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Rapcointelpro is Rap Coalition's Intelligence Program to
give insight into starting a label and selling units on your own. If
you haven't read all of the articles in the first section,
WHERE TO START,
please go back and read them so you'll know, er uh, where to start by
clicking on the blue words just above.
The information on this site is here to help you, and we
take no responsibility for the quality of the information here other than
to share otherwise hard-to-obtain stuff, blah, blah, blah... And well,
hell, it's free! Here it is. You can access the article by
clicking on the blue title of the article.
Here's what's in this second of five sections:
GETTING STARTED
When your project is pressed up it should have a bar
code (UPC Codes can be ordered through
937.435.3870--this takes a minute, so call months in advance) so it can be
recognized for SoundScan. This is the "fingerprint" that tells you how
many records have been sold at retail stores who use the SoundScan bar
code scanning system, which SoundScan, Inc claims to be 85% of the stores
selling urban music (I disagree, I find a tremendous amount of independent
retailers to be without SoundScan). Most of the better distribution deals
through larger/major labels have been given to labels who have been able
to prove through SoundScan that...
(click for more)
AVOIDING MISTAKES Whether you are putting
out your record to get a deal from a larger or major label (what most
artists are looking for because they prefer the fame over the money), or
putting out your record to build your own record company (Hooray for Esham,
Lil Keke, and South Park Mexican...), be careful to not choose too large
an area. This is of extreme importance. First of all, it is next to
impossible for a small label without connections, relationships, and
experience, to reach many markets at once cost effectively...
TECHNICAL CD INFO
Short run CDs in small quantities are often burned
(one-offs), as opposed to the more reliable standard method of replicated
CDs (injection-molded). IN higher quantities, there is minimal price
difference. Replicated CDs look better too. Reliable plants are all
ISO-9002 compliant....
TECHNICAL PACKAGING INFO
ART PREPARATION / FILM OUTPUT
TUTORIALS
CREATING ARTWORK FOR CDs
While all the master, recording, and stamping
is in the works, the artwork should be prepared for printing. The
following info should help you understand the process. The best thing to
do though is to find a reputable printer to take care of you; especially
if you've never done this before. For starters, let's assume that
your artwork is going to be one color...
PRESSING
WORLDWIDE
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but is a good
starting place for our friends outside of the US....
PRESSING PRICES
MO MONEY, MO MARKETING
Here are a few ideas to help your band or group generate some additional
revenue to pay the bills starting in 2002. Some of these techniques are
not rocket science, but have you ever really attempted to execute them?
Try using a few ideas simultaneously to get a “bigger bang for your buck,”
pun intended. With the new year just around the corner, there is no time
like the present to begin planning your resolutions for a prosperous and
profitable winter. The quote goes something like this, “if you want to
keep getting what you’ve always gotten, then keep doing what you’ve always
done.”...
GETTING PUBLICITY
So you wanna be a rock 'n' roll star. You've got
your sights set on the Big Time: a Buzz Clip on MTV and your freshly
scrubbed mug on the cover of Spin magazine. Well, as the wise man says, a
journey begins with one step, and the first step to marketing your music
is not MTV and Spin. It's your hometown media -- the Tribunes, the
Picayunes, the Downtowners and the low-wattage stations. Before you can
take any real steps outside your own city limits (even if your city limits
are New York or Los Angeles) you've got to build a following there....
BUILDING HYPE
According to SoundScan, in 1998 there were
477 independent rap records released (none went Gold or Platinum). In
1999, there were 997 rap records released by independent labels. Again,
none went Gold or Platinum. Why? How come when Eminem released his
Slim Shady EP in Detroit, he only sold a few thousand copies, but
when Dre added a few more tracks and re-released the album two years
later, it sold almost 4 million copies just in the US? Em's
first album through Aftermath/Interscope, Slim Shady, in fact
sold a total of 88,000 in Detroit as of July 1, 2000. Yet those 88,000
people didn't buy his self-released version of the album which was 7
songs, (and the same 7 songs appeared on the Interscope release, by the
way)....
MOMENTUM Ever wonder why we have one hit wonders? You know the
bands and artists (from local to national acts) that build some momentum
and interest in their music, and then do not capitalize on it. Timing is
everything in any business (especially the music business) and being able
to strike when it’s hot is more than just a cliché, it’s a skill set that
is often elusive and difficult to execute....
