STEP ONE: PLAN

The aim of this stage is to have a clear plan for your record label, your ideas and your
content, so that you can move forward into the building stage and beyond.

1.  Writing your Business Plan

Creating your business plan is an important step for setting up music releases and financial
goals. A business plan is also important when applying to open bank accounts and applying for
an account with a distributor. Setting your budget will allow you to understand how much
money you will realistically need to achieve your goals.

Decide your strengths, opportunities and core values

Complete your record label business strategy

Decide your artist release strategy

Decide your key personnel and partners

Decide your marketing and promotional activities

Complete your record label budget and cash flow forecasts

Save the budget summary page to your business plan

Create a Dropbox or Google Drive account and create label framework

2. Decide your Record Label Name

Here you want to decide the name of your record label. Your label name is the foundation for
creating a company name, bank accounts, websites, and social media handles so we look at
how to brainstorm for an original name and narrow it down to a winner.

Brainstorm label name ideas

Check availability against record label public databases using DISCOGS

Check availability against existing social handles using NAMECKR

Check against Google searches

Choose a winner!
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3. Register Website Platform and Social Media Handles

Deciding the right website platform depends on the activities your label record will focus on.
There are four options available to create a website, and here you need to pick the best one
for your label. Next you want to sign up to each of the social media platforms and ensure your
media handle is consistent across every channel.

Review all platform options

Decide the best website platform for your record label

Register your domain name

Register with all major social media platforms

4. Get a Logo for your Record Label

Here you need to decide who or how you will design your logo and then go through the design
process. Will you go with an agency designer, freelancer, or an online design tool to
create your logo? What are the budget ranges, and the design process when using a
professional or freelancer?

Decide on budget

Review methods available for creating a logo

Decide platform and designer

Review shortlist

Decide on the final logo

5. Registering as a Business

Registering your record label is an important step in becoming a legitimate business. Decide
which company setup is right for you depending on your country and state. You then need to
gather relevant legal documents together and register your label as a company.

Review options available for your country and state

Decide which online platform or service to use to register

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 Gather required documents

Register and process your company

Hang your record label company certification on the wall!

6. Choose Distribution

There are different distribution models and companies to distribute your music to the various
music platforms. You need to decide and apply or sign up to the best distribution model that’s
suited to your record label.

Decide what you need as an artist and/or record label

Use The Label Machine Distribution Picker Tool

Review each distributor and pick the most relevant to you

Apply/register for an account

MEMBER CONTENT

If you are a member then click below to access full course videos, and download all templates,
resources, & cheat sheets.

Record Label Framework Template Download

Business Plan Template Download

Guide to Setting up as an LLC company in the US

Guide to Setting up as a LTD company in the UK

Record Label Budget Template (with full examples)

Designing your record label logo course

Choosing the right distributor for your record label course

Record Label Invoice Template

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STEP TWO: BUILD
The aim of this stage is to put your plan into action and create your first music release
that is ready to be launched into the world.


7. Getting Music Complete

Preparing your first or subsequent release is the first step in building out a music release. Your
music needs to be on par with industry standards both musically and technically. You also
need to make sure that the music is in the right formats for delivery to the distributor.

Check music is on par with your contemporaries

A/B music for technical production and mastering issues

Fix any mixing or mastering issues

Ensure music is delivered and saved in correct WAV formats

8. Creating Artwork

It’s important to get the release artwork looking good and ready in time for the release. There
are different types of designers and methods of finding them. Once you have chosen a
designer and have finished artwork, you need to ensure the final technical specifications are
correct for all distribution platforms too.

Decide design style for your release

Find a suitable designer

Agree to price and terms

Review artwork revisions and agree to final design

Check final artwork delivery (technical specifications) are correct

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9. Create Release Strategy and Schedule

There are many elements to create and implement in the timeline schedule for a record
release, and you need to be well organised with a release strategy to ensure everything is in
place for release day for the record.

