Do you think an average person can make a record label?

Do you think an average person can make a record label?

I'm not trying to do this, i was having a conversation with a friend and it got me thinking. I was wondering what people's thoughts are, as well as wondering if anyone has done so and what there experiences are/were.


Basically, i'm talking about the work out of a home studio, minimal loans, minimal production costs, etc. But actually be PROFITABLE. Not make you just spending cash but pay your bills, allow you to to better your financial situation in real ways, etc, etc.


I was talking to a friend and I really think the "MP3 era", as negative as alot of it has been to the music industry as a whole, especially independant musicians, it brings opperternities (I think). For example, the quality of music really doesn't have to be as quality as it used to be. That allows for someone who has somewhat competent skills to make something the general public can listen to. Promotion stuff, it's iffy, i don't know that it would be a really viable resource or not. My own idea would be keeping the target market local still.

Then, we all know getting beats for an album can be had for almost nothing, many times nothing, and still be quality. Budget your production to $2000 or so. Then, presumably, someone involved would have the equipment to record, so it would just be the price to pay for recording, mixing and mastering. Obviously, someone involved may do this for free but that negates the idea of being a "true label", it is a business. Put about $1000 most there. Hopefully sell $2000 worth of CD's for whatever price.

That gives a $5000 budget. In terms of promotion, you would have to add some but people would have to perform, etc.


I've yet to hear a business plan from a small label (not that people should give them out freely), but i haven't even heard people touch on alot of this stuff and plan to be independant. Alot of people try to start a label with no intention of spending money, alot of people spend money to promote and hopefully get signed to a major.


I was just curious if people think you could still have a low budget label and survive. I personally think so but only if other people did it too. I want to hear oppinions.

Yea, i definitely feel where you are coming from... its some stuff I think about as well with the "labels".

Even with artist, most people dont have a plan. They just want a song, and you need a plan behind the song in which steps to take next, and if that step fells, whats the next option to get to the next step and so on.

But this is definitely a subject that you can go all day with.

"CD burners had to be the worst invention/ they made it too easy for cats to go independent"
-Wordsworth

jaem wrote:"CD burners had to be the worst invention/ they made it too easy for cats to go independent"
-Wordsworth

that's a bunch of bs ...back in the day we used to dream about going to a studio and recording our $hit onto a a fukin cassette tape...but we never had the means...does that mean that we didn't deserve to record our $hit...no...and now that dream is now a fuking reality...anybody can record their $hit and duplicate it...and it's a beautiful fuking thing...yeah there is a bunch of $hitty music out there...but there always has been...and the corporations no longer have the ability to suppress 99.9% of the music made in the world

Well, cd duplication/mp3 downloads is one of the sort of "flaws" with what i'm talking about. It's one thing that really makes the feasability lower as everyone can do this. Obviously, cheap duplication is a must, i'm not saying it could be done without it, but it makes it much harder to present a product that will get people's attention and actually buy.

"jaem wrote:
"CD burners had to be the worst invention/ they made it too easy for cats to go independent"
-Wordsworth"

It's not often, but I have to agree with Jaem on this one. Bootlegging is SO easy for anyone to profit off. Any lame can buy a top selling cd, duplicate it, and print a label and cd cover. I can get 100 blank cd's for $9.00 and 100 slim cases for $12.99 at Microcenter. Bootlegging has seriously crippled the game, but the truth is that the internet maybe crippling the bootleggers business. How many of us rely on the bootlegg man, or do we download what we want ourselves...
Personally, I'd lay quite a bit of blame on the internet and MP3's. This combined with cd burners makes things overly simple. I mean, now you don't even have to buy the cd you want to make money off!
I've been to a few events the last few weeks and collected a schitload of underground cd's, and out of ten cd's, all ten sucked, and I bet anyone $10 that none of these will ever see a bootlegger!
So if you want to run an independent label, it's more than just making the music and hoping people buy it. From my example above, anything dope will get illegally copied; faster than you can produced it, so your going to need a game-plan that will make your label succeed. So far, I don't know anyone that's figured it out since most labels are folding, but to answer your question, Yes, it's possible to run a successful label with a small budget from your basement, but the real question is how? If anyone can answer this question, they probably shouldn't be on this forum answering the question.. I'd expect them to be walking the talk.

roxstar wrote:So if you want to run an independent label, it's more than just making the music and hoping people buy it. From my example above, anything dope will get illegally copied; faster than you can produced it, so your going to need a game-plan that will make your label succeed. So far, I don't know anyone that's figured it out since most labels are folding, but to answer your question, Yes, it's possible to run a successful label with a small budget from your basement, but the real question is how? If anyone can answer this question, they probably shouldn't be on this forum answering the question.. I'd expect them to be walking the talk.

