Releasing a track at bigger labels is probably one of your dreams as a producer, and it’s definitely an amazing achievement, but it’s not the only way possible in the industry.
4 THOUGHTS FROM ME
1. Big labels may not be the best for you specifically. Every genre has its peculiarities, but the bigger the label, the more return you expect from a release with them, right? Well, sometimes this is not true. It depends on how much effort the label is willing to put into your release, and smaller labels might be willing to work on your song more than bigger ones when you are a smaller act. A way to check if a big label is good for you is by looking for what that label can do for an artist like you instead of looking for what it does for huge artists since the first scenario will most likely be the one you’ll be in.
2. In addition, releasing on smaller labels can build yourself a path to bigger labels. As mentioned before in past newsletters, A&Rs are constantly moving from label to label, and one A&R you met on a smaller label can move to a bigger label, which would then give you the opportunity to send music to a bigger label via someone who already knows you, which is always a plus. However, this is only possible when building relationships with the A&Rs and maintaining this relationship, which is a lot easier with smaller labels since A&Rs “tend to be”, though not necessarily will be, friendlier than in bigger labels. Therefore, make sure to develop a relationship with the label A&Rs you work with as they may be able to help you a lot in the future.
3. However, big labels can be massively important to your career if you release with them at the right time. Even though a smaller label might be an amazing entry point, there will come a time that you should consider trying to release with bigger labels, as they can provide a lot as well. Gigs, media placements, and massive marketing pushes, this is just a few of the elements that make bigger labels so attractive, but their investment in you will depend a lot on how much they see the potential of making money out of your music. Therefore, even though smaller labels might get you more plays and followers in the beginning, bigger labels can be a way to push your career to bigger audiences and to bigger things in your career.
4. Lastly, there is no ‘only one path’. Even though bigger labels could be more helpful to someone, a smaller label that backs you up completely can be more helpful in the end. In addition, there are cases of artists who just self-release their songs and perform amazingly as well, so don’t get held down by ‘needing’ to follow a path that has worked for someone since it all depends on what YOU want and how YOU want it to be like. It’s you and your music who will shape your path and big/small labels are just the means to achieve a goal that has many possible routes to be achieved, so focus on what works for you and what you believe is right for your music to keep on growing.
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
What do you think would be most beneficial to your career right now?
1. A label that helps you develop yourself as an artist and as a producer?
2. A label that helps you reach bigger audiences because you are already comfortable with your skills?
3. The freedom to dictate your own path creatively and how you want to display that to the world?
The answer to what kind of label should you look for rely a lot on these questions. Just don’t forget that these labels can think differently than what you think
