by Francesca | Feb 21, 2024 | Legal
Interested in starting your own label? There are a couple things you’ll have to do first to make it happen. In this post, we’ll give you a general rundown of the most important steps. Here’s what we know…
How To Register Your Own Record Label
What does a label do?
A record label is the entity responsible for releasing your master recordings to the public on retailers, streaming services, radio, etc.. Major parts of a record label’s work involve promotion, marketing your music, landing sync placements, and more. In addition, major labels often pay out advances to cover the recording costs for the album or single in addition to paying to produce physical releases like CDs or LPs.
“How do I know if I’m ready to start my own label?”
There are a couple reasons why someone would want to start their own record label. Whether you want to represent yourself or other artists, it’s a great way to gain some independence, learn more about the industry, direct the futures of other artists and genres, and give yourself the ultimate control over the destiny of your own music.
Regardless of why you want one, however, this is a complicated and time-consuming process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Doing this on your own is possible, but not recommended if you have no experience in the game. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so build a team that encompasses every skill you need to do this right. Once your team is in order, here’s what you need to do.
Define Your Vision
Your brand identity as a label will play a huge part in your success moving forward. It’s important to choose a specific vibe or genre you’d like to encompass as a label in order to solidify your brand identity in the industry. If you plan on taking on other artists under your wing, they’ll want someone who specializes in their specific genre and gets their vision.
In addition to deciding what genre (or genres) to focus on, this is the time to choose a label name that best represents you, get your official website set up, and trademark your label name. — Before you release anything, you MUST create your website and claim ALL social media pages for your brand prior to releasing your first album. Having your social media in order first gives it time to gain some traction before it’s time to promote you (or your clients) music.
Choose a Business Structure and Register with the State
Next, it’s time to decide on a business structure. Common options include sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. Each structure has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s not a bad idea to consult with a lawyer or accountant to figure out the best choice for you.
- For example, an LLC exists separately from its members, which means that those members are not personally responsible for any business debts and liabilities that may arise down the line. Instead, the LLC is responsible. On the other hand, a sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business owned and run by one person.
Choosing to go the sole proprietorship route gives you more personal control over everything, but an LLC saves you some liability if things don’t work out. These are just some general things to consider, but it’s up to you to thoroughly do your research and choose the right path for you.
Once you have made your choice, you will also need to register with the Secretary of State and update that registration annually.
Register with SoundExchange & Neighboring Rights Collection Societies
The royalties that SoundExchange collects and distributes are for the featured artist and the sound recording copyright owner. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC collect and distribute royalties for the songwriter, composer and publisher. — The difference is both satellite radio providers and webcasters pay SoundExchange when they stream music.
That means the only way to get that money is with SoundExchange.
They’re the ones who collect these digital performance rights from non-interactive music streaming on internet sources like SiriusXM and Pandora. If you don’t want to miss out on this money, Symphonic can collect SoundExchange royalties on behalf of sound recording owners and/or rightsholders.
Set Up Distribution Channels
Now, it’s time to get your (or your clients) music onto streaming platforms and DSPs like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. To do this, you’ll have to go through a distributor like us. When you sign up for music distribution with Symphonic, we go to work to make sure your releases make the biggest impact possible on as many platforms as possible.
In Conclusion…
Creating your own record label can be an exciting and fulfilling venture, allowing you to discover and promote talented artists while leaving your own mark on the music industry. Although the process of registering a record label can seem daunting and complex, we hope these general steps will help the process go as smoothly as possible. With consistency, determination, and a passion for great music, there’s nothing you can’t do!
by Francesca | Feb 15, 2024 | Music Industry, Music Marketing
In the ever-growing world of entertainment publicity, reaching thousands of listeners on your upcoming releases require a unique plan. Until your brand is recognized worldwide (i.e. Beyonce), it simply doesn’t make sense to spend the majority of your budget on recording new assets just to release them to the public without a solid strategy. Even so, a plan made up of basic press pitching might not always do the trick to build the worthwhile and engaged fanbase you’re looking for. Thinking out of the box is becoming more important in every quarter as we progress into the age of digital streaming and internet consumption. As a listener, a few Fridays contain enough new music releases to last a lifetime, so how can yours make the cut?
