Getting an offer from a record label was once the dream of every musician, but today’s artists recognize other ways to get ahead.
The music industry is in a constant state of evolution. That has always been true, but technology has hastened the speed of change. Marketing today looks nothing like it did a decade ago, which itself felt far removed from the marketing efforts of the late 1990s. That is one of the countless examples of how the industry is evolving, and change won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Record labels were once the height of an artist’s aspirations. “If only I can get the attention of a label,” many musicians thought, “then the world will notice me.”
But time has taught us that isn’t true. There are many musicians with record deals who face the same fate as those without. These artists may get the resources that labels offer, but no amount of money or corporate planning can guarantee success.
The truth is that the consumer always dictates who is and is not successful. Major label money can do a lot, but so can a teenager with 4-million TikTok followers who love to watch them dance.
That brings us to a question that seems to come up every year: Do you need a record label? After all, is the debt artists accept for a shot at success worth the risk of nobody listening to their creative output? Is trusting yourself and your team the smarter and more fiscally responsible path?
In the latest Music Biz video, host James Shotwell investigates the necessity of record labels in 2021. He shares the questions every artist should ask before entertaining any recording contract offers and warns of the drawbacks to staying independent. He even shares an example of one musician who ignored major label money and had a better career as a result.
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
The latest episode of Music Biz answers a timeless question: How do I get the attention of the music industry and make my dreams a reality?
AC/DC has a lot of songs with honest messages. Some of those sentiments may be a little lewd, such as “You Shook Me All Night Long,” but the takeaway is not up for debate. She was the best damn woman that he’d ever seen.
No song in all of music history has a more accurate depiction of life in the entertainment business than AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top.” The 1975 single tells listeners that the only way to get ahead in rock is to put in the work. Success does not come to those who wish for it, but rather those that wake up every day and fight for it. There is no other way ahead. At least, no way that truly matters.
Still, every week, industry professionals everywhere are asked how an artist gets ahead. Everyone wants to know who they need to call or email to get a deal, and once if they learn of someone in a position to make such an offer, they then want their contact information.
That idea comes from a traditional vision of the music business that no longer exists. A&R professionals are no longer a group of mysteries strangers hiding away in the back of rock clubs seeking the next band that will go platinum. Today’s A&R careers are data-driven efforts that rely on social media follower counts and various music charts to prove an artist’s value.
The notion that anyone in a position of power is taking a chance on someone who has yet to prove their ability to make people click on stuff is foolish. It’s silly to imagine a high-ranking music professional rolling the metaphorical dice because a band played one great set when analytics exist. The talent that getts signed today achieves that feat by positioning themselves for success before the industry gives them the slightlest consideration. It’s all about forward momentum, and that generating that movement is the job of the artist.
On this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell breaks down the secret to getting noticed in music today. It’s not about cold-calling professionals or shooting emails into inboxes where they will never be read. Success today is only possible through one thing, and James is going to tell you what that is in the video below:
Inside Music is a podcast about the lives of professionals in the music business. Each week, host James Shotwell chats with an artist or industry tastemaker to learn how anyone can navigate the world of entertainment.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell chats with FiXT Records co-founder James Rhodes about his label’s big plans for 2019. Rhodes talks about the FiXT approach to finding and recruiting talent, as well as the role FiXT plays in developing talent during an age when many argue record labels are no longer necessary. The discussion continues with talk of social media tactics, the benefits of multi-album deals versus single releases, and what trends we expect to see in the business as the year carries on.
In other news, Inside Music is now available on YouTube! Click here to stream the latest episode on our official channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes, as well as any other podcast streaming service.
For the better part of the last half decade I have been running a small record label out of my one bedroom apartment with the help of a few good friends. We haven’t made it big, and to be honest we never really thought we would, but we have had a few successful releases put out on cassette and vinyl. We recently got into CD production as well, but that’s a story for another time.
Whenever someone approaches us with questions regarding record labels and how to start them, we usually list off a series of lessons we learned during our initial releases. We talk about timelines, estimated costs, merchandise, contracts, and – perhaps most frequently – the need to properly understand how shipping works, including the cost of sending packages outside the United States. We like to think we have developed an easy and reliable workflow, but every so often we learn a new trick or path that causes us to regret all the hours wasted following the previous method. I don’t know that our specific setup will work for anyone reading this, but I do have a few basic tips to help improve your standard shipping operation. There are some costs associated, but as your label is a business you should know by now that improvements often require the investment of additional resources.
