have to have a buisiness plan to convince them its worthwhile them shelling out on your label if you got no track record. Also, from what ive gathered they get alot of requests like this so the chances are it would be better to do it all yourself and present them with the finished thing to distribute and take there cut.
Your gonna have to sell 200-250 records just to break even if you are planning on putting out 2 sided mastered 12's, so would also be cool to have a bit hard cash lying to get you thru the initial set-up period.
Theres loads ive found out about it all the last few months, so you can leave your email if you want and we can hook up info's as and when i get to the final stages (will have first release out within next 2-3 months) all being well - whilst ive emailed and talked to people over the internet about ti all ive yet to talk directly on phone with any of the Pressers/Distributers contacted, so it may will be theres something gonna put a spanner in the works, im a bit of a worrier like that tho
Actually K, you have experience of this right?
Blu
We (me and Andrew ) are in the process of this at the mo'
Where are you situated?
Vinyl only?
Im still waiting on some guys to email/contact me who run labels to go over the finer points
Things to think about - for vinyl, most places/pressers will do you an all in 1 type run-
i.e - Master/cut master metal plate, Print and stamp labels (1-4 colors?) and print sleeves (1-4 colors again?) , barcode and shrinkwrap.
Most places want over 500 as a basic press number for that kinda thing from priceing emails ive gotten back from alot of the uk pressers
If you were only lookijng to do a first run of 200-300 as a tester of the market then youll probably be looking at 1 colour labels (with barcode mebbe) and black disco sleeves (nothing wrong wi that) to keep the price to a reasonable ammount.
Theres prolly about 3 main distributers in the uk to get the stuff into the shops and offer various deals- P&D is what your looking for if you want them to press your records and distribute as a all in job, but youd have to have a buisiness plan to convince them its worthwhile them shelling out on your label if you got no track record. Also, from what ive gathered they get alot of requests like this so the chances are it would be better to do it all yourself and present them with the finished thing to distribute and take there cut.
Your gonna have to sell 200-250 records just to break even if you are planning on putting out 2 sided mastered 12's, so would also be cool to have a bit hard cash lying to get you thru the initial set-up period.
Theres loads ive found out about it all the last few months, so you can leave your email if you want and we can hook up info's as and when i get to the final stages (will have first release out within next 2-3 months) all being well - whilst ive emailed and talked to people over the internet about ti all ive yet to talk directly on phone with any of the Pressers/Distributers contacted, so it may will be theres something gonna put a spanner in the works, im a bit of a worrier like that tho
Actually K, you have experience of this right?
Blu
Message 3/5 03-Mar-04 @ 03:34 PM - RE: starting a label
i'd say step 1 is getting a shedload of coke and easy women for getting retailers interested in your product, sticking it in the front of the shop instead of leaving the box unopened in the back.
people are people. ime business isn't like you put your card in the slot and it goes into the big machine and all's fair. people help themselves first, and their friends next. make friends. or, if you're like me, stay poor and tell them off
people are people. ime business isn't like you put your card in the slot and it goes into the big machine and all's fair. people help themselves first, and their friends next. make friends. or, if you're like me, stay poor and tell them off
Message 4/5 04-Mar-04 @ 09:07 AM - RE: starting a label
no.. I never had a label, freinds have had them/have them - there's no money in it unless you sell a few - then it can be ok if you do sell more than a thousand or so, but unles you shift alot it's really a labour of love i'd say
you dont need to start a company if you dont want to, but it's probably best cos then you can sign things to the label, reduce personal liability etc
really in it's most basic guise, you simply press your product and take it round the shops yourself
getting a distributor is harder cos unless you sell they wont want to do it I'd have thought (certainly for a pressing AND distribution deal anyways)
unless your selling thousands there's little point.
