How Would One Go About Starting A Record Label??????!

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  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    LOLCL wrote: »
    5 Grand wrote: »
    1. Get an Associate's degree

    2. Write a business proposal
    ????
    3. Make a hit song, not a good song, but a radio smash hit (Hot In Here, In Da Club, Hard Knock Life, Juicy, Dear Mama)

    I respect you a lot cause it's always good to get old head opinions on anything but this is a big leap man. I think these should either be switched or more explained - writing a business proposal is a big in depth thing explaining each step. You're telling me Lil Pump should write a business plan about how he flexes like oou?

    Independent labels are killing this model thankfully. Remember if you make under $12000 a year in petty cash from an income source you don't have to pay taxes on it/report it to the IRS.

    Well if you're making $12,000 per year, you're living in poverty and you'd make more money working at McDonalds.

    I thought the T/S was talking about running a record label that generates enough profit to live comfortably. To do this you'll need a hit song that you can tour with on the strength of that song. If you don't have a hit song, you can't tour because nobody's heard of you. Club promoters and radio stations across the US aren't going to book your shows if they haven't heard of you, especially if nobody in that region has heard of you.

    As much time as posters spend on this message board debating Pac vs Big or Jay vs Nas, you could spend a few days writing a business proposal and putting together a Powerpoint presentation. With a written proposal and a Powerpoint presentation you can stand in front of investors that have MBAs and sell your idea. With no written plan investors won't take you seriously.

    Its been said that some rappers started their own labels with drug money, so they didn't need a business plan or a Powerpoint presentation. But for every Hip Hop mogul that started a record label with drug money there's 10,000 people in prison serving lengthy sentences because they got caught up in the drug game. I wonder how that happened?


  • HafBayked
    HafBayked Members Posts: 16,248 ✭✭✭✭✭
    you didnt hear it from me but you wanna rob your favorite KFC....lay the smack down but let lil homie in the window make it, then wait bout 20 years for him to bring his son to your spot

    in the meantime think big sample clearances....Janet Jackson type ? ....things like this take time to lock down so start working on that

  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Another thing;

    Independents will never, ever take over the corporations. It's impossible.

    Back in the 1920s there were three major labels; RCA Victor, Columbia and Edison (Thomas Edison's label). Edison folded in the market crash of 1929. From that point forward there were two major labels.

    When Rock N Roll came out, RCA and Columbia thought it was just a fad, so by the mid 1950s there were scores, if not 100s of independent labels. Slowly but surely the major corporations began buying out the independent labels. By the 1980s independent labels still existed but major labels had an oligopoly. History repeated itself, the major labels thought rap/Hip Hop was a fad so they didn't TAKEOVER the Hip Hop industry until the early to mid 90s.

    By the mid 1990s, there were 5 major labels (BMG, Sony, EMI, Universal, Seagrams) that controlled 80% of the record industry with independent labels controlling 20%. But as soon as any one of those labels started making serious money they would get bought out by a major label (Def Jam, Cash Money, Rocafella, Rawkus).

    Basically the major corporations have so much money and power they can force you to sell your company when it gets to a size where you're competing against them.

    Think about it; if you owned a $500 billion corporation, would you let an independent label make $100 Million without giving you a cut? Serious question.

    If I owned a $500 Billion corporation I'd let a label make $100 Million as long as they gave me 60% of the profit.
  • LOLCL
    LOLCL Members Posts: 1,039 ✭✭✭✭
    5 Grand wrote: »
    Another thing;

    Independents will never, ever take over the corporations. It's impossible.

    Back in the 1920s there were three major labels; RCA Victor, Columbia and Edison (Thomas Edison's label). Edison folded in the market crash of 1929. From that point forward there were two major labels.

    When Rock N Roll came out, RCA and Columbia thought it was just a fad, so by the mid 1950s there were scores, if not 100s of independent labels. Slowly but surely the major corporations began buying out the independent labels. By the 1980s independent labels still existed but major labels had an oligopoly. History repeated itself, the major labels thought rap/Hip Hop was a fad so they didn't TAKEOVER the Hip Hop industry until the early to mid 90s.

    By the mid 1990s, there were 5 major labels (BMG, Sony, EMI, Universal, Seagrams) that controlled 80% of the record industry with independent labels controlling 20%. But as soon as any one of those labels started making serious money they would get bought out by a major label (Def Jam, Cash Money, Rocafella, Rawkus).

    Basically the major corporations have so much money and power they can force you to sell your company when it gets to a size where you're competing against them.

