Breaking into the music industry has always been notoriously challenging. While there are so many talented people out there, only a select few have the skills, work ethic and mindset it takes to make it in the long run. As if the industry wasn’t already difficult enough to make a profit in, streaming then came along and made it even more challenging for artists and record companies – diminishing their earnings significantly, since the majority of the money now goes to the streaming services. Of course, if you have a vision and a mission that you truly believe in, none of this should keep you from creating your own label. You just need to be willing to put in the work so that you can go in prepared for the challenges you’ll be facing. This is a long, arduous process that couldn’t possibly be compiled into one article – so instead, we’ll give you two of our most valuable tips to getting your record label off to a good start right down below.
Set The Tone With The Right Label Name
Before you can really get started establishing your label, you have to do the groundwork and lay the foundations. Finding a fitting name, for instance, is a great place to start. While you definitely want the name of your record label to stand out, it should also be something that people will actually be able to remember in the future – so don’t go too crazy. Also, since there are already so many other record labels out there already, you want to stand out and draw attention to yourself – as a new, upcoming record label, ready to sign on the best artists.
Of course, coming up with the right name on the spot can be difficult. If it seems like all the good names are already taken, you may just need a little help to kickstart your creativity. This music business name generator, for instance, has a ton of different names to choose from – and also allows you to type in relevant keywords that describe your record label’s values and then generates a long list of name suggestions based on them.
Attract The Right Artists And Audience
Besides figuring out your own identity, you also have to consider who the musicians you’re trying to attract are. To become a successful record label in the music industry, not only do you have to make a name for yourself – you must also market yourself well enough to make the upcoming artists you want to be affiliated with want to sign with you and appeal to an audience that appreciates their kind of music.
As the owner of your record label, you of course decide who you promote and produce music for. But don’t just sign whomever you find talented at random. Instead, make sure you know what you’re looking for. Do you have a certain genre that you want to focus on? If so, it’s important to also make sure there’s still an audience for it. For instance, whether R&B is evolving or dying as a genre has been heavily debated over the last couple of years. So, if this is what you’re planning on releasing, make sure you at least know what you’re getting into and how to reach the small part of the population that still appreciates this genre.
All in all, knowing who you are as a label and what you stand for goes a long way. By following these tips, you’re off to a good start. But it’s up to you to keep the ball rolling and foster an inspiring environment for your artists – so that they can produce the music you know they’re capable of creating and succeed with it commercially.
