Signing With A Label

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Music General Discussion »

Signing With A Label

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h3dg3h0g Joined: Jun 27, 2015 Posts: 236 San Francisco East Bay Area	Posted on Feb 06 2017 02:01 PM Greetings! We're a long way from signing with anyone, but I am curious - in this day and age of Bandcamp, Reverbnation and YouTube, what does it mean for a surf band to "sign with a label"? In the old days, legend has it that the young rock band would be "discovered" by a rep from the label and the label would "sign" the band, manage, market and produce it into a sale-able product. Vinyl, CDs, TV appearances would follow. I'm guessing that this is not happening with some of the smaller surf/instro-oriented labels we know and love. But I'm very curious about the relationship - both economic and personal - between the labels and "signed" bands. How does all that work? Inquiring minds want to know! Thanks! — Jonathan the Reverbivore The Reverbivores Please check out our latest album The Reverbivores Watch TV! www.thereverbivores.com Facebook YouTube Top
derekirving Joined: Nov 03, 2011 Posts: 660	Posted on Feb 06 2017 02:25 PM Unless a label thinks they can make money with your music, it's not going to happen. You're better off funding and self-releasing yourself, then if you can generate enough interest in your music the labels will find you. You can record/print cds/distribute worldwide on iTunes/Spotify/Youtube with CDBaby for under $2000 total. Even less if you have a studio or know someone with a studio. While there is some benefit in a label (loan funds for recording/printing, help market, have a reputation, etc) you can do most of this yourself. Labels never give you money, they loan you money and you pay them back for everything, prior to the artist receiving any revenue. Times are different than there were 20+ years ago, heck even 5 yrs ago. Recorded music just doesn't have the same interest as it did anymore due to streaming, illegal downloading, etc - the recorded industry is upside down unless you're a young pop artist, country artist, established artisit. THAT being said, there are TONS of great indie labels that are doing it to support the music and have a great ideology. Ultimately they too need to feel they can make a profit to stay alive. I suggest you do it yourself, record a great product, print 200 cd's and use CDBaby to distro to iTunes, etc - once you have that done, you can sell those at your gigs and send them to labels to see if they are interested. You may get better traction if they see you're willing to invest in yourself. ps. I've release songs/records with Taxim Records, Blind Pig Records, and El Toro Records. Recently I've self-released as most labels just use CDBaby to push to iTunes and other online streaming services. Last edited: Feb 06, 2017 14:37:15 Top
psychonaut Joined: Dec 08, 2007 Posts: 1305	Posted on Feb 06 2017 02:31 PM We're signed to Cleopatra records for our recent album. They're a fairly big independent. The label's responsibility is to manufacture, distribute, and promote the record. Same as it's always been. A record label doesn't manage you put you on TV or get you gigs. Thats never been the case. That's what a manager and booking agent are supposed to do, not the label. Basically by signing with a label, you are selling them your master recording in exchange for a recoupable advance and royalty rate, and they making and marketing your record. Being on Cleopatra has opened a lot of doors for us,if even just simply by association, and has gotten our album into a lot of stores and vendor sites we would have never cracked on our own. It's my hope that if our album does well enough they might be interested in signing other instro/surf bands. — https://www.facebook.com/coffindagger http://coffindaggers.com/ http://thecoffindaggers.bandcamp.com Last edited: Feb 06, 2017 14:32:51 Top
h3dg3h0g Joined: Jun 27, 2015 Posts: 236 San Francisco East Bay Area	Posted on Feb 06 2017 02:37 PM AHHHHHH!!! This is a brilliantly succinct and clear explanation! Thanks, Psychonaut (and all other responders!) psychonaut wrote: Basically by signing with a label, you are selling them your master recording in exchange for a recoupable advance and royalty rate, and they making and marketing your record. — Jonathan the Reverbivore The Reverbivores Please check out our latest album The Reverbivores Watch TV! www.thereverbivores.com Facebook YouTube Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Feb 06 2017 03:36 PM psychonaut wrote: A record label doesn't manage you put you on TV or get you gigs. Thats never been the case. A small label doesn't, but labels absolutely get people booked on TV/and onto certain bills. Some labels have time booked pre-booked on the late night shows. And there are many instances of label-mates joining each other on tour. Great way to promote up-and-coming bands on your label. This is fairly common, especially with pop music. Top
