How This UK Indie Label Sold 25K Records For 1 Band First Week
The episode spotlights Lab Records, a Manchester‑based indie label that has scaled from a one‑person operation in 2007 to a catalog of over 1,300 songs and billions of streams. Central to its strategy is a partnership with ADA, which handles worldwide digital distribution and physical retail logistics, allowing the lean core team to focus on artist development, accounting, and targeted marketing. A standout case study is the UK band Decay, whose debut album moved roughly 24,000 physical units in its first week—demonstrating that modest Instagram followings can still translate into substantial vinyl sales when pre‑orders, press, and third‑party fulfillment are orchestrated effectively. Mark, Lab’s founder, emphasizes the importance of outsourcing seasoned consultants after major‑label restructuring, leveraging their expertise without expanding payroll, and stresses that a genre‑focused, location‑agnostic approach enables the label to sign diverse acts while maintaining a clear brand identity. The discussion underscores how indie labels can achieve profitability and global reach by combining strategic distribution partnerships, selective outsourcing, and a willingness to invest in physical formats despite industry assumptions.
This Artist-Run Record Label Is Competing with the Majors in a Big Way
Rebellion Records, founded by artist‑producer Michael Turner (aka Platinum), is an independent label that claims to be rivaling major‑label resources by rethinking every facet of an artist’s career—from touring profit‑share deals to publishing and master ownership. The label’s 2023‑24 financials...
How SXSW Works For Music
South by Southwest has re‑engineered its format for its 40th anniversary, collapsing the once‑segmented music, film and interactive tracks into a single, seven‑day convergence. The demolition of the historic convention center forced organizers to relocate the music hub to the...
Artist Managers on Music Videos, Artist Development, Long-Term Strategy and True Fandom
In a candid conversation on the "New Music Business" podcast, host Arian sits down with Slush Management co‑founders Neil O’Conor and Aaron Green to unpack how modern artist managers navigate a fragmented industry. The discussion centers on the firm’s philosophy—following...
Doja Cat Managers on How Record Deals Have Changed in the Past 10 Years #podcast #newmusicbusiness
The podcast episode examines how record‑deal structures have shifted over the past decade, driven by the rise of digital distributors that can front advances while allowing artists to keep their masters. Hosts cite Empire as a flagship example, noting its...
Doja Cat's Managers Have It Down
The episode spotlights Good Day Management’s unconventional strategy of building a global empire around a single artist—Doja Cat. Founders Gordon Dillard and Josh Kaplan explain why they eschewed the typical multi‑artist roster, opting instead to treat Doja Cat as a multi‑business...