Creating a music label brand

[MILIANARD134]

Ok, let's make it short, as some of you may remember, I started a thread month ago a progress thread about asmr industry. Guess what ? No need to lie, the thread was given up, and the execution too. Not gonna make excuse, I'm here to take a hard kick if it is necessary too grow. Like my box coaching was saying " If I kick you in the belly thank me later".
Here is a summary of what i'm doing today. Just signed a 150k music deal with an artist at the label i'm working at. It's sound great...But I know that's not the place I want to be and I want to experience the real business life. I'm currently working with rappers, so the mentality is quite closed, and also so focused about money. Money is great, but what i really want to do is set up my business and kicking a$$ with it.

Here is a need I discovered while working with a lot of rappers. It's so hard to differentiate yourself, because all rappers are doing "freestyle". My idea is to create a label focused on what I call "hitmakers", people who makes hits in rap and not freestyle. Hits are so valuable because they really help an artist to grow. I know a lot of rappers with plenty of talent but they have no hits. Guess what ? They are stuck. My goal is to help people who make hits (autotune, dancehall beat...) and who are invisible in the eye of other peoples to shine and become known as hitmakers like drake etc...

So here is the step I took: Created 1 pages on twitter and instagram with frenchword and while i'm writing i'm thinking about creating a US one to gain more market,(did it).
-Created a video about the goal of the page, tried to put this upfront but don't have a lot of results.
-Posted some content about unkown rappers on instagram and twitter.
-Pitched the page to some rappers and label, they find it's a good idea (but numbers don't lie so I will trust them only if they put money into it)

Next thing to do tomorrow:
-Pay instagram ads to grow my trafic
-Will poste more content about rappers
- Call 3 beatmakers I know and pitch them the goal.

I'm gonna be honest I feel like it's a good idea but I have no fuking idea if it will work or not, i reread a lot of post specially yours @ZCP and you changed my mindset by telling people using the "how" word instead of closed questions, it opened a lot of opportunity in my thinking. Worth more than any gold.

My long term goal is to A)Create a label and sign artist (big goal)
B) Create a website where rappers can sell their songs or beatmaker their beats. (backup plan)

I know a lot of people will doubt of my serious. And I totally understand them, because it's like my third or two execution thread. But if someone has some tips on growing an twitter page or instagram page, it would be cool to have some guidance.
Thank you for your time if you read this.

 

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[Kid]

TL;DR.

Rap is dead.

 

[MILIANARD134]

@Kid ? Are you kidding me ? Rap is actually the most best selling music in my country.

Anyway, : Called 5 beatmakers
Sent email to top 10 people in my country
Found 3 rappers near to me and pitched them they liked the concept but have no money to invest in, so.. i consider this useless.
Paid instagram trafic

Tomorrow goals : -Schedule 3 content post : 1 Rapper, 1 beatmaker and an other one rapper.
-Call big guys and ask them for a meeting, bold move but i really need this to move forward
-Go in the hood around me to discover some talent. (3 hood around me so pretty easy and i know some guys in )

 

[Devampre]

What is in it for the beatmakers/rappers if they are signed to your label?

 

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[StrikingViper69]

If you are already working with a label and signing artists, can you setup a subsidary rather than go out on your own? Then you can tap into their assets and cash to grow.

The music industry has a high barrier to entry (to do it right), and having some serious cash and skills on hand will make a huge difference.

Rather than make your own label, one option might be to bring together a songwriting team with artists you currently work with. A great producer, songwriter, orchestration/instrumentation working with your rapper(s).

 

[StrikingViper69]

What is in it for the beatmakers/rappers if they are signed to your label?

You wouldn't believe how stupid most musicians are when it comes to signing a deal with anything vaguely related to "a record deal".

Seriously, I bet you could open a label that was nothing apart from a limited company and a distrokid account and sign someone over the weekend

 

[KKOPPI]

TL;DR.

Rap is dead.

You must be messing, just today I've started wondering if any kid nowadays is aware that any music other than rap exists at all.

 

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[Devampre]

You wouldn't believe how stupid most musicians are when it comes to signing a deal with anything vaguely related to "a record deal".

Seriously, I bet you could open a label that was nothing apart from a limited company and a distrokid account and sign someone over the weekend

I suppose I was curious if there was some added benefit or incentive. I mean sure there are some "stupid" musicians, sure. But, there are also some well informed artists looking to grow as well.

I guess, I am trying to better understand the value proposition of this label. So if I am already a beatmaker/rapper familiar with distrokid and other parts of the industry, what makes me want to work with this label?

 

[Kid]

@Kid ? Are you kidding me ? Rap is actually the most best selling music in my country.

