Record Labels 101

So you're considering starting a record label but you aren't sure if it's the right choice for you. Get help breaking down the arguments for and against the idea and figure out if record label life is for you. Find out what you need to know before you take the plunge. You'll want to consider things like capital, distribution, and promotion. Are you up to those tasks? Can you hire someone to deal with these things if you don't excel at them?

If you've decided that you want to start a record label—whether you're planning to start one to release your own music or you're going to be hunting for new artists to introduce to the world—this step-by-step guide will teach you how to get your small indie label up and running. Get that first release out there as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Are you getting a little confused by all this indie label/major label terminology? Find out what makes an indie, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of signing with one. 

Yes, starting a label is going to take some money and probably a whole lot of it. If you've determined that this is your goal, now's the time to figure out how you're going to pay for it. Visit Music Industry Funding 101 to learn about your options, such as working with an investor and some cost-saving measures you can take to improve your bottom line in those critical first years. 

Just how relevant are record labels these days anyway? Whether you're a musician weighing your options or you're considering that you want to start a record label yourself, find out how record deals figure for artists in today's music climate.

Every type of label brings something different to the table. Find out the pros and cons of working with a major record label, from the connections you'll gain and the money available to you—the advantages—to realizing that you're just a little fish in a very big pond and how to deal with that. 

What do indie labels have to offer that major labels don't? Where do the majors win out? Here's some guidance regarding your working relationships with the brass to the possibility of a disorganized company with little to offer in the way of money. 

What better way to find out what running a label is like than to get it straight from the horse's mouth? These record label interviews give you the inside scoop on the industry.