Major vs. independent

NFAB: If an NFAB reader was offered a major label record contract tomorrow, would you advise them to sign – if so/if not, then why?

Andrew: That depends on what you want out of your musicianship.

If you want to be famous, have a number one single in the charts, a music video played worldwide on television and a concert tour where hundreds of thousands of people turn up, buy your merchandise and sing along with your songs — then your chances are still much better with a major label deal than without it. That may not always be true, but it is currently.

“If you want to have all of the decision-making power about what you are, then your chances are better as an independent”

However, if you want to have a sustainable career, manage your own repertoire, have creative control, earn a decent living, not be in debt to a major corporation, have all of the decision-making power about what you are and aren’t prepared to do and — over the course of your career — earn more money and reach more people that care about your music, then your chances are better as an independent.

Statistically speaking, your chances of being generally creatively constrained are much higher in a major record company. However, there are some world class marketing people working in major labels who would be good to have on board if fame is your desired outcome.

 

 

Major label input

NFAB: With so many tools out there for new artists to record, promote and distribute music themselves, why are record labels still necessary?

James: I have yet to see much in the way of landmark albums that were entirely the artist’s own DIY effort. It’s a lovely concept to think someone could make a very important album from beginning to end without the help of a label. The truth is, you wont find a better collection of producers, graphic artists, film makers, marketeers, legal staff, A&R, Finance/Royalty Accounting Staff, International Sales Teams and more than at a label where it’s their job every day to get the best out of artists and support them. There’s always been a DIY element to the music industry which is very important, but one will never overtake the other I think.

“spending more time developing your MySpace page than your songs is not healthy for your music”

Labels represent a team and an environment which should act as a catalyst to an artist’s creativity. The better artists I meet concentrate on their craft first, their online activities second. I also know artists who spend more time developing their MySpace than their songs which I don’t think is healthy for their music.

 

 

 

The ultimate mix tape

NFAB: Why did you decide to branch out from the website and start a record label?

Sean: I’ve always felt running a label is like having the ultimate mix tape that you want everyone to hear, and making money was never part of the allure. It’s all about disseminating and communicating music to the wider world.

“Starbucks is the first sign of a real paradigm shift”

I think increasingly the inability to make money from putting out records has stilted the ability for labels to develop or invest in on a level playing field with the majors. However, I think there’s a real sea change happening and the transitional period at the end of the record label era will take things back to the philanthropic ways things began. I guess Starbucks is the first sign of a real paradigm shift.

NFAB: Did having an audience on the website first help you in promoting the bands you signed (as Wired recently suggested it might)?

Sean: Personally I’m not sure in these increasingly fracturing times for mass media, whether a blog could build enough traction and depth of relationship with its readers for it to be any kind of shortcut to success (see also the MySpace label!?). However it’s certainly an interesting trend at a time where starting a label is financially insane, but where there’s an abundance of people starting club nights and labels. A few years from now it’ll be interesting seeing where these people will end up, or if we’ll create a world where it’s only possible to do this as a hobby.