If you buy your shipping materials at Target, Staples, or even the post office you are spending way more than you should. Packs of six 4” x 6" bubble mailers can run $10 or more in stores, but if you buy in bulk from online retailers you can receive several hundred mailers for less than $100 total (shipping included). Everything you need to ship tapes, CDs, and vinyl can be purchased for a reasonable price in bulk from ULine. The company has a long history of customer satisfaction, and they have an incredibly quick turnaround. They also allow you to pay after receiving your order, so if you need mailers in order to generate the money needed to buy mailers they can help you with that as well.
Stocking up on mailers also prepares you for any situation. You may have slow sales from times to time, but you could also have a sudden boom in business when one of your artists hit it big. Buying in bulk allows you to cut down on order turnarounds while saving money. What’s not to love?
You can now buy stamps online
If there is one activity that makes me rethink launching a business it’s the many hours I have spent waiting in line at my local post office. I have to imagine other people feel the same, which is probably why the fantastic site ‘Stamps.com’ now exists. For the first time in the history of humans you no longer have to interact with another human when working to send out packages. You simply signup at home, input your shipping information, upload your credit card, and boom! You can now print postage labels from the comfort of your couch. You may use a lot more tape when handling shipping with this process, but I have solution for that as well…
Two words: DYMO Printer
All printers used to require ink, and anyone who has had to print a lot over their lifetime has learned by not that ink is not cheap. DYMO found a solution, and while I could get into the inner workings of their technology it’s suffice to say science can do really cool things. A DYMO printer does not use ink cartridges, but it does require a special kind of paper made specifically for postage labels. You buy a printer, which includes a free roll of labels, and then you only need to buy additional rolls of labels as need. Each roll can produce 200 shipping labels, and I believe you can order 3-packs of label rolls for under $40. Compare that to more than $60 for a single ink cartridge, not to mention the countless hours saved not having to visit the post office when shipping orders, and I think it’s clear why DYMO printers are worth the $200-ish investment they require.
Oh, did I mention DYMO labels are also self-adhesive? That alone will cut your tape-related shipping costs in half, if not more, moving forward.
Thank You notes are never overrated
There is something to be said for adding a personal touch to your shipments. While the consumer is excited to receive the package because it contains something they already paid for, you can further develop the connection they feel to your label with the inclusion of thank you notes and other extras. In the past we have added stickers, baseballs cards, candy, plastic spider rings, posters, and – most frequently – handwritten notes, to all our shipments. Sometimes we personalize the notes with each customer’s name, but other times we write thirty or forty notes in advance and stuff them in packages as needed. Whatever the case, the note is always written by a member of our staff and we always strive to make each note unique in some way. Maybe we add a phrase that is specific to that note, or maybe we draw the customer a picture. Anything that helps them better understand who we are and what we’re about works for us. The same will work for you, but you must figure out what items will best convey your personality to your consumers. Feel free to steal our ideas, of course, because they weren’t really ours in the first place. We were inspired by the labels we felt close to growing up, and it’s a tradition we hope to pass on to future generations.
Prep is everything
Whenever we know a large number of orders will need to be shipped in a small amount of time in we do our best to prepare by checking our mailer stock, writing thank you notes in advance, and generally doing anything in our power to streamline our workflow before the shipping process begins. That way, once we do need to act, everything is ready to go. Our goal is to make the window of time between when an order is placed and when it is shipped as small as possible. Some stuff is out of our control (record production, for example), but we do as much as we can with the power we do have and it makes a noticeable difference.
There was a time not that long ago when the vast majority of musicians believed the only way to get anywhere in the entertainment business was with the help of a record label. This was before the digital age we live in now, of course, back when record labels were viewed as gatekeepers to the world at large because, frankly, they were. Their influence meant everything in relation to a band’s potential for international exposure, and their distribution deals were every artist’s ticket to substantial album sales. That isn’t the case today, or at least it doesn’t always appear that way, and in the latest episode of Metal Injection’s On The Record video series a group of industry professionals finally sit down to debate whether artists today should seek a record deal or focus instead on being the best DIY band in the world.
