rattleyour wrote on Thu, 25 August 2005 10:24 |
how many of you guys actually have or have had your own label?
How do you make your self a LABEL, rather than just some dude getting 1000 CD's printed up. Off the top of my head, distribution, promotion, and publicity are all part of the LABEL equation.
Obviously, owning the label has a correlative relationship to working on spec-- that's why I bring it up.
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I have a "label" that I have been trying to get off the ground for a couple of years.... Have the 50/50 contract similar to JJ's. A business licence... BUT, I do not have the connections that JJ has, so I have some thoughts from the underbelly perspective (LOL):
Without distribution , (or major label contacts) it's very tough to sign any good bands. The distributors I have talked to want to see the product, as in finished album, before making any commitments. This means recording and pressing at least a few copies... big investment, just to see if they like it. Then the distributor wants to see a tour schedule and enough copies to put in the stores in said towns.. big investment..... Lots of legwork if your a one man shop.
And if you are just going to shop the demo for a major label deal, then you are a manger. (in my book it's all "demos" without a label deal)
So, As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I have opted to become a new entity: "Managing Producer". I am producing and managing a band that I really believe in and feel much better about the relationship than I would if I had got them on my "label". As manager I am "on their side" rather than lording above them, I am one of the "gang" and that is a far better position to steer things from. 15% as manager .... (not off small gigs though, only "bigger picture" stuff that I will be involved in)
In the "label" scenario I would be cut out of the picture once they signed to a larger label...(And take a one shot buy out) As manager I (hope to) stay on well into their career (when the real earning power kicks in) and make it a long term income stream. Also, they want me to stay on as producer "no matter what" so once they get picked up by a major and get forced to hire a "real" producer , I will be there to soak up the glory as "assistant producer" or some other vague title... This in itself would be worth the price of admission...(Networking, networking, networking) (This is where I will meet the label execs for next time around.)
In the long run, if you want to help bands that you believe in, it really doesn't matter what the title is, or how you are compensated, as long as you are, And everybody is happy with the relationship. It's all just semantics... And once you have one successful band under your belt the phone will start ringing and you can call yourself a label, or producer, or whatever the hell you want baby
PS: JJ, maybe your interestd in signing my band? Could use a vacation in LA...