Request artist deliverables

Request artist legal / publishing details

Decide release date

Create release schedule checklist (from template)

Create a calendar schedule for the release (Google calendar)

Customise the calendar for your specific release dates

Assign release tasks with due dates (within a 4-6 week time frame)

10. Create Marketing and PR Schedule

Alongside the release schedule is the marketing and PR schedule which focuses on key dates
for releasing marketing assets to build up a buzz for the release.

Create marketing schedule with checklist (from template)

Create a calendar schedule for the release (Google Calendar)

Customise the calendar for your specific marketing dates

Assign marketing release tasks due dates (within 4-6 week time frame)

11. Create Marketing Assets

In this step you compile the different types of assets you can create to ensure your music will
be promoted across blogs, social media and to your fans.
You need to create the following assets for the release:

Artist bio (one page)

Music teasers

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 Social media banners

Soundcloud teaser trailers

YouTube video trailers

Spotify / Beatport / Soundcloud playlists

DJ promo mix (for electronic releases)

12.1 Write a Press Release

At this step you create a clear and concise press release that contains all the important
information that blog sites and tastemakers need about the music release, you do this using
the template.

Your press release should contain:

Artist/Band name

EP name

Track names

Release date

Record Label name

Artwork

Artist bio (recent news, upcoming tour dates)

Artist online links

Website

Soundcloud link

Facebook link

Twitter link

Link to Artist EPK (Electronic Press Kit)

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12.2 DJ Specialist Press Release

If you are releasing electronic music for DJ's to play, you need to also send out specialist
promo press releases to DJs and receive feedback on them if its been played in their sets

Create a DJ Promo Press Release for Electronic Music:

Choose DJ PR platform

Create promo page

Send and gather feedback

13. Writing Recording/Remix Contracts

The two most common contracts you will use when signing music to your label are the
recording contract and the remix contract. Here you will need to add the legal details of the
artist you are signing and edit clauses of the recording agreement template for the agreed
terms for your record label.

Create new contract from label template

Update artist name, legal name and postal address

Edit release name and track names

Edit term

Decide advance

Decide on remix fees

Edit clauses for release requirement

Double check against contract checklist

Send for digital signing via Docusign.com

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14. Gathering and Recording Metadata

This step ensures you are collecting and recording the correct metadata you will need to
register for collection agencies and sync companies both now and in the future.

Add music release data to label Metadata spreadsheet. Include:

Artist / Band Name

Release date

Record Label

Catalogue number

Album title

Primary genre

Secondary genre

Track name(s)

Songwriter(S) legal names

Artists publisher

ISRC code

UPC number

If this is a first release you will need to obtain ISRC and UPC codes for your record label catalogue

Obtain UPC codes

Obtain ISRC codes from your countries designated organisation

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15. Send Music to Distributor

This is the final step in getting the music to platforms where your fans can buy/stream your
music.

Enter metadata

Format track names correctly

Upload WAV files

Triple check all data correct

Review preview of the release

Edit/amend any changes from review

MEMBER CONTENT

If you are a member then click below to access full course videos, and download all templates,
resources, & cheat sheets.

Artwork Contract Template Download

Release Schedule Cheat Sheet

Create Marketing Assets Course

Creating a Marketing & PR Schedule Course

Create a compelling Press Release Course with Template

Recording Contract Template

Recording Contract Clauses Cheat Sheet

Remix Contract Template

Remix Contract Clauses Cheat Sheet

Artist Deliverable Checklist

DJ Producer Deliverable Checklist

Metadata Distribution Template

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STEP THREE: RUN
The aim of this stage is to execute a successful release of your first single, EP, or
album, including marketing the release to your existing and new fans.


16. Secure Blogs, Playlists & DJ Promo

This step is about creating our own PR machine from scratch, and using existing or building
your tailored directory databases to find the right blogs that support similar artists and music
that you are releasing. Once you know who to contact you can reach out with an email and
music pack as a professional record label.

Create blank directory from the label template

Find artists that make similar music to the music you are releasing.

