I was just wondering for those who have signed with a record label or who own one, what is it that they do for you or what do you do for artists?

I have no idea how this industry works.. but i'm very curious.

I was signed to an independent label out of Barcelona Spain. I paid out of pocket $1500 for recording the cd.

The record company did the following:

1. Create Artwork, manufactured CDs, distributed CDs to physical stores, online stores including itunes, cdbaby, etc

2. Sent me 100 free CD's to recoup my recording costs (or give them away) I sold all 100 for $15 each to recoup recording costs

3. Sent CD to magazines and online music sites to get reviews. We got positive reviews.

4. Submit songs for license deals in movies, commercials, etc (nothing came from this)

5. Send me more CD's - but there was no profit as with each CD sold I'd need to send $15 back to record company for each CD. I could have sold for $20 but I didn't think I wanted to out price our CD. On the flip side we're no longer with the label and I have a box of about 80 unsold CD's.

While the label was known for releasing respectable music it did nothing to build a fan base, allow us to tour, make royalties, put us in contact with industry to future our career. This part is 90% band involvement and or band management. A label will help get your music out there, but it's the band/management/booking agent's responsibly to build momentum.

SURFERS, IT'S ALL ABOUT COOPERATION...
I OWN A RECORDS LABEL SINCE 1989 AND I HAVE 45 RELEASES, MOSTLY SURF. AND THIS IS NOT MY REGULAR JOB. SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MORE A HOBBY FOR BOTH.

THE BENEFITS ARE FOR BOTH. THE BAND GIVES THE LABEL THEIR MIND AND THE LABEL HELPS BAND TO REACH ON DIFFERETN MARKETS.

AS FAS AS THE DEAL, IT DEPENTS. WITH VINYL THINGS ARE MORE TIGHT, WITH CDS ARE MORE EASY.

THE MAIN IDEA IS BOTH (LABEL AND BAND) TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK.

derekirving, PAYING 15 FOR THE EXTRA CDS WAS WRONG, WE SET THE BAND PRICE FOR THE EXTRA COPIES ON THE MAIN CONTRACT.

SURFERS, I CAN TALK HOURS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING BUT I HAVE TO RUN (I'M ON MY REGULAR DAY JOB NOW )
I WILL PLEASED TO TALK YOU MORE IF YOU WANT, JJUST MAIL ME ON mikegreencookie@gmail.com

Green Cookie records
www.greencookie.gr
http://greencookierecords.bandcamp.com/

Green Cookie Beach
http://www.northseasurfradio.org/#!green-cookie-beach/c3pr

Playlists
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/22677/

very interesting stuff!!! thanks!

please keep em coming!

mikesurf wrote:

THE MAIN IDEA IS BOTH (LABEL AND BAND) TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK.

Hi Mike, let me take this opportunity to thank you for all you've done for us since we've been on Green Cookie: releasing our music (first of all ), quickly sending us new albums when we need them, supporting us in getting booked for international surf music events, sending us free albums and vinyls of other Green Cookie bands to sell at our benefit when a big part of our gear got stolen a few years back, playing us on your shows at NSSR, etc etc... Thanks dude, you're the best and I/we really appreciate all the hard work you put into it !

This post may seem a little bit but on the other hand, I think it illustrates pretty well what a record label can do for you.

Cheers!

Sascha

"Duck Tape is like The Force: it has a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together"

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Speedball-JR/151771678181829?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/SPEEDBALLJR
https://itunes.apple.com/be/artist/speedball-jr/id389972205

Last edited: Dec 18, 2014 13:21:03

WE THANK YOU ALL! We are trying hard and our only goal is to get surf music one step forward.
mike surf

Green Cookie records
www.greencookie.gr
http://greencookierecords.bandcamp.com/

Green Cookie Beach
http://www.northseasurfradio.org/#!green-cookie-beach/c3pr

Playlists
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/22677/

Let me preface my comment with the understanding that my experience is not with a current band, but with getting music 'out there' that was recorded way back in the `60s.

Back when my most successful group (the Abstracts) was active (1964-1966) the label meant everything. We were one of the several groups that recorded for Columbia Records when Clive Davis was trying to get the then still very staid company to branch out into rock and they agreed to push one group as a 'test' of sorts. (It was the Byrds who were in the end selected)

With air-play totally determined by all sorts of behind the scenes machinations having the power of a big label was then essential. Without it even a great recording would languish -- as, alas, happened to so, so many.

Today, as many above have commented,anyone can get a recording made and 'out there' in the sense of it being available to fans. But getting serious exposure still, IMO, depends greatly the reputation and sales moxie of the record company.

My own group, as an example, would have disappeared into the mists of time it it had not been for one such person and company - the late Greg Shaw and his Bomp Records. His inclusion of Always Always on the 1998 Bomp release Essential Pebbles took the Abstracts out of total obscurity onto the radar screen as it was of lovers of the garage rock genre. This, in turn, led to several record companies taking an interest in the group's output -- especially once it became known that there was still an extant copy long thought "lost" Columbia sessions.

Frankly the changes in the recording industry between the 60s and today was something I had not bothered to follow, but I had the good fortune of being guided by pop music historian Mike Dugo, who had taken a personal interest in seeing the Abstracts' catalog make it to full release.

He explained to me that getting the right company behind it was as essential now as it was back then. -That production values and the reputation of the company/producer would be the determining factor in the recording getting published reviews as well as airplay. And he was good enough to act as broker (this with no personal gain in mind) to help us get the label he thought the band's music deserved.

Our final choice was Wolfgang Völkel's Break-A-Way Records and working with Wolfgang was for me a total eye opener. Oh, if only we had met such a man and had the opportunity to work with such a company back in the `60s! What a different experience this was from our dealing with either Columbia Records, or the much smaller Up/Down Records which had actually given Always Always its initial release.

First off there was no 'rip off.' Break-A-Way absorbed all the costs of production and distribution. Secondly there was respect shown for the band members as artists -- the looking for our input every step of the way, from the mastering to the liner notes, of both the LP and, later, cd, releases. And equally important was Break-A-Way Record's reputation among web and print reviewers, international sales outlets and on-the-air programmers/DJs.

What, in the end, this meant for the Abstracts was coming out of obscurity. To our amazement we saw our long thought forgotten music become such things a 'pick of the month' in the UK's Record Collector magazine to a twenty minute feature included as part of WMSE Milwaukee DJ Good John's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

My point is that no matter how much the music business has changed (and it has!), record companies -- finding and dealing with the very best one one can -- still matters and matters greatly.

-don

Still rockin' after all these years!

I totally agree with Kill Baby Kill. That’s why we consider all our releases as full band –label cooperation.
Also, the label has the “channels” to promote and sell more easily.
With the new era and the internet, everyone can finds those “channels”, but the label has already work on that path and it’s easier. So the band can save some time for recordings and gigs.
And the label takes some extra points from the band.

Green Cookie records
www.greencookie.gr
http://greencookierecords.bandcamp.com/

Green Cookie Beach
http://www.northseasurfradio.org/#!green-cookie-beach/c3pr

Playlists
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/22677/