Sometime I think life was better in the day before it took less than 10 minutes for someone to record a sound, upload it to the internet, and then share that recently created material with everyone in their various social media circles. As a label owner, as well as seasoned music writer who cut his teeth during the rise of social media I have seen the abundance of bands and labels vying for attention increase tenfold over the last few years. There are so many labels operating in equally numerous ways that the question of whether or not to sign is never as easy or obvious as it might have been twenty or thirty years ago. At the same time, I have witnessed many great bands choose a DIY approach over working with a label only to see their career peak at a point of influence and attention far below what everyone believed they were capable of achieving.
The reason I say all this is because the video below actually finds a way to cut through the noise and create an easy-to-follow narrative that shines a lot of light on the realities of DIY culture, record label culture, album sales, distribution, and fan engagement in the 21st century. It also features a ton of people who rely on or engage with Haulix on a regular basis, which admittedly makes us pretty happy.
Whether you’re an artist wondering what course to follow with your own career or you’re an aspiring industry professional dreaming of starting your own label, this video should not be missed.
Hey there! Welcome to our blog. We thank you for finding time in you busy schedule to spend a few minutes on our site. The post you’re about to enjoy is the latest installment in our popular podcast series, Inside Music. If you like what you hear, the entire catalog of episodes can be found and enjoyed through iTunes. Subscriptions and reviews are always appreciated.
This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell chats with Near Mint Records’ co-founders James Cassar and Corey Purvis. Together, the three discuss what it’s like running a record label in 2015, as well as the numerous ways Near Mint is working to stand out from their competition. The conversation eventually turns to the future, which is when Near Mint’s leaders share some thoughts on what they plan to accomplish and how they are going to make it all happen. If you ever thought about starting a label, or if you just want to know the realities of launching a business in music today, this is one episode you cannot miss!
The music you hear in the intro to ‘Inside Music’ this week is “Great White North” from Well Kept Things. You can learn more about that song, as well as the album it hails from, on the official website of Antique Records.
You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
Just over a year ago I wrote a post for this very blog about the lessons learned from releasing my first label’s first vinyl. It was an exciting time, and though it wasn’t the record-breaking success my heart had hoped for my team and I did sell enough to keep our little business afloat. You can find out more about that experience by reading the post I wrote in the fall of 2014.
Not long after I posted that article, my co-founder asked me to meet in order to discuss our plans for the future. We knew we needed to be more active in the year ahead if we wanted to grow, and in order to do that we would need to spend money we did not necessarily have at our disposal. We ended up agreeing to not one, but five additional vinyl titles, and as I write this we are currently celebrating the release of the third album in that series. Two more are expected before summer, and I imagine by the time May arrives we will have planned out the rest of 2015.
Through all of this we have been learning on a day-to-day basis. There are books on running a label, but history has taught us that very few actually touch on the realities of trying to start a company willing to ship anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own, overpriced one bedroom apartment. So, with that in mind, I’ve been making it a point to take notes as we make progress. I don’t know if anything that I have learned will change anyone’s world, but hopefully the advice included below allows others with labels of their own to better enjoy the work they do.
If you started your label in hopes of becoming rich, you might as well pack up and go home now.
I understand first hand how time consuming running your own label can be, and I am also well aware of the essentially non-existent paycheck waiting for label owners at the end of their work day. I also know that if you got into music for money you’re a fool and there is no saving you. There is money in this business, but those who have access to it in any great amount have earned that position over time. The best labels today were the ones only a few hundred new about five or ten years ago, and if you ask the people who run them they will likely tell you they still have much they hope to accomplish. No amount of money will ever be enough to satiate your hunger for success, and no one is going to want to give their money to someone who seems obsessed with the bottom line. Like anything in life, if you want to really succeed at running a label you have to be doing so out of nothing more than a passion for the industry. Work with people you believe in, promote others ahead of yourself, and in time people will begin to follow your efforts.
I won’t go as far as to say there is no such thing as an overnight success in the world of indie labels, but such tales are few and extremely far between. Most labels end up with a few great releases, a few forgettable ones, and many that fall somewhere in the middle. They’re not good or bad necessarily, just not known or cared about enough to provide the kind of revenue-generating buzz needed to raise a label to the next level of notoriety. That kind of accomplishment is one only earned over time, after consumers have forged a bond with your brand and established some level of trust. If you’re not willing to work at building your empire up until that point, not to mention long after it, you might as well stop while you’re ahead.
No one is an island. Likewise, no label can thrive with only one person doing all the work.
