Workbook
A comprehensive workbook to help you brainstorm and work through your record label’s needs, priorities, goals, and planning process.
Accounting Template
The toolkit contains an easy-to-use accounting spreadsheet, as well as a coupon code to download a more advanced royalty accounting software.
Checklist
31 straightforward tasks and responsibilities you and your team need to consider before launching your record label.
Release Roadmap
This unique release roadmap will help show you what you need to accomplish leading up to the release of a new album or single. This template will help you plan, schedule, and prioritize your marketing tasks.
Social Graphics
Easy to edit, Photoshop social media templates to help you promote your record label’s new releases on all of your social media platforms.
Sample Contract
An actual, free, legal recording contract, created by a music attorney to help you quickly get started signing new artists.
RECORD LABEL
ACADEMY
Simple strategies that will help you
earn a living telling people about great music!
RECORD LABEL
ACADEMY
Instant Lifetime Access to all our courses, books, and templates!
-
How to Start a Record Label (Online Course)
Record Label Marketing Strategies (Online Course)
Record Label Decision Tool (Online Course)
Profitable Record Label (Online Course)
All 8 Micro Courses
All 8 Micro eBooks
How to Start a Record Label (eBook)
Record Label Marketing Strategies (eBook)
Tons of bonus templates and extra resources
RECORD LABEL
ACADEMY
Instant Lifetime Access to all our courses, books, and templates!
-
How to Start a Record Label (Online Course)
Record Label Marketing Strategies (Online Course)
Record Label Decision Tool (Online Course)
Profitable Record Label (Online Course)
All 8 Micro Courses
All 8 Micro eBooks
How to Start a Record Label (eBook)
Record Label Marketing Strategies (eBook)
Tons of bonus templates and extra resources
How to Start
a Record Label
The Complete Guide
In this workshop, I cover everything you need to know to start your own record label. Let’s get started!
How to start a record label? FAQs
How much does it cost to start a record label?
I suppose it’s possible to say that it can cost “nothing” but that would probably limit your marketing abilities and your distribution reach. A digital-only label releasing exclusively on Bandcamp can start a label for almost zero dollars assuming you have a logo. On the other end of the spectrum, if you had an endless budget you could give your artist a $10,000 advance, register your trademark for $2000, hire a music attorney for $1000 to draw up a contract, press a vinyl run of 300 records for $2500, and hire a publicist for another $2500. Somewhere in between is entirely up to you and your available budget.
How much does a label take from the artist?
Major labels have been known to take upwards of 90% of net sales. Mid-size independents royalty rates average between 50-75%. The most common royalty share amongst small indie labels is 50/50. You can even offer a more lopsided royalty in favor of your artist, something like 35% for the label and 65% for the artist. Check this out for some help with managing your record label’s royalties…
Can you recommend a lawyer, publicist, manufacturer, etc?
I often get asked about where to find vendors or reputable industry service providers. The best thing you can do is ask people you trust in the industry who they have used in the past. You can also find companies who have been previously hired by artists/labels you admire.
Also, I am compiling a list of hand-picked, trusted industry services that you can check out here…
How do I get my music on Spotify, AppleMusic, etc?
At the time of writing this, there isn’t any way to upload directly to one of these services. Instead, you have to use an aggregator like CDBaby, DistroKid, Ditto, Tunecore, etc. There are plenty of blogs online that will break down the pros and cons of those services. You can expect to pay a one-time fee per album/single or an annual fee to keep your music up online. The good thing about these services is that they will upload to all of the many DSPs (Digital Service Providers) across the globe, including any future DSPs that come to market.
Other Record Labels Podcast
Featuring interviews with…
