Anybody signed to an Indie label? How does it work?

[Fourth Floor]

Originally posted by GuyaGuy just a thousand? hm...i expected a lower figure than the 500.000 mentioned above but didn't expect it that low. of course some labels are little more than one guy and his secretary so that keeps your overhead down.

500,000 is like the Albini figure. We get $1000 to make a video and that is tough, but it can be done.

I've been told to make a living in Australia on an indie label the sales figure is 10-15,000 copies, which with the population isn't insignificant.

But it feels, to everyone, we're on the verge of breaking a lot more. We have national airplay on high rotation at the moment, then the second single is a tad more commercial, so we'll see where it goes.

I think the important thing is to keep an upward trend. Unless what you're aiming for is a one hit wonder....I don't have a problem with that either but it';s not where I want to be.

Steve Vai has made more money off Flex-Able than any of his other releases. Difference say you get $12 a record and sell a quarter of the amount versus $1.50 a record and you sell 4 times your indie release....do the math.

I kinda favour the mix of indie stuff or self-released stuff with a distro deal and then a major label deal to really make you big (even if it's just for a while it can cement your career).

Keep in mind everyone, it only takes ONE SONG.

[GuyaGuy]

Originally posted by Fourth Floor 500,000 is like the Albini figure. We get $1000 to make a video and that is tough, but it can be done. I've been told to make a living in Australia on an indie label the sales figure is 10-15,000 copies, which with the population isn't insignificant. But it feels, to everyone, we're on the verge of breaking a lot more. We have national airplay on high rotation at the moment, then the second single is a tad more commercial, so we'll see where it goes. I think the important thing is to keep an upward trend. Unless what you're aiming for is a one hit wonder....I don't have a problem with that either but it';s not where I want to be. Steve Vai has made more money off Flex-Able than any of his other releases. Difference say you get $12 a record and sell a quarter of the amount versus $1.50 a record and you sell 4 times your indie release....do the math. I kinda favour the mix of indie stuff or self-released stuff with a distro deal and then a major label deal to really make you big (even if it's just for a while it can cement your career). Keep in mind everyone, it only takes ONE SONG.

 

yeah, that figure sounded high. also, Albini was talking about big labels, bands trying to make it big, etc. the kind of music i play isn't ever going to be a stadium-filler and i've never even bothered thinking about what it'd be like to hit the charts or play the hollywood bowl or something because it's like making experimental films and hoping for an Oscar. although i could be wrong...Sigur Ros get airplay and that's not really radio-friendly music at all...

 

and that's where the helping hand of soundtracks comes in to play...

[blakeq]

I remember hearing a quote that went something like "the difference between a Major Label and an Indie Label is the difference between a big pimp and a little pimp......."

:-)

[capnbringdown]

Originally posted by Fourth Floor We get $1000 to make a video and that is tough, but it can be done.

 

 

Not to pry, but what exactly do you mean by video? Do you mean like a music video or a concert one? I've heard some of those outrageous prices music videos are made for, and while I think that's insane, but $1000 seems cheap. Or are you getting someone with a dv cam to shoot it and then sync it up later with the soundboard later? Not that the old concert footage routine is a bad thing, though.