PLANNING RADIO The
commercial radio industry, at this time in history, couldn’t be less
friendly to the independent musician. However, that doesn’t mean there
isn’t some significant radio airplay available to you if you know what
you’re doing. Outlined below is a plan to consider if you have the three
important ingredients necessary for working your record to radio....
STATE OF
MIXSHOW
The
mixshow’s roots can be traced back to 1985 to a University of Maryland
student referred to as “Sir Charles,” known to the urban music community
as Charles Dixon, Senior Director, National Mixshow Promotions, TVT
Records. Inspired by Grandmaster Flash and the music in a local club
called Odells, Baltimore’s equivalent to NYC’s infamous club, the Garage,
Charles started doing parties around the campus. He eventually began to
work at a record pool and started spinning at the Dome....
RADIO AIRPLAY
101
The first
question people have when they want to hire us (provided that they have
never done an airplay campaign before) is "What airplay campaign do I need
in order to be successful?" There couldn't be a more misplaced question.
It's like when a cab driver asks you "Where to?" and you say "Well, where
would I need to go in order to be successful?" Where you need to go
depends on a million things, not to mention what your definition of
"successful" might be...
HOW TO WORK RADIO
This is an interesting time at radio. Of course, radio has
always been interesting. In the mid-1980s, there was a Federal
investigation into the music industry regarding payola at radio, which is
illegal. For the most part, it was an incredible waste of time and
taxpayer’s money because it failed to change anything in the long run. I
won’t bore anyone with the details here, but will mention Frederic
Dannen’s book Hit Men, which accurately chronicles these days in music
business history. The way some enterprising young men got over in the
1990s, was to create a buffer between the record label and the radio
station, called an independent promoter.
SEASONAL RADIO?
Many people, when planning the date that their radio campaign will start,
think that starting the campaign at a certain time of the year will make a
huge difference in the outcome of the project. It won't. There are many
other factors which are far more important, and these factors will
determine what happens with your release... Things like sequentially
pushing a second and third release from the same artist; not abandoning a
campaign until awareness has been built; providing the proper packaging;
and properly choosing "album vs. single"....
RADIO PAYOLA
In the wild world of urban radio, money buys hits -- and nobody asks
questions. "How many CDs you need?" The question confused the young program director. He had
just taken over a small urban, or R&B, radio station down South; he was
talking to a local independent record promoter, or "indie"....
PAY FOR PLAY
Why does radio suck? Because most stations play only the
songs the record companies pay them to. And things are going to get worse.
Does radio seem bad these days? Do all the hits sound the same, all the
stars seem like cookie cutouts of one another? It's because they do, and
they are. Why? Listeners may not realize it, but radio today is largely
bought by the record companies. Most rock and Top 40 stations get paid to
play the songs they spin by the companies that manufacture the records.
But it's not payola -- exactly. Here's how it works...
PAY FOR PLAY LEGAL?
Radio-station owners are shocked -- shocked! --
as the music industry's payola scandal widens. Record-label execs aren't
buying it (and neither should you). Is
pay-for-play here to stay? Once a hush-hush topic rarely discussed even within the
music industry, "pay-for-play," the
costly system by which record companies pay independent promoters to
get songs on the radio, has now become a hot-button political issue. ..
AIRPLAY ROYALTIES
We are always asked
by people releasing their first record, "Will I get BMI/ASCAP royalties if
I get airplay?" This question is similar to asking, "If I open a
restaurant, will I make money?". While it is the job of
BMI/ASCAP to pay airplay royalties, it's also the job of restaurant
customers to pay their check at the end of their meal. But most new
restaurants don't make a profit, and most records pushed to radio don't
make more than a few dollars from publishing....
RADIO RALLY
Remember
KDAY? The legendary Los Angeles-based radio station started the
now-successful hip-hop format. Some call it top 40 rhythmic, others tag
it urban contemporary, while others exclaim that their frequency is
"where hip-hop lives." Whatever the moniker, KDAY paved the way...
URBAN RADIO
LISTS
Links to urban radio lists.
DO IT YOURSELF RADIO?
Question:
I recently hired a record promoter
for my new recording, but later decided to contact stations personally.
