Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Some friends and I were thinking about starting up a distro/label. I was wondering if it's just as simple as asking to order wholesale from the pressing label? And other tips you guys might have. We were also going to start issuing tapes for some bands we're friends with and maybe getting a hold of a lathe to cut some lofi records. Can anyone give me info on how to record and copy tapes? Thanks doods. Shinji 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aych Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Here's a good list of questions to consider before starting any kind of record label, especially if you're hoping to grow the label into an actual career, not just a one-off project. Even if you don't hope to achieve any sort of large-scale recognition from the label, these are still very relevant questions, specifically in terms of copyright laws, contracts, funding and whatnot. Too many labels, both big and small, crash and burn because the founders didn't do enough research and preparation before getting (and keeping) the ball rolling. http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/09/35-things-to-consider-when-starting-your-own-record-label.html Out of Breath Records 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyFrosted Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 If you make low quality lathe cuts, I will find you. David The Gnome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 If you make low quality lathe cuts, I will find you. orly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Here's a good list of questions to consider before starting any kind of record label, especially if you're hoping to grow the label into an actual career, not just a one-off project. Even if you don't hope to achieve any sort of large-scale recognition from the label, these are still very relevant questions, specifically in terms of copyright laws, contracts, funding and whatnot. Too many labels, both big and small, crash and burn because the founders didn't do enough research and preparation before getting (and keeping) the ball rolling. http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/09/35-things-to-consider-when-starting-your-own-record-label.html I'm taking Intro to Music Industry in college right now, and I'm learning alot that I didn't know before. But getting some actual tips from people who already have them started would help too . Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrowsmith89 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I so wish that my school offered a music industry class when I was in school. I studied business, so I had to take core classes for every field, and one of them was supply and logistics. Maybe look into some operations management classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aych Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'm in the final course of my university's MBUS program right now, and I was going to start a small label for my class project, but decided I didn't have enough financial capital or an impressive enough business plan to attract investors of any kind. So goes the business, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'm in the final course of my university's MBUS program right now, and I was going to start a small label for my class project, but decided I didn't have enough financial capital or an impressive enough business plan to attract investors of any kind. So goes the business, I guess. That's a bummer! You don't have friends interested in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Buy a bunch of records and then sell them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 if you're going to college for music business find internships with record labels before you try to do it yourself. see what other labels do, work a shitty job and save up your money and then start your own label once you can afford it. you could always get a loan from a bank, but if you dont know what you're doing you should just get an internship and observe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'd go with what mike said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Oh yeah and pay your taxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 buzz, killed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Damn taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglebowski Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Find Virgil Dickerson. Ask him how he ran things. Do the opposite. Seriously, though, I think the first thing you need to start a label is a good connection to the music industry that will allow you attract bands that people actually want to own music from. Don't be one of those people that finds the least objectionable local band that will sign with them and put out 5 different /50 colors to try and create artificial demand. Not to skew too far to one side -- plenty of smaller bands that could work. Way that I would put it -- if a band couldn't at least do a regional tour where they play smaller clubs/bars without losing money, they probably have no business on vinyl (yet). I think you can probably work through the operations management stuff as you go if you have a product people want (track costs, pay taxes, provide good customer service, etc). Don't need to study inventory management models and six sigma for a small label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglebowski Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 ^ maybe I didn't read carefully. I was talking about starting a label. Distro would be a different animal. All the best distros are run by labels (in my mind at least). They work to give each other decent costs on each other's stuff and everyone benefits (I look at the way No Idea sells their stuff but you can also pick up stuff from Fat, it's alive, recess, etc for pretty good prices). Standalone distros must do OK because they exist but it seems like a lot of work for little profit. Look at people like vinyljunkie and invinylwetrust and how they bailed on the whole thing. Sold thousands of records for probably wholesale or less in the end to get out. Just seems like in order to be a good distro you have to have a good selection but there is a ton of risk with investing in that many records to resell. It just seems like too much risk for the payoff in my opinion. Good for you if you try, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 ^ maybe I didn't read carefully. I was talking about starting a label. Distro would be a different animal. All the best distros are run by labels (in my mind at least). They work to give each other decent costs on each other's stuff and everyone benefits (I look at the way No Idea sells their stuff but you can also pick up stuff from Fat, it's alive, recess, etc for pretty good prices). Standalone distros must do OK because they exist but it seems like a lot of work for little profit. Look at people like vinyljunkie and invinylwetrust and how they bailed on the whole thing. Sold thousands of records for probably wholesale or less in the end to get out. Just seems like in order to be a good distro you have to have a good selection but there is a ton of risk with investing in that many records to resell. It just seems like too much risk for the payoff in my opinion. Good for you if you try, though. So basically you're recommending that good label = good distro? I don't plan on starting releases on vinyull just because the cost spectrum is too high as of now, but I know plenty of labels that started out just putting out nicely made tapes. Which is an idea I thought of following. Also, anyone know anything about not-for-profit record labels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/44769-the-how-to-press-a-record-thread/ Have you read over this thread yet? A lot of great info that should help you decide if it's something you want to do. Several folks who run successful labels have chimed in and offered a lot of solid advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglebowski Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 So basically you're recommending that good label = good distro? I just think (from someone who has collected for a while but never really jumped into that world) that the key to a good label or a good distro or both is contacts to good music that is coming down the pipeline (be it a special color of a record someone else put out, the ability to get your stuff in other's distros, or the rights to press something that people are really itching to get their hands on). But Rad is right -- I'm sharing my opinion as an outsider but others are more capable to give advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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