a friend who released some music of mine in 2004 on label called Rocket Racer (now defunct) had only released physical things. high quality art etc. he had all the connects w/reliable distributors back then… he lost his taste for it when everything started going digital…
then, when the tape boom started he was back in it under a different moniker doing tape releases of rare weird stuff and he instantly got distribution for cassettes in japan.
i thought about doing a tape release but i’d have to find my cassette player. there’s more than one tape duplicator in portland so i’m sure i could find someone to make some tapes but i’m not really interested in the format for any reason other than finding that audience that is into tapes and enthusiastic.
I would rather release vinyl, but tapes are so so more affordable. For a pressing of 50-100 and with professionally printed covers the cost for a single tape is around 3,5€, goes nearly to 4€ per tape with postage. So you can sell for 5€ and break even (assuming you sell all copies minus the artist copies), or 6€ and make a bit of profit. Vinyl is like 8-12€ with pressings of 300, depending on how nice you want the covers.
Actually I would love to release minidiscs, they’re my favourite format of all time but I doubt there’d be an audience for them.
it’s not just like that…it needs proper taste…proper contacts…isrc codes…publishing contracts, knowledge about mechanical rights, responsible AND sensible handling of master rights, a solid distribution concept and quite some overall know how…and also a good hand for accountancy…not to mention a solid backend for accountability and backing up a back catalog…
this is by no means a one man/woman job…u gonna need a backend u can’t do all alone…
there are no self made labels that last longer than one term…
leaving nothing but dissapointed and exploited artists with crashed hopes…
and hey…good artists don’t fall from the sky…and so don’t good cover designs…
if u don’t come up with a certain concept and really make ur mind up…up front…
why should u bother…?
there are so so so many senseless, half baken wannabee labels out there…
get serious with it for real…or move on…
and the chances to end up as a hated , nervewracked and pretty poor man are way way higher than a happy end in artistic uniqueness and full pockets…
and either way…end of the day…no matter what…it’s WORK…lot’s of hard work…
…if u do it all on non profit only, just for the fun, quick and dirty and within ur own little social bubble…of course…easy…
create a logo and load up whatever crossed ur and friends’ sonic minds out of the blue to soundcloud…and enjoy…
but i would’nt call that a label…
1/ it’s a great question and I don’t see why not… it cost a bit much for sure. No good for the back with vinyl transport, no good when losing vinyls bag in airport for sure… The main concern in your question is on the youngest generation to jump in the train while in movement … maybe not … also I didn’t have the truth… just my few cents of self thinking …
There’s a lot of really good stuff to be found by people self releasing on bandcamp. Dont forget to check out the people hiding in the corners that dont have any label contacts.