The promoter didn't like me calling the stations, and said it was going to
hurt the campaign. What's your opinion?
Before giving my opinion, I have a
question... Why would you do this? Did you distrust your promoter to
follow through as he said he would, did not believe he was competent, or
both? This could have easily been avoided by your simply doing a
background check on the promoter, starting with requesting his provision
of references and/or clients...
CHARTS
Back in the Distant Dawn of Printed Piano Forte and Parlor Sing-A-Long
Folios the only push to find out which tunes were the most popular were
concerned with making Player Piano Rolls! The advent of sound recordings
changed all that in such a rush it took nearly FORTY years to make a dent
of any consequence. But once RADIO came on the air at regular hours, KDKA,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began to explore unknown territory on an
expedition that is still in the field and a long way from final report...
BDS
This provides the address to send your music to
register with BDS. Call to confirm it arrived and then call back a
week later to make certain it has been entered into the system. I've
had numerous problems with getting records added into their data base.
MEDIABASE
This company tracks radio play similarly to BDS, but BDS is the industry
standard. It is important to register your music with both, since
some stations are charted by one or the other. BDS is more credible
to the major labels when they are looking at radio play around the
country.
UPC CODES
Explanation of bar codes from the UPC website.
GET A BAR
CODE You
need one. No, really. NO, REALLY! You do need one!!
SOUNDSCAN
Provides the way to get your album
registered with SoundScan. They are pretty good about entering what
they receive into the system (unlike BDS). What a surprise, BDS and
SoundScan, both free to register but costly to receive the needed
information, are both owned by the same company--they one that owns
Billboard (the industry magazine known for its charts)...
PROMO TOURS The best way to gain exposure and increase sales for
your group or artist is to get them out there in front of the buying
public. The most important thing, I think, in building an artist's career
(after good music) is a promotional tour. Exposing the artists and music
to their core target market (the fans who would buy their music) is
exceedingly important. A promo tour exposes them to the buying public,
retail, radio, and local press. When Crooked Lettaz released with NO label
support from Penalty Records...
SHOWCASES
Whether you
represent a label or individual artist, creating and promoting a showcase
of musical acts can help you book larger venues, build media exposure,
expand your fan base and jump-start merchandise sales.
But how do you do a showcase right—and cost-effectively? ANTJE, founder of
Chicago label, Sweet Pickle Music, has used showcases to support local
artists and Sweet Pickle compilations. The showcase strategy has garnered
performances at festivals, events and clubs in Chicago, Seattle and
Amsterdam. The events have also helped drive sales of Sweet Pickle
releases and merchandise for participating bands...
OUT ON
THE ROAD I spent the past two weeks
out on the road with Fiend on a promotional tour for “Can I Burn?” the
movie and soundtrack. The response to the CD has been incredible, as fans
are loving it like his first album, but no one seems to even know there is
a video out. Originally, we did a deal with Southwest (I’ve been happier)
for distribution in the Midwest and South (even though they do not cover
all areas themselves, they have the ability to go to other distributors in
other areas, which leaves us to only have to go to one source--Southwest,
to collect our money. In a perfect world, this would make excellent sense,
but it has been slow getting money from Southwest)...
RETAIL SUPPORT
A
peaceful guerrilla revolution has been occurring in the United States for
the past twenty years right under the eyes and ears of retailers which are
selling recordings at a rate of $14.6 billion annually. The
guerrillas are the thousands of musicians that have recorded and released
recordings independently of major labels in every imaginable genre of
music. Some are artist-owned labels; others are small labels specializing
in particular genres of music...
SELLING CDS
Once the thrill of
booking a show fades, reality begins to creep in for most indie artists.
"How many people will be there?" "How can I get new people out to this
show?" "Will it be the same old people who always show up?" "How do I get
the media to write about the show?" "How do I sell more CDs at this
show?"...
3 EXAMPLES OF INDIE
LABELS
Every now and again, I have the opportunity to meet some
amazing people who’ve done some incredible things. I know I could preach
to you for years about how to put out a record and never make as much
impact as I can by giving you some solid examples of those who are running
their own shit properly. So what I’m going to do now is introduce you, via
this page, to three different labels in different regions, and at
different stages in their projects, that are successful at what they do....
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