(Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?

Subject: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Fortunato
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 08:20 AM

As we progress on our recording of our CD, I'm beginning to wonder what the advantages and disadvantages of a having a label are in these times. A recording of relative unknowns outside in Old Time Country Country Music and Comedy ain't going to interest MCA, but supposing we could find a label willing to pick us up, would that be better than hawking it ourselves? What do you guys think? What are you doing to market your CDs? Shopping for a Label?

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 08:34 AM

The ONLY advantage of a label, IMO is if they do a good job promoting and distributing your CD. CD's with a "label" that no one ever hears of are no improvement. You'll just make less money. If someone wants to release your CD and they can substantiate that they send out promotional copis and have a well-organized distribution system, see what kind of a deal you can work out..

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 08:38 AM

I put out my own cd.s having been with big labels in the past. If you do gigs and sell at them, have a web site and do post orders it's much better than having a label. If you're a niche music you don't sell to browsers in shops. If your maximum sale is let's say 2000 cds..500 at full price should cover all overheads leaving you 1500 cds at full profit to you.Reviewers should be sent details of your website so readers can order direct.I find too many folkies almost apologise to the audience for selling their cds at gigs..." Oh...er...by the way...we've got a cd.." EXIT. If it's a good product, be proud of it and be proud to sell it. Meet the audience, talk to them, sign the cd. And if it IS good, they'll come back for more.Take ads in the mags if you wish, again featuring the web page. I've made more money by selling 1000 copies of a cd of my own than I ever did selling 100,000 with a big label.

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 12:30 PM

Many good reasons for being independant, and some were discussed in previous posts. In order to be successful as an independant though, you have to learn to be a decent businessman...AND put substantial time into marketing and promoting.

I like being with Borealis Records, and consider my time with Folk-Legacy records, a great experience. In both cases you know that the company cares about your work and is knowledgable about folk music. Along with the business arrangement I consider the folks who run these two companies as good friends.

Over the years, I've been with a number of labels AND done independant projects, and with the independant ones you can keep track of every dime....but if you're not good at doing that generally, the paperwork may overwhelm you.

Rick

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Fortunato
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 08:46 AM

Thanks, Rick. Yes, I have a lot of respect for the Patons and Folk Legacy as well. They have done a grand job for many of my friends, here.

Can arrangements be made to hawk your CD independently as well as through a label? Can you put your stuff up on CD Baby and your own website as well as label distribution?

What about Camsco?

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 09:21 AM

All love and honor to Sandy and Caroline for releasing my first two albums! When I posted my comment, somehow I didn't think of Folk Legacy in the same breath as other labels. For those of us who were blessed to record for Folk Legacy, it was a privilege to be associated with the Patons. Would you mind changing the title of your pst to say (Dis)advantages of recording labels other than Folk Legacy?
Jerry

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Fortunato
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 09:31 AM

Jerry, Folk Legacy is the label we think of first around here. Several close friends have recorded with them and EVERYONE speaks highly of them. So yes, if I could change the thread name, I would. I have not had the privilege of being associated with them in that way. However, I think there are more Folk Legacy albums in my collection than any other single label.

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 10:04 AM

Chance

When our enginer at Sub-Cat in Skaneateles finished up our project he suggested we look into a larger label for a larger release. Its interesting that the first place I thought of was Folk-Legacy. There are certainly labels that cater to the Irish Festival crowd where we will probably be hawking this disk but Folk-Legacy is the only label that came to my mind other than our own indie label.

I guess that says volumes of something for The Patons and Folk-Legacy.

Don

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: GUEST,Fortunato
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 08:55 AM

refreshing. Has it all been said? Thanks to all above for your ideas. regards, Fortunato

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: GUEST,Arnie Naiman
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:26 AM

Good Record labels with a good reputation will get the CD'S distributed quickly and hopefully to a wide audience. My wife Kathy and myself started our own independant record company- firstly because she wanted to record and sell her first children's recording. Knowing nothing about selling recordings or distribution, we had product to sell. The big distributor's of kid's music in stores up here were not interested (and are still not interested) in even talking to us - neither was Festival Distribution who handle folk music recordings. The only way to get product into stores is to take it to each individual store and get it there yourself - hope they want some, and hope they pay when they sell the product - ridiculous!! We now have 4 children's recordings, and 2 old time banjo recordings produced. It has taken a few years of personally sending out copies for review, radio airplay, weeding out the paying distribuors who want your product from the non paying ones, to get this record company into a money making venture - which it now is. The kid's music distributor's in Canada still won't talk to us, but they're going to be a bit surprised that we just struck a deal on Kathy's latest recording for over 250,000 copies in Ontario in one order. It takes a lot of business work to flog your product all by yourself, and it can work if you have the time and inclination for it , but in general a lot of musician's don't. If you get on a decent record label it means that you probably have good stuff (which is firstly the main thing), and you hopefully have all the business part of selling the product already in place - which is a good start!

Subject: RE: (Dis)Advantages of Recording Labels?
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:33 AM

My impression is that indie labels are friendly to niche artists, and that large major labels 1) try to tell you how to play your music, and 2) take all your money. But perhaps I oversimplify.