    Think about it; if you owned a $500 billion corporation, would you let an independent label make $100 Million without giving you a cut? Serious question.

    If I owned a $500 Billion corporation I'd let a label make $100 Million as long as they gave me 60% of the profit.

    The question wasn't the longevity of it, it was how to start one. Ultimately I think your goal should be to sell the brand that you create for yourself, not yourself as an artist, but at least the label behind you. Having that label power distribution and marketing wise can never hurt. I believe we are entering an age where independent labels will have stronger power over the major labels, but of course that'll go away in a few years.
  • Soloman_The_Wise
    Soloman_The_Wise Members Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    LOLCL wrote: »
    5 Grand wrote: »
    Another thing;

    Independents will never, ever take over the corporations. It's impossible.

    Back in the 1920s there were three major labels; RCA Victor, Columbia and Edison (Thomas Edison's label). Edison folded in the market crash of 1929. From that point forward there were two major labels.

    When Rock N Roll came out, RCA and Columbia thought it was just a fad, so by the mid 1950s there were scores, if not 100s of independent labels. Slowly but surely the major corporations began buying out the independent labels. By the 1980s independent labels still existed but major labels had an oligopoly. History repeated itself, the major labels thought rap/Hip Hop was a fad so they didn't TAKEOVER the Hip Hop industry until the early to mid 90s.

    By the mid 1990s, there were 5 major labels (BMG, Sony, EMI, Universal, Seagrams) that controlled 80% of the record industry with independent labels controlling 20%. But as soon as any one of those labels started making serious money they would get bought out by a major label (Def Jam, Cash Money, Rocafella, Rawkus).

    Basically the major corporations have so much money and power they can force you to sell your company when it gets to a size where you're competing against them.

    Think about it; if you owned a $500 billion corporation, would you let an independent label make $100 Million without giving you a cut? Serious question.

    If I owned a $500 Billion corporation I'd let a label make $100 Million as long as they gave me 60% of the profit.

    The question wasn't the longevity of it, it was how to start one. Ultimately I think your goal should be to sell the brand that you create for yourself, not yourself as an artist, but at least the label behind you. Having that label power distribution and marketing wise can never hurt. I believe we are entering an age where independent labels will have stronger power over the major labels, but of course that'll go away in a few years.

    Well nowadays it seems to be about streaming. Tidal, Spotify, Youtube, Pandora, IHeart Radio, etc. But you can best believe that those streaming sites are owned by major corporations and any independent streaming site that starts making money is going to be bought out by a major corporation (Big Bank take little bank).

    But back to the question of starting a label. I can't believe I forgot this most important detail, you need a good lawyer and you need to sign your artists to a contract so they can't record for any other label/entity. It doesn't make any sense to put money behind an artist if he's free to record elsewhere. You'd be competing against other labels with the same artist. Look at any successful label. They have artists that are signed exclusively to that label, they can't record elsewhere without permission. Or if they do record elsewhere the recording belongs to the label, not the person that recorded it (i.e. a mixtape DJ).
  • Revolver Ocelot
    Revolver Ocelot Members Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭✭✭
    5 Grand wrote: »
    Well good luck trying to start a record label without a college degree

    You truly are fuckn stupid.

    Puff
    Jay/Dame/Biggs
    Irv Gotti
    Dr. Dre
    Barry Gordy


    All folks who started a label w/o a degree.
  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    5 Grand wrote: »
    Well good luck trying to start a record label without a college degree

    You truly are fuckn stupid.

    Puff
    Jay/Dame/Biggs
    Irv Gotti
    Dr. Dre
    Barry Gordy


    All folks who started a label w/o a degree.

    Again, good luck
  • Idiopathic Joker
    Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
    Great advice guys
  • Beta
    Beta Members Posts: 65,596 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great advice guys

    First dude you gonna sign will be NBA youngboy
  • Idiopathic Joker
    Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
    Beta wrote: »
    Great advice guys

    First dude you gonna sign will be NBA youngboy

    Who?
  • LOLCL
    LOLCL Members Posts: 1,039 ✭✭✭✭
    A lot of people get held back from having expectations that are much to high, you can study contract law yourself & literally draft that, then get it notarized or whatever, all without a lawyer. You don't want to be paying someone's salary when you have no money coming in, just doesn't work out for a successful business.