I'm not against the business you are making. I'm 50% pro business

You must be messing, just today I've started wondering if any kid nowadays is aware that any music other than rap exists at all.

This situation reminds me of a "almost business" forum where people could offer their courses and talk about making money.
It was prominent forum of its times. But at some moment sellers of those courses started repackaging their own previous ones and sell it as a new thing to naive clients.

The reason wasn't greed or laziness.

The reason was that number of ideas that can be implemented was exhausted.
There was nothing new to do.

Same reason is why blues, jazz music or twist dance are mostly extinct.

[side note: if this is till being read then author is amazed ]

The comparison can be done to skateboarding.
When Tony Hawk, in 1999 ,did first ever 900 this was skateboarding.

Now, a kid can do 1080 and i've seen the competition where it was done 3 times in a row, with a audience of maybe 100 people (including his mom).

For some rap and skateboarding are live.

For me, its something kids can do 3 times in a row.

 

[Santiaggo]

I'm not against the business you are making. I'm 50% pro business




This situation reminds me of a "almost business" forum where people could offer their courses and talk about making money.
It was prominent forum of its times. But at some moment sellers of those courses started repackaging their own previous ones and sell it as a new thing to naive clients.

The reason wasn't greed or laziness.

The reason was that number of ideas that can be implemented was exhausted.
There was nothing new to do.

Same reason is why blues, jazz music or twist dance are mostly extinct.

[side note: if this is till being read then author is amazed ]

The comparison can be done to skateboarding.
When Tony Hawk, in 1999 ,did first ever 900 this was skateboarding.

Now, a kid can do 1080 and i've seen the competition where it was done 3 times in a row, with a audience of maybe 100 people (including his mom).

For some rap and skateboarding are live.

For me, its something kids can do 3 times in a row.

Yeah, rap is dead.

Trap is the new wave lol.

Seriously though, how can you call Hip-Hop/Rap dead when it recently surpassed Rock as the number one genre?

It might die in the future (like so many genres did throughout the history of music), but I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon...

 

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[MILIANARD134]

Ok so really interesting answer there. I'm completely open minded so i read all of your post

I'm not against the business you are making. I'm 50% pro business




This situation reminds me of a "almost business" forum where people could offer their courses and talk about making money.
It was prominent forum of its times. But at some moment sellers of those courses started repackaging their own previous ones and sell it as a new thing to naive clients.

The reason wasn't greed or laziness.

The reason was that number of ideas that can be implemented was exhausted.
There was nothing new to do.

Same reason is why blues, jazz music or twist dance are mostly extinct.

[side note: if this is till being read then author is amazed ]

The comparison can be done to skateboarding.
When Tony Hawk, in 1999 ,did first ever 900 this was skateboarding.

Now, a kid can do 1080 and i've seen the competition where it was done 3 times in a row, with a audience of maybe 100 people (including his mom).

For some rap and skateboarding are live.

For me, its something kids can do 3 times in a row.

The point is, what you said is real : everybody can make rap today, the barrier of entry is pretty low. But with all this competition you have to be worldclass to be known. A lot of rappers are good, but few are worldclass. .Also, the rap is doing great and still evolving, i think it will stay like this for a long time.
There are always new things to do, and moreover new way to market. Here are what i call worldclass rappers in my country (France) :

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtyHYIpykN0

They did a clip on the eiffel tower, and they marketed it so well. Problem is, maybe 2 or 3 people in my country know how to market their song.

I suppose I was curious if there was some added benefit or incentive. I mean sure there are some "stupid" musicians, sure. But, there are also some well informed artists looking to grow as well.

I guess, I am trying to better understand the value proposition of this label. So if I am already a beatmaker/rapper familiar with distrokid and other parts of the industry, what makes me want to work with this label?

Here is my view on the label proposition, 20 years ago rap was listened only by low class people. Today, rap everyone listen rap, there is a rapper for all market. Gangsta rap, cloud rap, depressed rap; country rap...

The goal of the label is to market their song like a luxury product. For exemple, look at kanye west who is releasing is album today with a special presentation in theater. That's a big event, it creates hype, it create excitement even if i don't like kanye, but i'm just curious.

In france the group i quoted earlier "PNL" created a youtube live before releasing the song, the live was 20hour long, and there was only a moon with some crappy animation. Guess what ? 200k people were staying 20H hour long watching the live, without even knowing if something was going to be released. I call this genius.

That's why i think i can add value to an artist, i worked with them, i am a huge fan of rap too, i know what people wants, i know how they react, I really think i can create things that generate better excitement than these event.

 

[Kid]

there is a rapper for all market.

You mean like ... those:

?!


P.S Have a sense of humor. I root for you.