We’ve put together a list of eye-catching tactics to build buzz and excitement around your new release.
1) Memorabilia
This begins with another incredibly important part of music marketing: developing a cohesive brand. Actively participating in the way your fans view your band as a whole is a required stepping stone before you tackle this marketing strategy. Memorabilia in this instance is something that’s brand-specific but still wide-reaching. Developing these assets starts with remembering memorabilia that influenced your childhood. Did you have a sweet set of Hot Wheels with crazy turns? Do you wish you still had that glitter lipgloss from your first school dance? Gather ideas from yourself and your band, create a list, and then brainstorm together how you can turn those ideas into marketing products using your brand instead of releasing yet another t-shirt with your logo on it. Besides being fun and interesting, most of these things become relics that fans will hold onto for a very long time.
A few great examples of bands harnessing this method are the band Sleep On It creating pillowcases that read “Sleep On It” with their logo, Dance Gavin Dance releasing a “Strawberry Milkshake” limited release beer, The Story So Far creating a viewfinder with photos taken by the band, and the list goes on.
2) Limited Edition Prints/Presses
It’s no secret that vinyl has made a triumphant comeback. For many artists, vinyl is the only type of physical copies they’ll release. Some even go as far as releasing cassettes for a real pre-2000’s feeling. Just by themselves, vinyl and cassettes are great ways to release an album since they clearly outlive any other music trend, so use that to your advantage and create limited editions and/or collectors editions! For those who already love to collect vinyl and cassettes, different sleeves or tape designs is enough reason to buy the same album twice. This strategy can be used in different instances, like in a pre-order bundle, a deluxe post-release album, a “B” side album, etc.
3) Harness Your Local Scene
Remember when we mentioned Dance Gavin Dance crafting up a limited beer? Imagine doing that for your band, with your favorite local brewery or your favorite sandwich shop. Sound cool? It’s actually not the hardest thing to do but requires a long process and a lot of dedication. Many local-run establishments love to support local bands that give back to their community in exciting ways like this! Have an elevator pitch ready and ask to speak to the general manager so you can explain why naming a turkey melt after your band Stale Bread would boost their sales and help promote your upcoming album. Brewing a specific beer involves alcohol laws and actual brewing knowledge (to an extent) but most local breweries will go for it if you can promise the product will move off shelves. Another way to harness your local scene is asking record stores to stock your upcoming release in a local section. If they don’t have one, pitch one!
4) Get Fans and Friends Involved
Your close friends and fans are obviously your biggest supporters, and they most likely would love to be involved in your band’s success. Ask your friends to help spread the word about your new album by hosting giveaways, build a scavenger hunt that involves clues leading to free release show tickets, create a drinking game that mocks your band, hire your friend to photograph your band, or commission an artist friend to create the album art or a new shirt. There’s nothing better than involving your other creative peers to promote each other’s work!
5) Give Your Release Show a Twist
Most album releases are complimented by a release show, where you perform your new music live for the first time. With the right amount of promotion and ticket sales, this is an exciting way to throw a party for all your hard work! Consider hosting the show at a non-traditional music venue. Years back, Carousel Kings played the first (and last, for good and hysterical reasons) at a Haunted Mill during the Halloween season for a truly unforgettable show. I can’t remember the songs they played but I will never forget that show. Giving your fans a reason to talk about your show, especially your album release show, can improve your future crowd numbers and build buzz.