    When there's money to spend and give out, that's when you do it.
  • nawledge_god
    nawledge_god Members Posts: 5,622 ✭✭✭✭✭
    5 Grand wrote: »
    1. Get an Associate's degree

    2. Write a business proposal

    3. Make a hit song, not a good song, but a radio smash hit (Hot In Here, In Da Club, Hard Knock Life, Juicy, Dear Mama)

    4. Contact the Small Business Administration and other government funded lenders and get investors to fund the label (you'll need at least $1 Million to get started)

    5. Send the HIT song to all of the Hip Hop and R&B radio stations in the U.S. (It has to be a hit!!! If its not a hit you're wasting your time!)

    6. Make a PROFESSIONAL VIDEO (maybe 2 or 3 videos) and do a social media blitz.

    7. Once you've created a buzz you can tour and the radio stations will promote your shows for a % of the door receipts.

    7. You'll need to rent a tour bus for a 40-City tour.

    8. A 40-City tour takes about 60 Days.

    Good Luck!!!


    You Really Aiming For The Sky Hujh
  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
    nawledge_? wrote: »
    5 Grand wrote: »
    1. Get an Associate's degree

    2. Write a business proposal

    3. Make a hit song, not a good song, but a radio smash hit (Hot In Here, In Da Club, Hard Knock Life, Juicy, Dear Mama)

    4. Contact the Small Business Administration and other government funded lenders and get investors to fund the label (you'll need at least $1 Million to get started)

    5. Send the HIT song to all of the Hip Hop and R&B radio stations in the U.S. (It has to be a hit!!! If its not a hit you're wasting your time!)

    6. Make a PROFESSIONAL VIDEO (maybe 2 or 3 videos) and do a social media blitz.

    7. Once you've created a buzz you can tour and the radio stations will promote your shows for a % of the door receipts.

    7. You'll need to rent a tour bus for a 40-City tour.

    8. A 40-City tour takes about 60 Days.

    Good Luck!!!


    You Really Aiming For The Sky Hujh

    Well it depends on how sharp you are from the start. Some people can get by with an Associate's Degree. Other people need a Bachelor's Degree or a Masters and they still can't get anywhere in life because they're natural born followers and don't have any entrepreneurial spirit.

    I know guys who have MBAs but they don't have the heart to quit their job and start their own business.
  • Cabana_Da_Don
    Cabana_Da_Don Members Posts: 7,992 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Get legit artists.That includes producers and legit cash cows.Every great label got couple cash cows.Couple hits.People look just for one hit but nah you gotta have couple hits.Get money from shows,internet free songs and get it on clothe at concerts and festivals.Tv promotion.Invest in serious propaganda.Payola.
  • silverfoxx
    silverfoxx Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 11,704 ✭✭✭✭✭
    And as for the hit song.

    Fetty wap made trap queen and just spammed twitter celebs for 2 years with it until It​ caught on.

    Radio stations ain't got like that no more.

    Damn my ? you could have at least given me this formula. Off to Twitter I go.
  • Busta Carmichael
    Busta Carmichael Members, Moderators Posts: 13,161 Regulator
    silverfoxx wrote: »
    And as for the hit song.

    Fetty wap made trap queen and just spammed twitter celebs for 2 years with it until It​ caught on.

    Radio stations ain't got like that no more.

    Damn my ? you could have at least given me this formula. Off to Twitter I go.

    Lol he spammed DJ envy so.much that he blocked him.

    Envy admitted to it when fetty was on the breakfast club
  • r.prince18
    r.prince18 Members Posts: 1,353 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wouldn't be easier just to start an app or website to promote your music now. Couldn't you just make money on adspace?
  • DarthRozay
    DarthRozay Members Posts: 20,570 ✭✭✭✭✭
    r.prince18 wrote: »
    Wouldn't be easier just to start an app or website to promote your music now. Couldn't you just make money on adspace?

    You could, but what good is an app that people don't use? or a website that people don't visit?
  • JokerzWyld
    JokerzWyld Members Posts: 5,483 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Get a business license/charter from your state to make it legit. Find and invest in some quality talent and equipment. Use the internet as your distribution mechanism. Hire a person to coordinate with venues for live shows. Etc.
  • T. Sanford
    T. Sanford Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 25,291 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Name your label after something a generic or trendy slang or anything money or drug related like BossUp Ent or any simple ? .

    Don't get a business license.

    Change your Facebook occupation to CEO. *example CEO of BossUp Ent*. Changing it to CEO will persuade yet trick your peers that you are an important person but you don't practice CEO duties & responsibilities

    Never sign talented rappers instead turn your home boys into over night rappers.

    Last but not least, never take your CEO title serious. Freestyle on FB live sometimes but never put out music. Always hangout on your front porch, smoking & etc with your click like y'all working