Blame it on being an only child or simply being letdown by groups and collaborators numerous times throughout life, but I am very much an independent person. If I had things my way, I would be the boss of my own label, making only records I believed in, and I wouldn’t give two shits what anyone else thought of the talent on my roster. The reality of the situation, however, is that attempting such an undertaking would most likely only result in ruin.
I spent the most of the last year trying to run my label on my own, and if we’re being completely honest by December I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep the business operating for another year. I was burnt out, and even though people said they loved our products I would dread receiving a large batch of orders at once for fear I wouldn’t be able to package and ship them in time to satisfy consumer demands. Instead of seeking help right away, I tried to prove my own fears wrong and push forward, but ultimately I stressed myself out to the point of essentially shutting down. My lust for life was depleted and so was my interest in music.
What I learned from all this is simple: People need one another. Not just for comfort and conversation, but also for success in business and the ability to keep hopes high when the outlook seems grim. You may believe you know what is best for your label, and there may be times when you are right, but if you believe you can handle every aspect of running a small business on your own then you’re either a liar or someone who is about to lose all sense of freedom in order to become one with their new business venture.
Things changed for me when a friend, Sam, offered to help one day. He didn’t want money, though I am sure he would have appreciated any payment we could offer, he just wanted to know if he could help a friend he thought was doing something cool. I turned him down the first five or six times, but eventually I gave in and invited him over. That afternoon renewed my energy for the label, as it was the first time in many months I felt like someone else cared whether or not we continued on. I’m sure consumers would care, of course, but you don’t always get to speak to them. With Sam, I had a connection to the world outside of my own head, and it made me feel excited about life once again.
International shipping will always be a hassle. Suck it up and do the work.
When I first launched my label, I never imagined we would attract the attention of consumers from all over the world. As I mentioned in my last column however, I quickly realized that achieving those dreams comes with a lot of extra work you might not expect. For example, the paperwork that must be filled out for each and every international order you receive. These forms are required by USPS, and when you drop them off at the post office the person behind the counter will have to input the data from your form for EVERY SINGLE PACKAGE YOU HAVE TO SHIP. This means if there are twenty international orders, you will fill out twenty shipping forms, and the postal worker will input each of them into the computer while you’re still standing at the post office counter. This is a time consumer, patience draining hell, but it’s one that must be experienced in order to keep your customers happy. It’s very easy to receive overseas orders and place very little priority on getting them out because doing so is such a hassle, but don’t give in to that temptation! Overseas consumers are just as important as those here in the states, and you should do everything in your power to ensure they’re happy they spent money on your product.
Additionally, you need to learn about the costs associated with international shipping before you ever post a product for sale. A one-disc vinyl LP shipping to anywhere other than the United States will cost at least $12, if not more. This is a big cost to consumers, especially if the product in question is priced below $15, but it’s important you make sure these charges are in place before new products go live. Otherwise you’re going to eat all your profits trying to cover shipping to Australia.
No matter what, kill ‘em with kindness
Starting a business is, like any undertaking worth attempting, a learning process. You will not be perfect from the start, nor will you be perfect three years in. Mistakes happen, even for those running labels full time. What they understand that so many young business owners do not however, is that it is the way you react to mistakes that ultimately defines who you are as a brand. You cannot please everyone, but you can be nice to everyone and listen to their grievances. If an order is lost, ship another. If someone needs tracking information, use your stamps.com account and find it for them. No matter what the situation, aside from things that would be harmful to you or the company, do whatever you can to ensure the consumer has the best experience with your company possible. They are going to tell their friends about you either way, so you might as well make an effort to come across as hardworking people who sometimes mess up rather than egotistical assholes who talk down to their consumers.
Hello, everyone! We have been waiting to released this interview for a few days, but transcriptions sometimes take longer than expected. We finished today and thought it best to go ahead and push it out right away. Double post Tuesday, anyone?
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
It’s been a while since we featured an up and coming industry talent who is somehow managing to juggle multiple high profile projects while maintaining an impressive GPA. Emily Hakes hails from the thriving city of Philadelphia with a passion for music that has been developing since her early teens. The world probably should have known she would be an industry lifer when her first show was Van’s Warped Tour 2007, but here we are seven years later and she’s just now starting to get the notoriety she deserves. From her work at Bad Timing and Lame-O records, to her fast developing skills as a publicist, Emily is quickly ascending to the heights of young music professionals everyone aspires to reach.