Yeah, i mean, that's my question, i don't expect it to be answered. I'm surprised very few companies, much less labels have been able to exploit the net in a good way. Most are either loosing sales or finding ways to minimize that lose.

My idea would be more of a thing where you just couldn't be easily exposed on the net. You would, in a way, have to find it. You could use the net for promotion, or promote to people personally, and make them want it. Now, that is a major challenge obviously. People have a .5 sec attention span and can pay $5000 for a TV but won't buy music. Really, people spend $1000 on a computer to mess it up in days, it's done in a year, and they still do this, even though buying CD's would be cheaper in the long run.

So yeah, that's the problem. Again, i'm not exactly trying to do this, if i had the answer and the time, different story but it's more just a "think tank" question. I'd love if i could do so but even more if talented musicains could do so. We complain about the music but there is good music out there. Unfortunately, the wackness gets promoted hard and people who have been making music for 5 months and have hours and hours a day make it impossible to sort through the garbage.

yeah i feel yall.... I think though that an "artist" can last by of course... TOURING.... and changing up the show often, giving the fans more and more, something a CD cant do(maybe a DVD burner). But its nonthing like a great concert, and too many peeps arent even doing those these days. People arent doing GREAT shows anymore.

But too succeed as a label, will definitely be a secret for those that find it. I think its possible, just gotta find out what it is and how to do it.

i see what everyone is saying. but it is what it is. shtts this way and that's just how it is. therefore i think there's a lot of positive ways to look at this. the music industry is basically in the hands of the people right now. if we want to really make it tho we gotta bring something serious. everyones got the opportunity available right now but the over saturation of crap levels the playing field quite nicely. and you gotta be a sharp dude to begin with so you just gotta figure out those limitless ways you could make money off of your craft. obviously if bootleggers/internet have stepped their game up in taking money away from you, you just gotta come with the next jab.

to answer your original Q? can an average peson make a record label? read donald s. passman all you need to know about the music industry. its the bible.also check out music powers .com and let the facts speak for themselves and settle disputes

i started 1 at the beginin of 08............ its a lot more then a lil $$$ors....
i had 2 put it aside 4 the meantime... with 2 of us startin out, it cost dolla's... copyrights on ur logo, ur name, contracts,
MAN, if i knew whut i really know now, i would'nt of sold my construction company ( me portion of ) as fast as i did.
GOT 2 HAVE THE PAPER TO BACK ALOT OF PERSONAL & CORPERATE BUSINESS PART... & i thought i was ready...

DirtyBird wrote:

jaem wrote:"CD burners had to be the worst invention/ they made it too easy for cats to go independent"
-Wordsworth

the ability to suppress 99.9% of the music made in the world

what i would pay to bring this back!!!!!

about the starting a record label thing...

i know some fellas around my way that started their own independent label. and not just saying 'i have a record label like so many rappers do' but actually doing it legit and registering it as a company with a tax number etc. what they said basically was that it can be done by the average joe, IF you're willing to put in a SHITLOAD of work. they said they underestimated the amount of work it takes to do everything by themselves... and shit they are just an underground independent label - theyre not doin it big like that. they just releasing music they enjoy on a label they made. they make no profits, most likely they are making a loss. if they do make a profit, its probably just a grand or two. they applied for a lot of grants (easy to get here in NZ, our government likes giving out money for free) and just been on their grind. so if you wanna start a record label, just know thats its gonna take a pissload of work, but it can be done. and dont expect to be making mega bucks

i dont think an independant label can be successful nowadays, if it relies strictly on its music. no matter how dope. at least not for the long run. i think that nowadays you're gonna make more money on other aspects of the music industry that are still somewhat profitable.

live performance, merchandise, merging into other facets such as distribution, getting your music into tv shows and movies, etc.

some of this would be considered selling out in the past, but i dont think you can even be considered a sell out if the majority of your doe is not even coming from the music. the game has completely changed in unimaginable ways so rapidly the last few years that nobody really knows what the f*ck is going on and what direction to go in.

i think people on both ends of the spectrum are to blame. the people that are no longer buying music and the industry itself. i mean ya people are downloading sh*t for free but the industry has been making really sh*tty product since it stopped investing into artist development. plus they have been ripping off music listeners for years with the excessive price of cd's and such. i think to an extent the crooked industry is getting what it deserves.

its definitely a lot harder than it used to be, but i think in that is an opportunity for people to change the game in a way that will take a lot of power away from the industry and give more power to the average joe if they can find a way to exploit their opportunities to the fullest beyond just the music and are willing to work hard and intelligently and get others on board.

four eyes wrote:its definitely a lot harder than it used to be

TRUE.

but... it is ALSO true that it has never been easier at the same time