Part of succeeding in the music industry is continuing to learn every single day. Being a “jack of all trades” is the norm in today’s connected globe, where all information about pretty much anything can be accessed via the internet. The best thing you can possibly do for your band is to learn about every aspect of the music industry and how you can use it for your advantage. With these branding ideas, you have no excuse to not promote your album as hard as you can!
by Francesca | Feb 8, 2024 | Music Industry
Job hunting. We’ve all done it, and most of us will continue to have to do it until retirement comes along. Indeed and Glassdoor are great for seeing everything and anything all at once, but what if you’re tired of wasting your time sorting through thousands of unrelated jobs? Believe it or not, there are job sites just for us music biz folks. Here are some of the best music industry job sites to help you land your next job…
9 Music Industry Job Sites To Help You Land Your Next Job
The Digilogue
The Digilogue is a diverse community of creators and industry professionals in music and tech. They curate conversations and programming around industry education, artist discovery content, and a great career resource on their website. Under their Music Careers tab, click on Job Postings, and you’ll find tons of job listings up for grabs. // Check it out for yourself on their website here.
Music Business Worldwide
This site is one of the best resources for anyone looking to broaden their horizons in the music biz. Music Business Jobs is a website for the global music industry to find the best candidates for their open positions. They post openings all over the country, and you can filter results by location, companies, and job type. // Check out what’s available right here.
Doors Open
The world of electronic music is shaped not only by artists and fans, but also by thousands of small businesses, from clubs to booking agents to publishers and promoters. If you’re looking to work in the electronic music scene, this resource is for you. Doors Open is a place for people to connect with companies and projects they believe in, and for independent music companies to find the staff they need to turn ideas into reality. // Check ’em out here.
Shesaid.so
Shesaid.so is a global community of women and gender minorities in the music industry. They’re absolutely awesome, and they happen to also provide a very useful job portal tab on their website where you can browse open positions and apply. // Click here to see what’s available.
Music Careers
Music Careers is built for music professionals by music professionals to help you find your next job in the music industry. They post up to date jobs, refresh every 30 days, and give you the ability to refine your search by specific niches within the industry. They even post freelance opportunities, too. // Check out what they’ve got to offer here.
Digital Music News
You may already be a fan of Digital Music News‘ industry articles to keep up to date on the latest news, but have you checked out the jobs tab on their website? There, you can check out music industry jobs from major record labels and streaming services to universities, merchandising companies, startups, and more. // Check it out here.
A2IM
A2IM has their own job board to help you find your perfect position. Whether you’re looking for temporary work, an internship, or full-time, their database can search jobs by keywords and location. // Check out jobs on A2IM here.
Music Jobs
Music Jobs is part of a global publication and online community which brings their subscribers industry opportunities and daily news from the world of film, TV, music and gaming. On their site, you can also sign up and subscribe to emails with job opportunities tailored specifically to what position you’re looking for. // Click here to check out the site and search for jobs.
Entertainment Careers
Entertainmentcareers.net is a great site which features jobs in in Film, Television, Music, Production Companies, Radio, Animation, Acting, Production, PR, Design, and more. Whether you’re interested in the music industry or something adjacent, this is the ultimate place to check. // Browse available jobs on their site here.
You got this!
⚡️
by Francesca | Nov 30, 2023 | Music Marketing
As intimidating as it seems, consistently releasing new music (every month or even every week, if you believe that works for you) has many undeniable benefits. Aside from making your fans happy to hear more from you, this practice does a lot of good for artists at any level. In this post, we’ll give you 6 reasons to release new music consistently. Here’s the rundown…
How Releasing Music Consistently Can Improve Your Career
Increased Engagement
Consistency is good for engagement on any platform, no matter what you’re into. Want to get better at production? Practice every day. Want to improve your vocals? Sing every day. The same theory applies to putting out music. The more you do it, the most traction it’s going to get. And let’s face it… your fans want as much from you as they can get. When you release new music, on any platform, the amount of people who will interact with it will grow right along with you. Not to mention, from the fan point of view, there’s something exciting about being able to expect something new from your favorite artist every week.
Go Viral on TikTok
TikTok also thrives on consistency. The more you post, the better your chances of it being caught up in the wave of a random trend. Every time you release music, use it to make little TikTok babies. Whether you use it to follow existing trends or to try and create new ones, the more you post the better.