Last week, I was able to connect with Emily over the phone for a half hour conversation about her life and experiences up to this point. I knew next to nothing about her going in, aside from the various project I knew her to be connected with, and walked away feeling as if I made a very important new friend. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Emily will be able to accomplish anything she sets her mind to in this industry, and I am incredibly excited to see her achieve her various goals in the years to come.
If you would like to learn more about Emily’s adventures in the industry, make sure you follow her on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Hello, Emily. How are you this afternoon?
E: I’m doing well. Just started my day a few hours ago. So far, so good.
H: I know we’ve tried to schedule this a couple time now, so I am happy we finally able to connect. How is the weather in Philadelphia today?
E: It’s actually great today. It’s been bad this week. It’s been rainy and humid a lot, but today it’s sunny.
H: To be honest, I’m fairly excited about this interview. We have covered the people you work with in the past, but you’re someone who has been making moves in this industry under the radar for a while at this point and I think it’s high time you get credit for all you do. Tell me, when do you think you first fell in love with music?
E: I think I started listening to music of my choosing around 14 or 15. I started with a few records I got from a friend’s older sibling that I listened to a lot, as well as Paramore and Fall Out Boy type stuff because I was young. The records that stuck with me were Motion City Soundtrack, Brand New, and Death Cab For Cutie, who are still some of my favorite bands today. I would say I got my start in pop punk music, but those bands carried my interest over to other things.
H: Falling for music is something most people do at one point or another in life, but taking that passion and attempting to transition it into a career is fare more rare. I don’t want to jump too far ahead in your story, but can you recall a time when you first started considering the possibilities of a career in entertainment?
E: It’s kind of a funny story. I go to Drexel University now, but before that I was in high school. I went to a college fair and they had pamphlets for the Music Industry program at Drexel, which happened to have a summer program with it. That was something I had never heard of before. I loved music, but I lived in the suburbs and had never considered it as something people did for a living. Reading that set me on the path to pursue the industry.
H: Interesting. We usually do some basic music history questions and I’m realizing now we skipped right over them. Let’s fit one in: Do you remember the first concert you attended?
E: I think my first concert was Warped Tour 2007. I don’t think I went to any events before that with my parents, and if I did I do not remember them. I saw All Time Low, Hawthorne Heights, and a few others. I don’t know that there was a band I really wanted to see. My friend was going and there were a few bands I knew who were there. I wasn’t completely into the world of punk yet, so it was something I did mostly just because I thought it would be fun. It was definitely a weird first concert.
H: You mentioned Drexel University. You’re still enrolled now, correct? I believe you’ve only got a short while left to go.
E: I’m in my senior year now. I graduate in March.
H: As someone who has already accomplished a lot in their young career, would you encourage aspiring industry professionals to attend college?
E: I’ve got a weird relationship with that kind of question. I know that I probably wouldn’t be doing a lot of the things I’m doing today without going to this school, but it’s not necessarily because of the program. It’s more the people I met here and the environment we’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going to school for something like this due to the cost of higher education, but at the same time – if you’re in the suburbs and need a way into the city it’s not a bad way to go. So I don’t hate the idea of going to college, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for everyone. It’s more about the relationships.
H: Okay, so you enter school and then about a year ago two big things happen: You have an internship with SideOneDummy and you launch your own label, Lame-O Records, with Eric Osman. Which came first?
E: Technically, SideOne came first. Lame-O was started by Eric, who is one of my best friends, and he started it on his own to help Modern Baseball put out their album. When he was doing this, I was giving him advice and helping, but I wasn’t technically working at Lame-O because it wasn’t really a business. Then right before I left for LA to do the SideOne internship he asked me to really be a part of it. I said yes, entered the partnership, went to LA, and then when i came back I really dug deep into the Lame-O stuff.
H: Let’s start there. What inspired you to apply for SideOneDummy?
E: That is one of my favorite record labels. It’s one of the first labels that I knew of because they had The Gaslight Anthem, and they continue to be one of my favorite bands. I wanted to know more about the label and people who put it out, so I dug into their artists and discovered people like Chuck Ragan, Fake Problems, and so on. They were one of the first labels I connected with like that, and from then on I kept up with them. For a while I was going to work with Zack on Bad Timing’s first release, but then I saw S1D put up something and I decided to apply. When they called, I talked to Zack and he supported me. He put me in contact with Jamie Coletta, who is amazing, and things came together from there.
