Sending mastered tracks to a label?

[viberous]

Question for all of you that have had releases on labels or are label owners: Is a label more likely to pay attention and release your tracks if they're already mastered when you send them? I know some labels like to do their own mastering and whatnot, but just curious.
Thanks!

[Teknicyde]

Nah, send them the mixdown, they want to hear an honest representation of what theyll get after the contracts filled out... some of them will have their m.e.'s listen and ask 'what can you do with this', ect.

Just send them the mix.

[viberous]

Alright cool. Thank you!
@Teknicyde: wicked tracks btw

[FuzionDubstep]

Doesn't really matter if they like the tune they'll probably ask you to send the mixdown either way but to grab there attention I'd just do a quick master yourself and send it over, but it really wont make any difference either way if a tunes good, a tunes good

[wormcode]

A lot prefer mastered but also are fine with nice mixes
Good info: http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=186232

[Toric]

Don't spend the money to get it mastered yourself.

If you can do a quick master, do it.

Some record labels will want to do their own in-house because it's cheaper for them and it may sound better or be a part of their "sound" for the label. They may even do it just out of principal.

POINT IS, if you shell out money, you may waste it if a label accepts you.

On a side note, you should shell out the money to have it mastered and release it yourself, and then submit your music to a label. It looks better if you're already trying to sell your tunes yourself. Shows initiative.

[Teknicyde]

Don't spend the money to get it mastered yourself.

If you can do a quick master, do it.

Some record labels will want to do their own in-house because it's cheaper for them and it may sound better or be a part of their "sound" for the label. They may even do it just out of principal.

POINT IS, if you shell out money, you may waste it if a label accepts you.

On a side note, you should shell out the money to have it mastered and release it yourself, and then submit your music to a label. It looks better if you're already trying to sell your tunes yourself. Shows initiative.

Who in their right mind would sign something thats already for sale? That makes no sense. Hell most digital retailers prevent double-listings.

[eldoogle]

Obviously he meant sell your song and then try and release different songs.

[Toric]

Don't spend the money to get it mastered yourself.

If you can do a quick master, do it.

Some record labels will want to do their own in-house because it's cheaper for them and it may sound better or be a part of their "sound" for the label. They may even do it just out of principal.

POINT IS, if you shell out money, you may waste it if a label accepts you.

On a side note, you should shell out the money to have it mastered and release it yourself, and then submit your music to a label. It looks better if you're already trying to sell your tunes yourself. Shows initiative.

Who in their right mind would sign something thats already for sale? That makes no sense. Hell most digital retailers prevent double-listings.

Right, obviously a label is looking for an artist who doesn't try to sell his own tracks and pull his own weight.

I forgot, record labels want to willingly do everything for you for free.

[__________]

Not much point sending mastered tunes to labels. Mastering is the final stage of the process before release. Any label worth a fuck will master their/your tunes before they put them out. Demos aren't expected to be mastered, that is madness.

[Teknicyde]

Don't spend the money to get it mastered yourself.

If you can do a quick master, do it.

Some record labels will want to do their own in-house because it's cheaper for them and it may sound better or be a part of their "sound" for the label. They may even do it just out of principal.

POINT IS, if you shell out money, you may waste it if a label accepts you.

On a side note, you should shell out the money to have it mastered and release it yourself, and then submit your music to a label. It looks better if you're already trying to sell your tunes yourself. Shows initiative.

Who in their right mind would sign something thats already for sale? That makes no sense. Hell most digital retailers prevent double-listings.

Right, obviously a label is looking for an artist who doesn't try to sell his own tracks and pull his own weight.

I forgot, record labels want to willingly do everything for you for free.

Dude signing a track thats already for sale makes horrible business sense, yes labels want past releases, heLL NO they dont want the tunes to already be on beatport/juno... that makes no sense. I never said not to do anything for yourself, but dont publish tracks you want to get signed, labels want promotions, announcements, sales, ect. to happen on their own time

[Sparxy]

I don't really care if its mastered or not, if the tunes good, then its good. If its rubbish, no amount of mastering will hide that.

[Toric]

Don't spend the money to get it mastered yourself.

If you can do a quick master, do it.

Some record labels will want to do their own in-house because it's cheaper for them and it may sound better or be a part of their "sound" for the label. They may even do it just out of principal.

POINT IS, if you shell out money, you may waste it if a label accepts you.

On a side note, you should shell out the money to have it mastered and release it yourself, and then submit your music to a label. It looks better if you're already trying to sell your tunes yourself. Shows initiative.

Who in their right mind would sign something thats already for sale? That makes no sense. Hell most digital retailers prevent double-listings.

Right, obviously a label is looking for an artist who doesn't try to sell his own tracks and pull his own weight.

I forgot, record labels want to willingly do everything for you for free.

Dude signing a track thats already for sale makes horrible business sense, yes labels want past releases, heLL NO they dont want the tunes to already be on beatport/juno... that makes no sense. I never said not to do anything for yourself, but dont publish tracks you want to get signed, labels want promotions, announcements, sales, ect. to happen on their own time

You should re read my first post on this thread. That way you stop making an ass off yourself. Kthx. And about your PM. Bad attitude? Lol. K.

[Toric]

Obviously he meant sell your song and then try and release different songs.

Correct, but you can also re-release tunes that you've released in the past. You have a single that you released, re-work it and put it on an album.

Record Companies, if they are any good, should be paying someone to market you as well as they can. This includes(but not limited to):

Contests
Re-Releases
Remixes
Promote back catalogue

If your record label does not have a marketing department, you probably don't want to do business with them. They may be a good place to start, but as an artist I would start looking to get YOURSELF into a better label while working with whatever label you are on. The name of the game is survival. Every man for himself. Look out for YOUR best interests. If somethings not working for you, fix it or change it.

An artist with 20 tunes released on Beatport with 5,000 sales between all of them looks better than an artists with none, or very few releases (unless you've gone viral and sold a shit ton).

20 releases is something to work with. No releases is just a huge bet. There's no numbers behind you, there's no marketing information, there's no mailing list.

You have 20 tunes that are unreleased, but you don't know how to market well. The record company can now pick your most popular tunes, help you make them better, and re-release them.

So, to answer the question. Yes, master them IF YOU CAN. It's not a must, but if you can you are showing the label that if THEY don't release, you will. Talking about business sense, they would rather get income from releasing your track than have you be a competitor if you have numbers behind you.

-T

[hifi]

Question for all of you that have had releases on labels or are label owners: Is a label more likely to pay attention and release your tracks if they're already mastered when you send them? I know some labels like to do their own mastering and whatnot, but just curious.
Thanks!

send them a mastered version. then if they approve of it and are willing to sign it then send over a .wav most labels will ask for a .wav of that track anyways

[jrisreal]

@Teknicyde @Toric :
You both are really cool people and both make good points...please don't argue.
I agree with Toric on the fact that you should master your tunes before submitting to labels, but I don't believe you should be paying money for it, just do a self master. Also, don't go promoting the track and trying to get it popular by yourself because that will make the label(s) less interested, like Tek said, and will also soften the impact of the label release if you even get one. IMO you should just pass around a few CDs with the track to some friends and send the track to labels.

[viberous]

Wealth of information in this thread! thanks everybody

[zerbaman]

Generally, I always self master these days. This is just for sending out to DJs and some friends etc. Give it a fuller effect. Obviously for the release I send in the original mixdowns. Don't think it'll make too much of a difference, if it's a good track, the label will always like it. Plus it would save the label some costs

[skimpi]

I don't really care if its mastered or not, if the tunes good, then its good. If its rubbish, no amount of mastering will hide that.

this, why would a label sign a tune just cos you have had several releases before, if its shit its still shit. but if a tune is good and has original ideas it doesnt matter it will be good mastered or not. even if the mixdown is bad, that can be fixed, but what cant be fixed is shit musical ideas. it doesnt hurt to give it a self master with some limiting though, make it a bit louder. but i wouldnt pay for a master by a pro myself.

[FSTZ]

I can guarantee that no label wants something that is already available