Label Questions?

Hey guys,

So I’ve gotten my first offer from a label, so I’m pretty excited here. Thanks to all those who have commented and supported me here.

Here’s the deal; these guys are very gung ho about the distribution, and they seem to want to get it as fast as possible, which is fine. They seem to be legit (allusion records, check 'em on soundcloud), but I’m not sure what to ask before sending over my track to make sure I’m getting a good deal. I don’t want to drive 'em away, but I don’t want to get completely undersold either.

Come on SA, you’ve always helped out in the past… What should I do?

Def get your contract in writing before you send them anything. 50% or thereabouts of net receipts is about average for royalties.

Make sure that they do proper promo (if possible to check at this stage) in all their tracks.

My only advice is to stop sending your tracks to no name labels. They will not help your career in anyway. If you think your tracks are good then send them off to “bigger dance labels”(not sure if that’s even the right word considering hardly any of them make decent sales any ways)



From giving a quick google it seems their only mean of promotion is soundcloud. They are following 2000people with only 388 following back. I would also be willing to bet that most of the people follwing are just doing because of the “records” in said label name. On further inspection there email is a “gmail adress”


I did a little google search as well, and I contacted a group signed to them as well. Turns out they’re still in the early stages, and are “hoping to get on beatport”. So yes, they’re definitely a “no-name” label, but considering I’m a “no-name” artist with no response from the big name labels, I think I’ll probably send them the file. I think it’s better than nothing, and I can afford the risk… I guess my question now is, am I hurting myself by doing this?

nah mate get em out there



unless these are the only / best tunes you will ever make then i wouldnt worry about it

@chekka

What I was thinking. I have reasonable belief that I have plenty more songs in me, and I don’t direly need the money, although it’d be nice… :smiley:

edit: don’t listen to me alienunez and roben are right :stuck_out_tongue:



Congrats by the way :slight_smile:

[quote]Flaxo (23/01/2011)[hr]I did a little google search as well, and I contacted a group signed to them as well. Turns out they’re still in the early stages, and are “hoping to get on beatport”. So yes, they’re definitely a “no-name” label, but considering I’m a “no-name” artist with no response from the big name labels, I think I’ll probably send them the file. I think it’s better than nothing, and I can afford the risk… I guess my question now is, am I hurting myself by doing this?[/quote]



hey man !! i heard your electro tracks and i am pretty sure that some big label would take you . now the fact that you are signing to a no name label might not be the best way . u should just be more patient and try to send demos to other labels already established . a contract for a track can be from 3 to 20 years . so maybe in the future a big label might ask you to re release it . so dont settle for nothing less. ur music is awesome

Check them out, see if they’re distributing already on the major digital stores, if they’re not then i wouldn’t let the excitement of ‘getting it signed’ cloud your judgement. If someones willing to sign it, there is a good chance another label out there with better standing will do too.



If they have their stuff out there then sure, get things in writing before you send them anything such as .wav or parts.

[quote]Flaxo (23/01/2011)[hr]I did a little google search as well, and I contacted a group signed to them as well. Turns out they’re still in the early stages, and are “hoping to get on beatport”. So yes, they’re definitely a “no-name” label, but considering I’m a “no-name” artist with no response from the big name labels, I think I’ll probably send them the file. I think it’s better than nothing, and I can afford the risk… I guess my question now is, am I hurting myself by doing this?[/quote]



I’m only looking out for you buddy BTW. Honestly the amount of small labels on beatport who do no promotion is a joke. Alot of the time they will release your tune(not saying this about said label) and under 5 people will buy it. The 5 people are mostly likely gonna be your friends in real life or your internet buddies from a forum.



IMO with good digital EDM labels a plenty, you should only be looking to sign a track to a label who is known(it’s not even that they’re known, it’s just that you know some of the artists on there and they regularly place top 100 in their said genres) and ones that do a little bit of promoting.



Back a few years ago it was huge to get on a label because you actually had to sell phisical cds which was not easy. This probably meant having to have a brand to go with just making the music. Now a days with all the “famous” djs playing what they believe to be good tracks in their said genres, you can bet if you make something good it will get signed to a good label. This is because there is really no risk for them.



It’s kind of a win win IMO. In EDM if you make good/great music it will get heard.

wait it out bro! keep making the good stuff. you got plenty left in you. the possibilities are endless.