H: What do you think was the biggest lesson you learned while doing your internship?
E: I learned a lot. Jamie is incredibly good at her job, and she taught me the basics of how things are done. On top of that, she taught me one of the most important things that I needed to know about email, and that is that it is your job to follow-up with people. There’s nothing wrong with sending a couple of emails, people get it, and that’s something she taught me.
H: Do you have any advice for others thinking of starting a label?
E: It’s a stupid and cliche answer, but you just have to do it. Everyone has reservations when it comes to starting something new, but it’s important that you get past that and just do it. It’s not as hard as it seems, and you will understand that once you just do it. Everything I have been a part of, both Lame-O and Bad Timing, came from people just doing something they wanted to do.
Whatever you think your idea is, trust that it is a good one and try it.
H: I want to fit in a little discussion about the other label you work with, Bad Timing Records. They’re a bit newer than Lame-O, and right now they have a lot of stuff going on. How did you initially get involved with the label?
E: Zack went to school with me. I kind of mentioned it earlier, but before the SideOneDummy internship I had spoken to him about working for Bad Timing. I was going to do that until S1D came along, and then when I got back they told me their horror stories from trying to pack their first release. We talked and that’s where things started. As the business grew I began taking on more things.
H: Is working with Bad Timing that different than Lame-O?
E: I think it’s pretty different. It’s similar in that they’re both starting up and we encounter similar issues at times, but Thomas and Zack have more industry experience and know a bit more about the music business. Lame-O is a bit more relaxed, and we are figuring things out as we go along. I do similar jobs for both, even though I do have more control at Lame-O. We both have a lot of ambition.
H: After all you have accomplished, what are your current career goals?
E: I still want to do a lot. On a professional level, I want to have another big record with Lame-O to help make us a powerhouse. I want us to be a real label and not the kind of local thing it is now. I’m also really focusing on trying to make PR my career, as Lame-O doesn’t pay me anything. I’m hoping to get involved with agencies after graduation, and overall I want to improve at everything I do. I think I still have a long way to go.
H: Out of curiosity, do you have any free time left? It seems that between two labels and school you keep fairly busy.
E: I have more now than I did before. The last few years I was also working a food service job in addition to the labels, so that was pretty crazy. I make just enough, or close to enough now through our efforts to cover my rent and needs.
H: Do you still believe music is the industry you want to work in for the foreseeable future?
E: Yea, that’s definitely the goal. I like working in it. I know some people get worn out in the music industry, but that hasn’t happened to me. If anything, I listen to more music now and get more excited than ever before. I haven’t gotten jaded yet or anything, but then again I’m still young.
H: I know we’ve talked a bit about advice already, but I’d like to tap into your well of knowledge once more. Do you have any additional insight to offer aspiring music professionals about making their way in this industry?
E: To get started, go somewhere cool. Go where something is happening and start to make friends. Don’t make it about business up front, just network and meet people who are doing cool things. Develop ideas, work together, and act on the best material. There’s not much more to it.
H: That’s all I have for right now. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or ideas that you would like to share with our readers?
E: Bad Timing just released a new 7” with Kevin Devine, which I think is really awesome. They also have a Knuckle Puck EP, which is doing incredibly well. Lame-O doesn’t have anything this month, so nothing for that. On the PR side, I’ve been working with a band called Hurry and they’re great. Everyone should check that out.
Hello, everyone! Thank you for taking a little time out of your schedule to spend with us. We haven’t run as many advice columns as we typically do this week, but hopefully the appearance of this article will make a difference. Vinyl is big right now, but it’s not as big as everyone seems to think, and as a result it can cause serious problems for unsigned bands seeking to press their next release.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Before we begin I just wanted to say that this article was inspired by the news that the soundtrack to Forrest Gump is being pressed to triple disc vinyl in the near future. That said, it’s written with the hope of saving unsigned artists from taking on unnecessary debt for the sake of coming across as cool or hip.
It’s impossible to search for news on the music industry without stumbling across articles highlighting the continued decline in record sales. In fact, the only area of music sales that has seen any kind of consistent growth in recent years has been vinyl. Yes, the format many once thought dead has made a resurgence, causing labels of all sizes to begin pressing many more albums each year than the year(s) prior. What was once a popular trend amongst indie labels has now caught the attention of majors, thanks in part to events like Record Store Day, and as a result the market has become flooded with albums that, at least in my opinion, never really needed to be pressed to vinyl in the first place. More importantly, this upward trend in vinyl sales has led many unsigned artists to press their own records without the support of a label. I’m as big a fan of DIY artists as anyone you are likely to find in 2014, but as someone who owns a small record label and understands the costs associated with these releases I believe there are far better ways artists could be investing their money.
Vinyl is selling well, yes, but the total sales for every vinyl record sold this year will still account for less than 10% of all the money made from music sales in 2014. Of that 10%, the vast majority of the profits will go to major indie artists and labels who can afford to press so many records that their break even points are extremely low. The mom and pop record labels will follow them, making whatever they can scrape together after covering costs, and after them will be the indie bands that were so popular they found a record deal somewhere in the middle of the year. The point I am trying to make is that there is no real money to be made in this area of music, especially for bands who are likely still struggling to make enough playing shows to support a full US tour. Playing music should never be about making money, of course, but if you want to get ahead you need to learn to consider your efforts – at least in part – as a business. In order to have a successful business you need to grow, and in order to do that you need money. Not a lot of money necessarily, but some, and if you have the funds available to afford a small (300-500 copy) run of vinyl then you have enough to make a big impact on other areas of your business.
How much money are we talking? A typical 300 copy run of 12” LPs with one variant color, basic packaging, and full color jackets will cost you somewhere between $2000 and $2500. A 500 copy run will likely fall in that same range, but if you want high quality audio (180g) or special packaging (gatefold, multiple discs) that rate goes up. This is also before we take into account the cost of shipping materials such as boxes and tape, or the amount of time you will have to spend packing and shipping the records when they come in. I know you don’t consider the time you spend packing orders as something that costs anyone any money, but there is a value to that. The time you spend working on things like merch is time not spent honing your craft.
Let’s forget about the money for a second. Do you have space to store and keep vinyl? Even small runs will fill a few large boxes, and unless you sell out right away you are going to have to keep those records stored somewhere cool and safe. These are not CDs, and as such they cannot stay in your van or trailer in between gigs. Records can be warped from heat, even if they’re not directly exposed to the sun, and that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things that can ruin an album before it’s even spun. Are you ready to take on the commitment to preserve these records until they’re sold? More importantly, is that a commitment you should be taking on at this time?
The only independent artists who should be concerning themselves with vinyl are those who have found a label willing to press their work and those who have found a way to make music their full time career. If you’re not at that point, don’t let a lack of vinyl be the thing that keeps you up at night. If fans express a desire for vinyl releases, be honest with them and explain the situation. Who knows? You may find that they support you enough to help pay for such a release through Kickstarter or Indiegogo. Even if that happens however, I urge you to think twice about where and how you invest your money. Vinyl is pretty and yes, it sounds great, but is pressing your first or second recording as a group really going to aide you in furthering your career?If so, will it have a better impact than, say, funding a tour or even additional new recordings? Weigh all your options before moving forward, and never be afraid to be honest with fans about the reasons for your decision.
Hello again. Thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to spend with us. We have been planning a very special reveal for the end of the week, but before we get there we have the pleasure of hosting an editorial from Antique Records about their experience putting out their very first vinyl release. If you have any questions about developing as a business owner in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
For the last two years I have had the great fortune of running a tiny indie record label with my best friend. We started our label, known as Antique, on a whim. It dawned on us one day that we shared a mutual bucket list goal of owning a label and that life had put both of us in a position to create that very thing. It was exciting and thrilling, but also pretty low risk as far as money was concerned. You see, until very recently we were known solely for creating limited edition cassette pressings of popular indie albums. Yes, people still buy cassettes.
Anyways, at the end of 2013 we decided that if we ever wanted to take Antique to a new level we would have to invest more time and money into the products we create. We went back and forth on the best way to expand our horizons, but truth be told we settled on the very first idea that came to mind (after spitballing an additional 100 or so ideas that are still unexplored). That idea, as the title of this article suggests, was pretty simple: Let’s make vinyl. I was already an avid collector myself, as was my co-owner, but the costs associated with such an undertaking turned out to be about 10x what we had experienced when placing a new cassette order so we had – until that point – never thought about pressing records ourselves.
