03/28/07
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strategy
Some words from someone running a functionally operational record label..
- I think we might be one of the few to respond to 9 out of 10 demos..not all labels are tossing them in the trash and then never replying to say thanks! but most of them do this.
- MySpace link demos are bad form...
- I totally scold anyone who emails us nagging about their demo especially repeat emails
- Variety on a given demo is good if you do music in a wide range of styles
- Everything ignatius said- front load, 20 minutes...!
03/28/07
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delete
- send a demo to strategy's label
03/28/07
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tooth
Say, what is that functionally operational (is there another kind?) label?
03/28/07
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dylan
thanks for all of the advice. much appreciated.
strategy: what is the name of the label you are operating? do you have an address to which i may send a demo?
03/29/07
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room
4 songs max (leave them wanting more) - no duds!
packaging keep it simple - its all about the music +
put your web-site/myspace and email on the cd itself
include a one page info sheet - stating past releases and live gigs
03/29/07
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filarion
another thing I've noticed since I'm also getting a few demos a week.. don't send your already released/old material. it may be obvious, but that has happened twice to me already.
03/30/07
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strategy
Re: functional vs non functional labels
Most labels are egotistic weirdos who are out there looking for name people, already established. Functional, but not culturally innovative, so eventually, these to me are nonfunctional in the sense they are not pushing culture forward or providing access to cultural resources for isolated, new, young, or otherwise less than privileged artists.
Most other labels are groups of 1-3 friends, sometimes more, in a state of persistent bankruptcy, doing projects out of personal incomes and really only equipped to release the music from within a given circle of friends who don't mind the DIY materials, CDRs, lack of distribution, lack of payment, etc.
A functional label might be one in which there's enough returns from release to release to provide a consistent level of production/manufacturing quality, to promotions, also must be culturally involved ie willing to invest in new artists, not overly trend oriented, and at least attempting to turn enough profit to be able to pay artists..
we would be in the "circle of friends DIY label ultimately failing" category if it weren't for the sacrifice we made partnering with a distributor..which provides us with a way to use high quality materials and mastering, etc. P&D labels then are an investor and a distributor wrapped up in one entity. However, that means that releases must be approved with that partner distributor, another layer of opinion to get through, and often a fairly brutally realistic opinion- being told you want to release music that wont' sell is not fun for example. Some labels that don't want to flounder as an undercapitalized DIY entity, will go the P&D route, which is very functional, but also sometimes unpleasantly complicated.
The world of labels.
04/08/07
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whitecar
Strategy makes a good point about labels releasing music that will sell rather than release music that is good.
