For Those of You With Label Releases

[pete_bubonic]

I think it's more necessary to be signed to a respected label rather than a large one. After my releases on Immerse (the first one) and the Punch Drunk release, all of a sudden I started getting booking, then when I put out my own release on Soul Motive, I was getting loads of bookings. What people seem to overlook now days is the heads. Heads are the promoters or the people speaking to promoters, sending links around, promoting your shit by word of mouth which is by far and wide the most powerful force. None of my releases have sold 1k units (on vinyl), no releases on big labels, but in 2008, I got to travel more than I ever had done before and people were paying me for it! Madness looking back.

[misk]

honestly, talking to people on this forum, and connecting through AIM, has been the single-handed most helpful thing as far as getting releases goes for me. I don't know if this forum will really be that helpful for you these days in that regard tho, simply because there's so many more producers on here. Be social, even chatting on the occasional sub.fm show will let people know you exist!

also - don't be afraid to be a little obnoxious and a little different in your approach - but make sure you don't cross the line and be annoying or be a prick.

Though I don't always know exactly where that line is ...

[zerbaman]

One suggestion. Don't just go there aiming for releases. Get to know a few people fairly well, in a musical sense, even if they don't want to release it, there are other forms of support, and also, if they decide to venture into secondary labels or things of the sort, your name would be on their list

[Basic A]

Hell, just over a yr ago Basic put one of my first tunes into a mix which gave me enough of an ego boost to start trying to get tunes into other djs hands which in turn encouraged me to make better tracks and things started progressing from there.

Thanks again, Basic

Haha I remember that tune! Still rinse that one actually on occasion haha, Im a bit of a sucker for vocoding haha...

But its no problem man... Actually, need to get some new bits off you sometime haha.

[bigfootspartan]

Signing to a bigger label definitely helps in some ways, but it by no means solves anything long term. Signing to the RIGHT label is much more important.


I've released quite a bit on Ad Noiseam - and all of the releases got rave reviews - but when I first started releasing with them, they were still mainly a noise/post-industrial/dnb label. I was the first one who brought hiphop, jazz, and some other sounds to the label. Mothboy also released some amazing bassy releases that stood out... but in hindsight, we might not have been the right artists at the right time for that label. We may have made it easier for new artists to release a wider range of styles, but at the time, the label's core audience wasn't ready for it. I think if I released on Ad Noiseam now, the crowd would have much more open ears... and the door is still open... but I think I would want to try something different if I released with them again.

Same happened when I released with Hymen - that album is one of my favorite records, but it is largely a hiphop record... which didn't go over well with the label's core audience. That said - I did have the experience of being reviewed by Kerrrang! - which had weird sentimental value as I listened to a lot of metal growing up. Not surprising, Kerrang! hated it too! lol.


I think it is much more important to get released by a label whose core audience is going to feel your stuff and be receptive to the promo that is done on your behalf. Getting your name to 10,000 of the wrong people isn't as effective as getting it to 1000 of the right people.

Sweet, there's so much knowledge in this thread, thanks for the advice! I think you and Pete are right, I keep overlooking how important it is to reach the right crowd; getting support through word of mouth would be by far the best situation.