Not sure how to figure out what’s trending right now? No problem. We did a whole post right here that gives you 6 of the best ways to find the hottest trends right now. And if you’re new to TikTok, here are some helpful resources to help you thrive…
Grow Your Catalog
Releasing music more frequently helps you grow your catalog significantly faster than if you waited every 6 months. This can be advantageous for streaming platforms, as the more songs you have increases your chances of being discovered through playlists and algorithms.
If you already have an extensive back catalog, did you know there are things you can do with it to keep the momentum going behind the scenes while you work on new things? Check out, “How To Maximize your Back Catalog While Working on New Releases” to learn how.
Build Momentum
Releasing songs consistently is a great way to build momentum for something bigger down the line. If you plan on going on tour or releasing a full album later in the year, you can hype up the day to come on socials with every release more often. Get everyone on board and offer incentives for streaming your tracks. If they like what they hear, they’ll share your work with their friends and grow your audience one release at a time. When whatever big day finally arrives, you’ll have a whole team of people ready to experience the fun and share it on socials.
Better Chances for Sync
If you want to get featured in movies, TV, commercials and more, it doesn’t hurt to give sync reps a lot to choose from. Although having a lot to choose from does technically help your chances, what kind of music you have out also plays a part.
Jon Mizrachi, the Senior Director of Sync Licensing for our in-house sync licensing division, Bodega Sync, explains:
“If you really want your music to stand out, it’s important to understand that songs are used in sync to support a narrative, not to tell one. If there’s a sad montage where someone dies, you’re not going to hear a song with lyrics about someone literally dying… Even in advertising, which is typically far more literal, music will be used to add depth to whatever you see in the footage or hear in the voiceover. You know what’s not a great song for Toyota? A song about Toyotas.”
So, if you really want to focus on optimizing your music for sync, try to create universal songs that aren’t too specific. If the goal is to connect with the listener, you have to craft your songs to be as relatable as possible. In addition, once one of your songs gets featured, the chances of your other songs getting chosen for other sync opportunities goes up, too. The more music you have, the higher chance of something being perfect for that new TV show hitting the market.
Practice Makes Perfect
Putting out music more often gives you the chance to really experiment with your personal sound. You can try new things and see how your audience reacts and if it doesn’t quite hit, no big deal! Try something new the next time, and keep it moving.
At the end of the day, I realize putting out music consistently is no easy task. Depending on your music, it may even be impossible. If you specialize in full blown musical arrangements for every track or don’t have frequent access to a studio, finishing a full song on a monthly or even weekly schedule is insane to even fathom. At the end of the day, it is up to you and this is an idea to try out where it makes sense. Challenge yourself to at least try, and see how it works for you.
Good luck!
by Francesca | Nov 30, 2023 | Spotlights and Clients
What do you get a musician who has everything? A Spotify Premium subscription won’t cut it, they already have that… Headphones? They definitely have that… Not to worry, we’ve come up with some options that are sure to impress this holiday season. Here’s the rundown…
15 Unique Gifts for Musicians
Orba Handheld Multi-Instrument
The Orba Handheld Multi-Instrument is a handheld synth, looper, and MIDI controller that lets you loop Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead parts to create songs on the go, no matter where you are. Whether you want to use the built-in speaker or hook it up to your favorite headphones, anyone can create on the go with this badass, mini music maker. // Available on Amazon right here. 🎁
Pocket DJ Mixer
Got a DJ in your life who wishes they could bring the party wherever they go? No problem. With this Pocket DJ Mixer, they can turn their phone into a powerful, portable, party-making machine anytime, anywhere. // Available on uncommongoods.com 🎁
Vertical Vinyl Record Player (with Bluetooth)
