The goal of most producers is for their music to inspire the world and to build a fanbase. All this can be hard if you're just starting out and soon you might notice that a record label can help you with this. In this blog you'll learn how to find the right label for your music.
Table of Contents:
1 - Finding labels
The first thing you should do is search for labels. Mostly look for smaller labels and don't just collect the top labels like Sony and Warner. There are hundreds of small, independent labels that are looking for new artists just like you. Make sure you check which labels really fit your genre. If you send music to a pop label, but submit hardstyle you will just waste your time and theirs. So make sure you select the right labels. The last thing in this section is to check the performance of the label. Search on Spotify for the label's releases and see how they perform stream-wise. If they just get a small number of streams, you probably can do this on your own and don't need the support from that specific label. Also check if the releases are getting supports (getting played on DJ Radio shows) by searching a recent release from the label on 1001Tracklists.com & if the label helps their artists grow their career (see how the artists are doing overall on social media, are they performing shows, etc).
2 - Social media
I can't stress it enough that a social media presence is super important if you're starting. Labels are of course looking out for artists who can bring them value. If they can get some followers from you, they will surely prefer you over others. This may sound harsh, but this is how it works sometimes (but not always). If I would start on Social Media right now, I would showcase my unique skills & interests through TikTok-style videos. All social media platforms are currently focusing on these types of videos and their algorithm is optimized to boost them. The good thing is that they will perform great and it's easy to do because you just can upload the same video on all social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram (Reels), and YouTube (Shorts).
3 - Finishing your track
The most important thing you want to do is get the song you're submitting to a high-quality standard. I would recommend getting a proper mixing and mastering service. It's super important to sound as professional as possible if you submit your first song to a label. That's because as soon as you get your first release on the label you're in contact with the A&R. For further releases, you will get constant feedback from them about new music so it doesn't really matter how good the quality of the next songs is in the beginning. Just make sure you get that first submission in the highest quality possible.
4 - The last step: contacting labels
You've made it: you have found some great labels & finished your new song! But, how do you contact these labels? The best way to do this is via email. You usually find their submission mailing address on one of the label's socials or on their website. Labels work in a super competitive industry so you should try to sound as professional as possible. Make sure your email is clear, concise and easy to read.
Maybe introduce yourself in two sentences and after that immediately present your music. Tell them the name of the song, the genre, and the artists that worked on the track, maybe a short story on how it came together if you have one. It's recommended to not just send one track, but give or take 2 to 3 tracks in the same email. This is great because now the label will see a bigger picture of your musical catalog. Make sure the tracks are in the same genre. When you're sending the tracks, you can use private SoundCloud links (with downloads enabled). If you just attach .wav or .mp3 files, they may get ignored because of viruses.
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