Find all blogs and news platforms that support these artists

Add contact details to build your record labels custom directory

Prepare personalised email

Test Soundcloud link and Press Release links work

Email your personalised email message to each relative blog

Follow up with successful posts

17. Secure Spotify Playlist

Spotify is a key distribution platform and this step is ensuring you have submitted your music
for their playlist consideration.

Ensure the artist has claimed their artist profile

Request team access as a label manger

Submit request at least 7 days in advance

Enter all promotion details and existing support for release

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18. Create your Facebook and Instagram Ad Campaign

This step is to create your custom audience on Facebook from scratch. It's important to do
this before the release so you can retarget the audience on your release day.

Building Custom Audiences

Open and use the Audience section of Facebook ads

Target fans of artists similar to release artist

Create and save your custom audience

Create a Video View Ad Campaign

Create the ad copy (the video and text that will appear in your ad)

Publish the ad to run for a week

Review the results for your ad campaign

Create new custom audience based on interactions

Targeting Custom Audiences on Release Day

Create animated post on Facebook

Boost post toy our new custom audience

Retarget fans that have watched more than 15 seconds of video

Sending them a link to buy/stream your music on release day

19. Building a Release Page

In this step, you create a single landing page for a music release that lists all major digital
platforms that fans use to buy, stream and listen to music.

Create a free Smart.URL account

Add each major digital platform to the page

Add a video to the landing page

Edit colours and background

Publish
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20. Activate Marketing Promotion

This step is to start and implement the marketing and PR schedule and ensure all assets are
being activated across your focused channels.

Save marketing assets to sharable platform (DropBox /GoogleDrive)

Send assets to artists, managers and team members

Share key marketing schedule dates with team members

Monitor and review promotion channels

Post active blog posts and music premieres across all social platforms

Retweet & repost any mentions of release across social platforms

21. Release Music Record

This step covers everything that needs to be done the day and week of a music release.

Update release day label assets across social media platforms

Create Smart.URL

Post the release on social media

Monitor release online

Check release is correct on all platforms

Activate all final marketing assets

Activate sponsored ads with Target Custom Audiences on FB and Instagram

Purchase release and download and check files are correct

Stream all releases on major platforms and check files correct

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 MEMBER CONTENT

If you are a member then click below to access full course videos, and download all templates,
resources, & cheat sheets.

Electronic / EDM Directory

Folk and Country Directory

Hard Rock and Metal Directory

Indie Directory

Pop and Electro Pop Directory

Rap and Hip Hop Directory

RnB and Funk Directory

Email Template for reaching out to Blogs

Email Template for artist manager release day

Release Week Cheat Sheet

Create Facebook Ads for Music Release Course

Targeting Custom Audience Course

Building a Release Page Course

How to Get Featured on Blogs Course

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STEP FOUR: GROW
The aim of this stage is to grow and manage your record labels revenue streams on an on-
going basis, and to implement new revenue streams as your catalogue of music grows and
your record label becomes a successful brand.

22. Collect Royalties

Ensure you are set up to collect your record label master sales reports and have a system for
accounting to your artists in a timely manner

Decide on royalty accounting platform

Collect royalty sales reports

Calculate royalty splits between label and artists for releases

Send royalty reports and distribute artist share

23. Register with PPL, PRS, ASCAP, & SoundExchange

As well as collecting royalties from music sales from the distributor you need to collect
performance royalties from Performing Rights Organizations (PRO for short)

Ensure each artist is signed up to a royalties collection company

(e.g. SongTrust, Kobalt, Tunecore Publishing or Sentric Music Publishing)

Submit metadata for each music release

If UK based register with PRS and MCPS

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24. Set up a merchandising store

Once you have a few releases and a fan base, merchandise can provide an extra source of
income for the label and artists

Decide between bulk manufacturing or Print on Demand

Decide products and create designs (based on release artwork)

Set up online store (Shopify)

Publish products

Promote around music releases

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