I think that people sometime forget that the tracks that you release with labels on beatport stay with your profile forever. i have a bunch of friends that produce for a living and they all tell me that they wish they could remove the tracks from 4-5 years ago that they released on some no-name label. producers are constantly learning new techniques and playing with their sound. by the time a track you make now comes out on beatport, you will already have a couple tracks that are better then the 1 you release and you will be kicking yourself for not being more patient.





Hey flaxo, ( i didnt get time to read the other answers so may be a few doubled answers here)

I'd ask them what they promo period is (how long they wait between sending out promos, gathering feedback (as beatport and other sites give features for big feedback) and releasing the track) .. the longer it is (within reason) the better to gather the best feedback and hype

Ask them where they release (beatport, juno, trackitdown etc etc)

What djs and radios currently support their releases

also make sure the contract is to your satisfaction. Dont be to shy to say "no sorry thats not how i want it"

Labels will like to try and take advantage but if they are truley behind the track they will happily answer these questions and explain things to you

good luck with it mate

[quote]squeak2199 (24/01/2011)[hr][quote]Flaxo (23/01/2011)[hr]I did a little google search as well, and I contacted a group signed to them as well. Turns out they’re still in the early stages, and are “hoping to get on beatport”. So yes, they’re definitely a “no-name” label, but considering I’m a “no-name” artist with no response from the big name labels, I think I’ll probably send them the file. I think it’s better than nothing, and I can afford the risk… I guess my question now is, am I hurting myself by doing this?[/quote]



I’m only looking out for you buddy BTW. Honestly the amount of small labels on beatport who do no promotion is a joke. Alot of the time they will release your tune(not saying this about said label) and under 5 people will buy it. The 5 people are mostly likely gonna be your friends in real life or your internet buddies from a forum.



IMO with good digital EDM labels a plenty, you should only be looking to sign a track to a label who is known(it’s not even that they’re known, it’s just that you know some of the artists on there and they regularly place top 100 in their said genres) and ones that do a little bit of promoting.



Back a few years ago it was huge to get on a label because you actually had to sell phisical cds which was not easy. This probably meant having to have a brand to go with just making the music. Now a days with all the “famous” djs playing what they believe to be good tracks in their said genres, you can bet if you make something good it will get signed to a good label. This is because there is really no risk for them.



It’s kind of a win win IMO. In EDM if you make good/great music it will get heard.[/quote]



+1

Agg thanks all for helping! Now I am in a real rut. From what some of you have said, I’ve got what it takes to make it to a major label. I don’t really know now, but for now I’ve told allusion that I’m thinking about it and I’ll get back to them. No great rush.

I just don’t know if I’m wasting my time here; my ultimate goal is Big Fish. They make the kind of music I like, my idols are all pretty much on it, etc etc. I know for a fact right now the stuff ain’t cutting it, as I spoke to Lazy Rich, and while he said “You’ve got potential”, I’m clearly not signed as of yet…

ergh

[quote]Flaxo (25/01/2011)[hr]Agg thanks all for helping! Now I am in a real rut. From what some of you have said, I’ve got what it takes to make it to a major label. I don’t really know now, but for now I’ve told allusion that I’m thinking about it and I’ll get back to them. No great rush.

I just don’t know if I’m wasting my time here; my ultimate goal is Big Fish. They make the kind of music I like, my idols are all pretty much on it, etc etc. I know for a fact right now the stuff ain’t cutting it, as I spoke to Lazy Rich, and while he said “You’ve got potential”, I’m clearly not signed as of yet…

ergh[/quote]



Yeah it’s a tough decision. The only thing that matters is your decision. You have to ask yourself what the label can do for you. Are they gonna sell alot of your track? Are they gonna get your a thousand more followers on twitter?(lol) etc.



However sometimes there is a benifit to signing to a small EDM label. Say you live in country which doesn’t have many EDM superstars, however the label owner gets all the good gigs in the country. Then maybe you could have a contract that says you get to open for him etc. This would be benifical to getting your name out around your country. Anyways don’t know if anyone is following that lol…



I think Big Fish is a great label. Going by how Luckydates/Porter Robinsons music sounds, the label is after a really strong kick drum. My suggestion would be to compress/limit/newyork compress your kick drum until it really is “huge”… or just sample Wolfgang Gartner lol

I agree big fish is a great label and if lazy rich is saying you have potential just keep at it. Don’t rush to get out there the right label will come along with a bit of patience and it will be worth while :smiley: