Label Interest Dilemma - for "Falcon Punch!"

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:16 pm

Hello everyone. I've got a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if anyone had any advice/info/past experience to offer me.

For those of you who don't know, I won the "Brostep Tune Battle" this week with my track "Falcon Punch!" (again, cheers for all who voted). I've since sent it out to a few labels, and today heard back from one who said they liked the sound of Falcon Punch! but i quote "however, you've already got it on soundcloud for download", and then went on to say "Get in touch if you have other heavy tunes like Falcon Punch that you want to see released, as we are interested".

So, it seems the fact that I had it up for download has discouraged them from wanting to release Falcon Punch! I've taken it down for download now (sorry guys.. ha). Basically, I just wanted to get everyone's take on this. Is it a big problem for getting tracks released if they have previously been available for free? Even if its only been for 2 days, with 18 downloads? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Obviously it's great that Ive had this interest, and I do have other tracks on the go, but non yet in a finished enough state to send over. I've also been doing a lot of work on Falcon Punch! itself, and its sounding quite a lot better than even the version I sent out to the labels, so I wonder if this differentiion to the version people have already download would be a difference.

All replies muchly appreciated

MOTHERDAVID

x

decklyn · Post by **decklyn** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:34 pm

I don't really play the game but some general guidelines:
Don't give tunes away freely that you want released except to a handful of djs that you want to represent your material.
Wait for your other tunes to get polished - use this as inspiration to finish your other tracks that you think are good but that you've been sitting on completing. When they're sounding bumpin' then send them to the label.
Try not to post too many unfinished bits if you want to get released - like a photographer only shows their best photos, the good guys in the game are professional and only show the work they are proud of.
Try taking good part of bad songs and using them in other tunes that are good - tip from DZ.

mojomusic · Post by **mojomusic** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:38 pm

congrats on the interest mate, good work!

i learnt the hard way, had a few tunes turned down by labels cos i just used to throw them out there. not carelessly, it was for promo purposes. but i missed out on making a few quid and a label supporting me!
whenever you upload keep it to yourself until you get a good idea of what people think of it!

wideboy · Post by **wideboy** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:47 pm

A way around this could be to only post snippets of tracks that are done (and really done) in low bitrate and with volume fades and voiceovers .. this way you can create hype around a track without giving anything away. This also looks way more serious than just posting everything you have done with no quality control. Just my 2 cents.

gnome · Post by **gnome** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:35 am

Delete the track and re upload it then send it to the label next week. I reckon they will fall for it.

I don't put many tracks up for free download as labels just won't take them like that.

mks · Post by **mks** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:51 am

Make some new music.

VirtualMark · Post by **VirtualMark** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:30 am

Just out of interest, what labels did you approach?

Recessive Trait · Post by **Recessive Trait** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:44 am

mks wrote:Make some new music.

i kind of get the feeling that the label was saying, "you have an interesting sound, now let's see if you can replicate the energy from that one track, or if it was just a fluke." maybe a nice way of saying, "come back when you've got something more/better."

use it as a challenge to yourself. step up your game.

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:05 am

All great responses. As for the labels I contacted in fairness, not that many, there was this one, "insect records", "10 ton recordings" and im not even sure if there were any more. I think I may have been quite lucky with this one. The new label itself looks promosing (im not mentioning the name at the moment, I dont know, in case I make some sort of error like putting the track up for free download again. Like I said im a bit inexperienced in all this at the mo).

gnome - " don't put many tracks up for free download as labels just won't take them like that"

Do you think getting the track Falcon Punch! itself ever, is now a no go? I mean I hope not because I am pretty happy with it. I'm going to message the label back and make sure they know its been improved quite a lot, been recording live hats, percussion etc. And like I said, its only been up for 2 or 3 days and only been downloaded 18 times.

RT -"i kind of get the feeling that the label was saying, "you have an interesting sound, now let's see if you can replicate the energy from that one track, or if it was just a fluke." maybe a nice way of saying, "come back when you've got something more/better."

use it as a challenge to yourself. step up your game."

Yeah I got that feeling as well. My dread is that Ive "blown it" by putting it as free download, id hate to think thats the case....But yeah I completely see what you mean about getting me to prove Im not a one hit wonder. I feel like im not, so am definitely gona capitalize on the oppurtunity as much as I can. As for a nice way of saying come back later, im not sure, Id like to think they are a bit more interested then that, stating earlier in the message that "I do like the sound of Falcon Punch for or new label".

Fuck it, I just need to absolutely destroy producing this month! Thing is im supervising a uni ski/snowboard trip next 2 weeks and leaving tomorrow! hmm alp-step anyone?

EDN · Post by **EDN** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:21 am

Its not to say if a label signed you they wouldn't release "falcon punch!" but they would release it for free.
The thing is about downloads is that 16 people can spread to 1000's in a matter of days or weeks, so cool as the tune was (is) its not ever a viable (non-free) release for a label.

Generally also a label (that is actually worth signing for) will need at least a few (like definitely more than 2 or three) decent tunes from you. I would hold off as long as you can, get the little snippets up to give people a taste and just wait it out for the moment.
(By the way I'm not saying the two labels who asked you aren't good, I genuinely have no idea) I would wait til you have a proper Lp. and (if you DJ) a set worked out to show off your tracks.
However thats just me personally, and I'm not signed and haven't tried to be. (I did work for a distributor for a while though so I'm not just chatting out my arse.)

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:49 am

Yeah. I take on board what you say about having 2 or 3 tracks, it makes sense. But actually I'm impressed with a couple of the names the label has actually signed (RAKoon and Twisted amongst others) as Ive actually got some of their tunes in my library, which perhaps makes me think they might have been saying come back later when youve got more finished tunes.

Also, a point id make is that yeah 16 free tunes can spread, but released tunes can will always be pirated as well. However i suppose the issue is that by the time itd be released, there wouldnt be demand for paying it because a lot of people would already have it.

But then, Id again make the point that F.P. has been worked on a lot and has been much improved. Not completely overhauled but like, new synths patches and riffs, more drums fills, I recorded some live hats/perc as well. So, Im the only person that has heard this, so maybe there would be demand.

How about everyone who download it just agree to delete it and get themselves the new version in a couple of months yeah!? haha

VirtualMark · Post by **VirtualMark** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:02 am

have you thought about maybe putting your track on beatport? you might get some sales. also, i wouldn't worry about having 'blown it' by releasing your track. any publicity is good publicity, and this gets your name out there. its not like you could make loads of cash from music sales these days anyway, most of the money comes from live sets. so the way i see it is that if people are playing your track, your names getting seen/heard.

jsills · Post by **jsills** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:15 am

fuck a record label

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:16 am

yeah yeah true, spose publicitys always a good thing. I googled it the other week after someone suggest I release it on beatport on the Brostep Tune Battle Voting thread, but from what I gathered i though you can't release music on beatport without being signed to a label.

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:26 am

Saweeeeet! Just had a reply saying theyd still be interested in the new version, but theyre gona check the torrents and if it comes up itl probably be a no go. So basically do me a favor, if anyone happened to download the old version please dont put it up on torrent sites, and if you have do me a favor and take it down

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:46 am

pretty much everyone said what needed to be
don't put up a track for download or a streaming version of the full thing if you want to get it signe for a commercial release

also it's best not to send it to a shitload of people, maybe just a small handful of djs you respect or that rep your sound and labels you want to be on or that represents what you're after, not just any ol label that wants to sign it, better to have your tune on a label that you respect and have heard of than to be signed by someone who most people will go who? and disregard as one of the many half assed digital labels

thierry_le_dj · Post by **thierry_le_dj** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:53 am

i hardly make my tunes for free these days!
i been in similar situation before

MOTHERDAVID · Post by **MOTHERDAVID** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:31 am

deadly habit wrote:pretty much everyone said what needed to be
don't put up a track for download or a streaming version of the full thing if you want to get it signe for a commercial release

also it's best not to send it to a shitload of people, maybe just a small handful of djs you respect or that rep your sound and labels you want to be on or that represents what you're after, not just any ol label that wants to sign it, better to have your tune on a label that you respect and have heard of than to be signed by someone who most people will go who? and disregard as one of the many half assed digital labels

Yeah I see what you're sayin, its definitely worth thinking aoubt and researching before you go jumping into any sort of signing or contract, which is what Im going to do.

And its right to target the people you actually want to reach, some labels I found on my travels in soundcloudland turned out not to be labels that are looking for my style of music upon clicking on them and reading the descriptions, they clearly dont want your track so sending it to them would be unnecessary spamming.

I Disagree about only sending to a handful of people however, so long as your targeting is appropriate, and you predominantly share tracks to people or labels who openly welcome it, Id say sent it to as many people as you possibly can. Its the only way your ever really going to make any sort impact, and get any sort of measurable response.

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:04 am

more people = more chance of leakage/labelwise you could end up on the ignore this guy list/djs like i said a small handful as you primarily are selling to a dj market and if you send it all over, who's left to purchase said tune, same goes for casual listeners, which is why some labels with these huge promo lists that send tunes to everyone and their dog shouldn't be surprised when releases aren't selling as much as they could be as a good chunk got it for free already
hell save a few tunes i sent about to max 20 diff people last few months i've been hording tunes for a hot min and plan on doing a mix some time early this year as a debut for a bunch of them, then start shopping em around and hopefully picking up some booking and getting em into people's hands

there is a method to the madness

cloak and dagger · Post by **cloak and dagger** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:19 am

MOTHERDAVID wrote:
I Disagree about only sending to a handful of people however, so long as your targeting is appropriate, and you predominantly share tracks to people or labels who openly welcome it, Id say sent it to as many people as you possibly can. Its the only way your ever really going to make any sort impact, and get any sort of measurable response.

As long as you are careful regarding the people you send it to (i.e. I wouldn't send it to anybody you don't know unless they are someone with a reputation or someone who you are pretty sure you can trust), I think this is definitely the right way to go about it, at least until you find a label / labels that are willing to support you and do your promotion for you.

Label Interest Dilemma - for "Falcon Punch!"

Label Interest Dilemma - for "Falcon Punch!"

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