Here's How to Whip Your Record Label Into Shape

It's easy to think that records suddenly appear in shops, isn't it, arriving via some kind of stork fresh from a stint down at Oval Space, that a tune zips from a hard drive to Hard Wax just like that. We let ourselves believe that myth because, well, it's easier than thinking about all the hard work that goes into someone's dream becoming a physical, or digital, reality.

The guys over at Label Worx treat things a little differently and given that they oversee everything from worldwide distribution to pre-release promo campaign tools and royalty management software for independent labels like Richie Hawtin's Minus, that's not surprising. We asked the guys behind the service to whip us into shape as we enter 2016 feeling a little flabby.

"First things first, your social media is your storefront and it's the first thing people will check out when looking to sign a record with you. Look busy and, most importantly, look professional — use targeted posts to reach your fans with original content. If all your branding is on point, it will translate into sales and more fans. Hopefully."

"Everyone thinks they can smash out a marathon straight after waking up, having a fag, a bacon roll and a coffee, but honestly, it is important to warm up. Plan ahead – like any good fitness regime, it's important that you work out exactly what you're going to be doing, and how. It's easy to get in the habit of putting a release out two weeks after its been signed just to fill a gap; this is one of the worst ways of running a label and your music will be lost in the thousands of releases that appear on stores and streaming platforms daily. Aim to work three to six months ahead and ensure you have your artwork, press write ups, marketing plans and press strategies all in place weeks before. This will give you time to approach your distributor who can inform the stores that you're working on a well thought out release. If you do all that properly you're much more likely to get a feature and have the store's support this way. We like to think we've got a pretty good grasp on all that. Even if we do still enjoy a coffee and a bacon roll."

"Account on time, even if your label earns very little money. Artists love to receive a royalty statement on time, even if it has little or no money owed to them. It shows you're on top of your game and work professionally. This gives artists another reason to sign their music to you. There are plenty of ways to get ahead with your royalty accounting and you've got to get on top of it early."

"It's easy to concentrate on the newest tracks that sit at the top of the release list, but try not to forget about those releases propping everything else up. It's a great idea to recycle your old catalogue so that your older releases don't get forgotten. We have a tool called the mighty "Bundle Builder" which allows you to re-use your catalogue and create new releases. Your fans love compilations featuring 10 or more tracks, complete with a continuous mix for the gym (perfect for getting yourself in shape whilst you're getting your label in shape). Keep the price reasonable to entice your customers. After all, one sale of £6 or £7 is better than one sale of 99p."

Photo via Wikipedia

"It might seem less important than the music itself, but you need to have decent artwork. If you want people to listen to your music, you need to look good visually and stand out from everything else on a storefront. A lot of people go online to buy something from an artist they know and they'll know what they are looking for. Do something different and stand out from the rest with some clear, bold artwork; it also helps if you can easily change designs between releases whilst still being recognisable as a brand."

"It's easy to think that once you've done all the hard work, like picking the music and getting it to stores, that you can relax and let things work out by themselves. This is bad practice – make time for your label, your record label is your business. Make time to get things done and add tasks to your calendar. Whether it's daily or weekly, there are a whole bunch of house-keeping tasks that need taking care of all the time, whether that's demo checking, social media management, gathering feedback, uploading releases, admin work… the list goes on."

Do all that and you, and your label, will look a little like Arnie. Maybe. Hopefully. Possibly.

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