"Forget the Majors.... Launch Your Own Record Label"

by John Latimer

In today’s business of capturing and promoting moments of time, owners of record labels have come to deal with the pro’s and con’s of digital as well as analog productions. The barrier to entry into the record label business has never been easier. However, with that, financial success may come with an increase in blood, sweat and tears. I firmly believe that this is the hardest business in the world. It’s a glamour business and everyone wants to be in it. There are wannabes everywhere... and they clog up the channels. With the low cost of establishing a record label, competition is increased. The quality of your work must set you apart. Remember… there is room at the top and the road is either stairs or a rocket. In today’s digital age, it can be that fast. Preparation is key. Quality is imperative. Good is not good enough. Think GREAT. In my efforts to write this book, I utilized ideas generated from owning my own record label, dealing with major and independent record labels as a collaborator, and in debates within a specialized college classroom. Client and student questions and inquiries generated discussion, handouts and new ideas about our industry. This book is an accumulation of those discussions. “Forget the Majors… Launch Your Own Record Label” is an organized and detailed approach to forming your own record label. In many instances, I offer checklists as well as tips to success. When you have completed this book and tackled the necessary tasks, you will own and run a record label. You will have an established business entity and be well on your way to financial success in the music business. My follow-up book entitled “Record Label Marketing in the Digital Age” discusses what do to with your record label and its products once it has been produced and turned into a product, including marketing, promotion, distribution and sales. This book does not include technical information about recording process.

303 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2012