A few weeks after Craig, my label’s co-owner, and I had that conversation about expansion we decided to take a leap of faith an register an LLC for our label. We admittedly should have done this about two years ago, but as we were paying for everything out of pocket and barely breaking even, if not losing money outright, we never thought it too necessary to pay the costs associated with ‘properly’ starting a business. Once we did, however, we were able to sign up for a company credit through American Express, which made our dreams of making vinyl (and accruing large sums of debt) a reality. We searched the net and found the perfect voice to represent the future of our label, made a deal to press their latest album, and in early February placed an order for 500 vinyl records.
Months passed, but eventually the records did show up at my apartment, which for the time being doubles as Antique Records HQ. There, buried amongst boxes and packing tape, I embarked on a multi-hour mission to organize, pack, and ship 150 pre-orders that until this very afternoon were a drain on my free time. Now that I’m all caught up, I’m ready for more, but first I wanted to take a few minutes and share some insight on my experiences with this release. Some of it may feel obvious, but when you’re in the midst of trying to start your own business, let alone doing so while promoting a relatively unknown artist’s new album can make you so busy you overlook basic tricks of the trade. So, here it is, the best of everything I learned while putting out my label’s first vinyl:
1. Record pressing, like pretty much every other facet of entertainment, can be a long and frustrating process that is almost entirely out of your control.
When we decided to press our first record in the early months of 2014, I knew we would be facing competition at the production facility from all the major label releases planned for Record Store Day in April. What I did not realize, however, was just how much of an impact the growing demand for vinyl would have on my business. The company we ordered from guaranteed a 6-8 week turnaround, but told me it may be closer to 10 considering how many orders were pouring in when we first contacted them. By my math, that put our album release date somewhere between April 15 and the beginning of May. You know when the records arrived? June 25. That’s just over four months after I placed the order, which is a fact people who pre-ordered the album reminded me of well over a dozen times in the weeks leading up to the record’s arrival at my label’s doorstep. I called multiple times during the wait, but the most insight anyone could offer is that it was ‘being processed.’ Ultimately, I had no choice except to keep my cool and wait for word from the plant.
2. You will always need more tape. Always.
One thing no one ever talks about when it comes to putting out records is the amount of time and tape you will need to box and send off your product. We all want our records to succeed, of course, but as the owner of an independent label you need to realize the responsibility of making all those consumers happy falls entirely on your shoulders. As such, you need to make sure you’re ready for your first album to arrive by buying plenty of boxes, tape, and whatever additional shipping supplies you feel you may need well in advance of the final product arriving at your door. I cannot tell you how much time I wasted making not two, but three extra trips to the office supply store because I underestimated the tools I would need to do my job well. Plan ahead. Over plan, in fact. Just be prepared.
3. You cannot please everyone. You should try to, of course, but eventually you have to accept that some people have demands that are just too great.
When releases records, especially early on in the life of your label, people may be suspicious of just how well you actually run your operation. Delays may be out of your control, but that does not mean people will not blame you when their orders do not arrive on time. Likewise, there will be people who expect you to ship their order the same day the final product arrives from the plant. You may be able to comply with this request on rare occasions, but if you try and meet every demand made by consumers you will be inundated with too many requests to handle. Keep communication open at all times, but don’t be afraid to put your foot down whenever necessary.
Above all, don’t be a dick. Even when you have to be the bad guy, be as nice as you can possibly be.
4. You’re going to need help.
The fact you’ve taken it upon yourself to start a label and put your own money into making records is great, but if you believe you can handle all the ins and outs of owning a small business without a little help from your friends you’re sorely mistaken. As your business grows so will the various task that demand your time and attention. This goes double for super successful order, which come with a large number of pre-orders that need to be packed and shipped in advance of the album’s intended release. It’s the kind of thing people call a ‘good problem,’ but it’s a problem nonetheless. If people ask to help, let them. If not, consider seeking an intern.
5. International shipping has the power to break your spirits (unless you plan accordingly).
We may live in a digital age where essentially every task that can be turned into an app has been turned into an app, but that does not mean every thing your business needs to succeed is automated as soon as you sign up to open an online store. Many services automate overseas shipping, but not all of them. I know at least three labels who put up records with $5 shipping and forgot to make sure international orders had a different rate, including my own. The results, while not completely miserable, set the labels back several hundred dollars. Some orders even lost money! Always. ALWAYS. Double check shipping before pushing a new product live.