ElMonstroPorFavor Joined: Sep 01, 2006 Posts: 2754 New Orleans, LA	Posted on Feb 06 2017 07:03 PM A label can have value as a brand/seal of quality. I know there are a lot of people that trust whatever Double Crown puts out, and seeing that an older band I haven't heard of is on Estrus or Norton etc will pique my curiosity. — Storm Surge of Reverb: Surf & Instro Radio Top
DannySnyder Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 11078 Berkeley, CA	Posted on Feb 07 2017 01:03 AM Yes, our experience is that Double Crown primarily provides a modicum legitimacy and the opportunity to get your music heard by it's fan base. edit: modicum isn't a reference to DC, but to the overall clout of surf music. Within the genre, DC is home to some of the very best bands around, and we're quite proud to be included. — Danny Snyder "With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac' Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF Last edited: Feb 07, 2017 01:06:05 Top
Syndicateofsurf Joined: Oct 08, 2014 Posts: 1073 Northern Ohio	Posted on Feb 07 2017 09:41 AM If I wasn't signed I know I wouldn't have put in the effort I have into my recordings. I have 1 album released another in the can ready to be mastered and plans/recordings for at least 2 more albums. If this was still at the YouTube hobby level, I would not have worked this hard for this long. Getting feedback from professionals who have a vested interest has been key. They tell me the bad news I never want to hear- and I benefit from it. And... Being on a label with it's own radio station has been very cool. So I can say, "Yeah, I'm on the (internet) radio!" — Da Vinci Flinglestein, The quest for the Tone, the tone of the Quest The Syndicate of Surf on YouTube http://www.syndicateofsurf.com/ http://sharawaji.com/ http://surfrockradio.com/ Top
OnedinGiraldo Joined: Jul 17, 2016 Posts: 103 Sacramento	Posted on Feb 07 2017 10:22 AM I have played music for the better part of my life and I feel one aspect that has been overlooked when contemplating a label is whether or not you are willing to tour, a lot. In this day and age with the internet, most independent artists can accomplish a lot from a passive perspective (iTunes, CDbaby, etc.). In my opinion, no need for a label, but if you are going to play live a lot, then a label (if they are reputable) will have connections: promoters, venues, radio, etc. that will get you further in a shorter amount of time. I have a number of friends signed to big well known labels and this is always the variable, are you willing to get out there and sell it. — The Me Gustas https://themegustas.com Top
Syndicateofsurf Joined: Oct 08, 2014 Posts: 1073 Northern Ohio	Posted on Feb 07 2017 10:40 AM OnedinGiraldo wrote: I have played music for the better part of my life and I feel one aspect that has been overlooked when contemplating a label is whether or not you are willing to tour, a lot. In this day and age with the internet, most independent artists can accomplish a lot from a passive perspective (iTunes, CDbaby, etc.). In my opinion, no need for a label, but if you are going to play live a lot, then a label (if they are reputable) will have connections: promoters, venues, radio, etc. that will get you further in a shorter amount of time. I have a number of friends signed to big well known labels and this is always the variable, are you willing to get out there and sell it. For me it is the exact opposite- I don't tour (it's just lil ol me) but I am an internet neanderthal. Putting together my YouTube was enough for me. Maybe if I hadn't signed I would have pursued other avenues though having someone as excited Mike has been about my music has really been a driving force. Also, Sharawaji has handled all the getting rights to record and release cover songs, protecting my originals and basically being the partner that I sorely needed. — Da Vinci Flinglestein, The quest for the Tone, the tone of the Quest The Syndicate of Surf on YouTube http://www.syndicateofsurf.com/ http://sharawaji.com/ http://surfrockradio.com/ Last edited: Feb 07, 2017 10:40:49 Top

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