Bare in mind if you start a company, you gotta pay to set it up which is very little - but you also have to do a company tax return annualy which will mean Accountants fee plus a 15 quid cheque when you send off the return - then any tax due of course has to be paid, but again, with offset of costs you wont pay tax unless you breach a few thousand copies - I'm not sure what the threshold is, it's about 4grand personal income, so even if it's the same for companies you'd have to make 4-5 grand profit before you were liable to pay tax on income profit ABOVE that figure.
when we get this credit card sales malarkee in place in effect DT will be a label, although we wont be taking copyright etc like label might
initialy we'll sell compilations, but that's web-only and will be really to bring in some site expense income... if we sell a few fine we can look at taking it further.
btw - guess what - after working with the bank since last summer, jumping thru their hoops, sending in previous years accounts etc they FINALY reveal that they actualy DO NOT HAVE A WEB BASED CREDIT-CARD PROCESSING FACILITY
note: We approached them SPECIFICALY about getting a web-based transaction system, NOTHING else...
what a joke!! - They revealed out of the blue yesterday, afer we've been going thru all this crap for like 8 months, that they use a 3rd party company for the web transaction which WE have to find from a choice of the usual suspects - I couldnt beleive it... I could have setup with Netbanx or whoever last year!! - They were simply offering us a merchant account, but with NO web-based transactional ability!!!
ok we'd lose an extra 1%-2% on transactions, but bloody hell... I'd rather pay that & get it going than grovel to a bank... I mean the cost to get the two previous years account summaries to them alone has been the same amount as 2% of mebbe 500 albums sold
banks... pah!
anyways - Netbanx it is then... we'll get that in place soon now I know the score
sorry about the time delay there... I cant bloody beleive it... *mutter mumble*.... what is wrong with the english system... you go to the bank, you ask for WEB-BASED RETAIL ABILITY - "Yes!" they say "We can do that for you... do X, Y & Z for us first"
6 months later down the line, just when you're expecting the thing to get started, they suddenly tell you they have no such facility...
lol ....*mad cackling*
you dont need to start a company if you dont want to, but it's probably best cos then you can sign things to the label, reduce personal liability etc
really in it's most basic guise, you simply press your product and take it round the shops yourself
getting a distributor is harder cos unless you sell they wont want to do it I'd have thought (certainly for a pressing AND distribution deal anyways)
unless your selling thousands there's little point.
Bare in mind if you start a company, you gotta pay to set it up which is very little - but you also have to do a company tax return annualy which will mean Accountants fee plus a 15 quid cheque when you send off the return - then any tax due of course has to be paid, but again, with offset of costs you wont pay tax unless you breach a few thousand copies - I'm not sure what the threshold is, it's about 4grand personal income, so even if it's the same for companies you'd have to make 4-5 grand profit before you were liable to pay tax on income profit ABOVE that figure.
when we get this credit card sales malarkee in place in effect DT will be a label, although we wont be taking copyright etc like label might
initialy we'll sell compilations, but that's web-only and will be really to bring in some site expense income... if we sell a few fine we can look at taking it further.
btw - guess what - after working with the bank since last summer, jumping thru their hoops, sending in previous years accounts etc they FINALY reveal that they actualy DO NOT HAVE A WEB BASED CREDIT-CARD PROCESSING FACILITY
note: We approached them SPECIFICALY about getting a web-based transaction system, NOTHING else...
what a joke!! - They revealed out of the blue yesterday, afer we've been going thru all this crap for like 8 months, that they use a 3rd party company for the web transaction which WE have to find from a choice of the usual suspects - I couldnt beleive it... I could have setup with Netbanx or whoever last year!! - They were simply offering us a merchant account, but with NO web-based transactional ability!!!
ok we'd lose an extra 1%-2% on transactions, but bloody hell... I'd rather pay that & get it going than grovel to a bank... I mean the cost to get the two previous years account summaries to them alone has been the same amount as 2% of mebbe 500 albums sold
banks... pah!
anyways - Netbanx it is then... we'll get that in place soon now I know the score
sorry about the time delay there... I cant bloody beleive it... *mutter mumble*.... what is wrong with the english system... you go to the bank, you ask for WEB-BASED RETAIL ABILITY - "Yes!" they say "We can do that for you... do X, Y & Z for us first"
6 months later down the line, just when you're expecting the thing to get started, they suddenly tell you they have no such facility...
lol ....*mad cackling*
Message 5/5 04-Mar-04 @ 03:58 PM - RE: starting a label
i get that a lot.. best i can come up with is they must be incredibly lonely down there. it's either that or back to rocket launchers.
looking forward to it. i'll dump a few albums on you.
looking forward to it. i'll dump a few albums on you.
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