As you start your record label, you are going to need to
determine what genres of music you want to deal in, how much startup money you
will need and how many employees you will need to hire. These details, plus any
other information pertinent to starting your record label, will be found in
your business plan. Your business plan becomes the road map you use to create
your business, and the blueprint you follow to build your record label into
what you want it to be.
Organizations
Your record label will need to purchase the rights to
distribute the music you will be releasing. The Harry Fox Agency sells what is
known as mechanical rights to distribute music. As a label, you will not be
involved in publishing the music you distribute. Publishing the process of
determining how the royalties get paid to the people that were involved in
writing the music. You will be dealing with paying record sales percentages to
the artists, and that will be done through mechanical licensing from the Harry
Fox Agency. The Recording Industry Association of America is another
organization your record label should join. The RIAA is the trade organization
that record labels belong to that helps keep labels updated on new distribution
laws and any changes to the recording industry. The RIAA is also responsible
for awarding gold and platinum albums to your artists based on record sales.
The RIAA also tracks record sales.
Recording Studio
As you start your record label, you can choose
to accept finished products from artists that you would distribute. However, as
your label grows you will want to develop relationships with recording studios.
A record label can control costs and help dictate content when it is the one
paying for the recording studio time.Radio ContactsYou will need to get your artists heard on the
radio, and the way to do that is to start introducing yourself to radio program
directors in the major markets all over the country. You can make appointments
to speak to local program directors in your area to get started. Plan on
attending radio trade shows to talk to program directors from all over the
country.DistributionTo get your records sold outside your
immediate area you will need to speak to record distribution companies.
Organizations, such as LANDR, CD Baby, TuneCore and Ditto Music offer services
to help you get your records into music stores and sales outlets all over the
country.
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