For those who collect records with cool artwork, I know you wish you could showcase those amazing designs a little more often. With this vertical record player, your favorite records are on full display. Not to mention this is way cooler than your traditional record player. And how does it sound? “Amazing, because a precision Audio Technica needle delivers the warm bass and rich ranges that made you love vinyl in the first place.” states the product description. When you want to stream music instead of spin it, you can also utilize its modern Bluetooth feature with ease. // Buy it right here. 🎁
Lightbulbs That Change With Music
Sure, they probably already have their home decorated to the nines with cool music decor… but do they have lightbulbs that change color with the beat of the music? This one is pretty common, but if they don’t already have these you’ll blow their minds with these lights. // Available on Amazon here. 🎁
Otamatone
An Otamatone is a synthesizer that’s shaped like an eighth note (it also somewhat resembles a tadpole, or a ladle (otamajakushi being Japanese for tadpole and ladle), with sound emerging from the “mouth”. All you have to do is squeeze the head and control the pitch by the stem piece. (Higher up on the stem equals lower sound, and vice versa.) It may not help the musician in your life create any amazing songs to top charts with, but it sure is fun to play with. // Buy it on Amazon right here. 🎁
Customized Spinning Record Shot Tray
This is an up cycled shot glass holder that spins… Need I say more? You can even personalize the label with your own record title, subtitle, and five songs of your choice. For any musicians in your life turning 21 (or just your fun rocker uncle who likes to drink), this is a fun gift that never gets old. // Available on uncommongoods.com 🎁
Turntable Cheese Board
Pay homage to vinyl with this turntable-inspired cheese board featuring a slate platter and hidden slicer. This gift bound to make every jaw drop at the holiday party. If you don’t buy it, I definitely will… // Available on uncommon goods.com 🎁
Masterclass Subscription
Masterclass is an amazing subscription for any creative in your life. From artists to musicians and everyone in-between, Masterclass offers classes from the best teachers in the world. A-list celebrities, some of the greatest musicians of all time, and artists from all over the world come together to teach personalized classes on a wide variety of topics.
On it, you can learn about producing and beat making from Timbaland. Deadmau5 teaches electronic music production. Ringo Starr teaches drumming and creative collaboration. You can even dive into the soul of guitar with Carlos Santana. And that’s just a few of the people they have to offer… // Check it out on Masterclass.com. (Thank me later.) 🎁
Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs
If you’re stubborn like me, you’ve been in denial about the damage loud music has been doing to your ears for years. Now, there’s really no excuse with earplugs like these. They filter out the damaging sound waves and leave you still able to hear, not only the music, but even conversations with your neighbor, just fine. // Get them on Amazon here. 🎁
Shower Speaker
Most of us already have a bluetooth speaker that we love and cherish. Musicians baby our speakers like a newborn, so we’re probably not taking it into the shower with us. (No matter how bad we want to…) No problem! This speaker is made for those shower singalongs. Not only is it waterproof, but it has a suction cup on the back for easy suction to the wall of your shower. // Available on Amazon right here. 🎁
Guitar Pick Hole Punch
Give a guitar player a pick, and they’ll play for a day. Give them a guitar pick hole punch, and well… you get it. Give the gift of infinite guitar picks made from whatever their heart desires with this Guitar Pick Hole Punch. // Available on Amazon here. 🎁
“This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession”
This one’s a no brainer… Give the gift of knowledge with this masterful work of art written by Daniel J. Levitin. “This Is Your Brain On Music” is a groundbreaking union of art and science. Rocker-turned-neuroscientist, Daniel J. Levitin, explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. // Available on Amazon.com… 🎁
Vinyl Record Coasters
Protect your table from rings and your drinks from slipping with these trendy vinyl coasters. These are the perfect gift for any music lover in need not some simple yet practical home decor. // Available on Amazon.com…. 🎁
DIY Synth Kit
Perfect for the DIY DJ in your life, this kit lets you construct three different mini-synths, adding awesome dimension to electronic music! // Available on uncommongoods.com 🎁
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator (PO-33 K.O!)
This baby is #1 on my wish list this year. It’s a powerful micro sampler, synthesizer & sequencer, all packed into a small and ultra-portable design. With studio quality sound, play chromatic melodies and drum sounds, sequence it all and add effects on top to create something truly original. // Buy it on their website here. 🎁
