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Label or No Label
Joined: Jul 14, 2013 Posts: 345 |
Posted on Jul 25 2019 02:25 PM
Hello, my surf Band is getting some gigs booked but it's not hard to book em just time-consuming. My question would be, would it be better to latch onto a label or do it independent ala Johnny Cash, Dick Dale. keep in mind we are a fairly new band and are working on our live show and writing originals too. |
Joined: Jan 09, 2014 Posts: 620 Vancouver BC 
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Posted on Jul 26 2019 12:36 AM
To me, a label can support live shows, festivals, appearances, and distribution and advertisement of recorded music, but a management/booking company is for finding gigs and handling receivables. You may still be on the hook for advertising, providing PA system, etc. depending on your business arrangement. IMHO, do the DIY approach to market yourselves to a level that you reach a point that you simply do not have the resources to book/manage any more and you want to up-scale your gig bookings. Find new connections and cultivate leads by simply getting out there and doing a variety of shows. My (non-surf) covers band has had some lucrative, repeated (read: annual) spin-off gigs simply out of doing some freebie charity benefit/fundraising shows. You could get to a point where 6 to 12 gigs a year could be repeat business, alone. And then find other shows to fill in the gaps in your schedule. —Lorne |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3854 North Atlantic
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Posted on Jul 26 2019 07:03 AM
Sounds like you are looking for an agent (booking). My advice is to do it yourself and build up a substantial following, and buzz. Once you are established then you are more likely to attract an agent. In my experience, very few agents/managers/labels will be interested in working with you until you have a proven track record. Rev —Canadian Surf |
Joined: Dec 20, 2009 Posts: 611 Jax, FL
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Posted on Jul 26 2019 09:01 AM
We've been successful with the DIY model. Something we found very effective in finding gigs with our play-out band, outside of our local domain, is this surf-band community. Fortunately, there are surf bands well dispersed across the country/world. I've had many surf bands contact me over the years for referrals to the clubs in NE FLA that will book a surf band. We have also used the opportunity to combine with them to do a surf night at a local club. And, we put together two really fun Surf Fests here in Jax a few years ago with surf bands from around the southeast. We were invited to play around the southeast as a result. It does take some time to put together, but you're in control, and that's a good thing in my opinion. —Shoot the Pier on Bandcamp My Country EP ... Florida Dirt Fire My French Love Songs ... I really needed a change... Last edited: Jul 26, 2019 09:05:35 |
Joined: Sep 19, 2016 Posts: 246 Tampa 
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Posted on Jul 26 2019 09:39 AM
Label’s come in all sizes. The big ones will do everything for you. But the labels that cater to surf music tend to be smaller. What you are looking at most of the time is someone to split or cover manufacturing costs of pressing cds or records, and distribution. If they have a decent roster, they may be able to put you in touch with other similar bands to trade shows with, or something. But other than that, probably not much to do with booking your shows. —Guitarist for Black Valley Moon & Down By Law |
Joined: Jan 15, 2019 Posts: 1515 |
Posted on Jul 26 2019 10:05 AM
Probably depends on where you plan to operate, maybe a small label in your area or one that deals with bands like yours in the same general area of operations, other wise like their saying DIY is the best option. Lots of good books on all that you can order on the net. Managers take 15 percent or more off the top depending on the size act, so unless you make mucho bucks, DIY. Historically recording artists go through a series of managers anyway much like they do labels. If you are successful a small label can't handle you anyway and will sell your contract. Many recording stars have been ripped off by management and that probably happens to even club level acts I'm sure. Its a jungle out there. Be careful doing all this. Read up on managing road acts first. Most of those kind of books are written by people that got beat up out there already and know the right ropes to pull. Here is a example of one: I bought a few books like this a few years ago and still haven't got around to reading them all yet. It's boring as hell, but vital to know. Don't forget there are thousands of bands reading and using the information in all these type books, some ideas are outdated, so depending on your opportunities that your band encounters you have to improvise and still make logical decisions on your own. Don't fall for making 3000 cd's to sell up front. I know of a few bands that still have them down their cellar after a decade or more. Downloads have even worse results with streaming taking over, the average download only sells about 5 downloads (Yes there's that many out there on the net . . I know this sounds incredible, but there is over 2,500 new songs on average uploaded by all the bands around the world on the net per day.) Look how many post new songs just on SG101 in a week by just 1000 surf bands out there, and that's not that many bands really compared to all the other genres. But only 1 percent of all music makes mucho bucks, its still a lottery system as far as music goes in that regard. Last edited: Jul 26, 2019 15:20:34 |
Joined: Jan 02, 2009 Posts: 1307 The original Plymouth, UK. 
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Posted on Aug 12 2019 04:47 AM
You'll probably sell more CDs if you're gigging than a label will sell for you. CD sales are very low these days, but they do sell at gigs, as does vinyl. Make your own CDs - CD replicating services will do as low as 100 very professional looking copies. Don;t bother with getting thousands done, even Rihanna doesn't sell thousands of CDs anymore. — |
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