How to legally start a label ?

Hi, im currently setting up a new label based in the UK, was in the process of setting up something smaller before but had to stop last year, the new one however is a bit of a bigger scale, 1000-2000 pressings a release with a selection of known artists in the techno / house scene, we trying to get a distributer interested and hoping to get a few overseas.

I was hoping to see if anyone can help me and give me a few opinions with a few of the finer legal points and shortcuts....

Is it an essential part of the procedure to inform the MCPS of your release so they can issue the license to manufacture? or can this be looked over for say a run of 1000 pressings or so? - also what if the tunes on the release are new artists tunes that have not been registered with anyone or released before (for example one of mine and one other artists unreleased work)?

For exporting of vinyls is it essential to have a barcode (or if we did our own exports via website would they still be needed)? Would there be many major drawbacks (for example trying to work with a distributer) putting a release out without one?

Would anyone reccomend joining the BPI or AIM for support? or for a label initially getting 1000-2000 pressings a release aiming at the techno / house scene would people feel this is a needless expense?

As a label is it essential to join the PPL?

Can anyone reccomend a good low cost publisher? Or again something on our scale would anyone reccomend to do our own publishing?

Basically I got a good run down of the 100% legalities for a major label but im trying to find out how many corners we can cut as a smaller scale to make the label work?

Thanks alot :lol: :clap:

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Originally Posted by thefaced

I was hoping to see if anyone can help me and give me a few opinions with a few of the finer legal points and shortcuts....

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There are none, big or small, the rules are the same.

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Is it an essential part of the procedure to inform the MCPS of your release so they can issue the license to manufacture? or can this be looked over for say a run of 1000 pressings or so? - also what if the tunes on the release are new artists tunes that have not been registered with anyone or released before (for example one of mine and one other artists unreleased work)?

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You may get away with the first couple but most pressing plants wont press without one, as it makes them responsible for anything illegal.

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For exporting of vinyls is it essential to have a barcode (or if we did our own exports via website would they still be needed)? Would there be many major drawbacks (for example trying to work with a distributer) putting a release out without one?

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Your distributor may give you one, but I should point out that this is illegal. You can easily get this set up with the e-centre.

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Would anyone reccomend joining the BPI or AIM for support? or for a label initially getting 1000-2000 pressings a release aiming at the techno / house scene would people feel this is a needless expense?

As a label is it essential to join the PPL?
[/qoute]

Wouldn't bother until you are doing the numbers.

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Can anyone reccomend a good low cost publisher? Or again something on our scale would anyone reccomend to do our own publishing?

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No such thing ;)

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Basically I got a good run down of the 100% legalities for a major label but im trying to find out how many corners we can cut as a smaller scale to make the label work?

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What you really mean is save money, here's one, if you can't afford to lose everything then don't do it. That's the best advice you get.

Good luck geezer!

My advice: do it illegally. :twisted:

thanks alot for your pointers, am very willing to put everything into it and not expect to see any cash back, just looking to do it with minimal paperwork and lowest cost possible!

thanks again :lol:

i would personally say 2000 vinyl is excessive for a first release i would personally go for 500-800 and get repressed if sales are good.

In terms of mcps i personally didn't bother for our first release as we did rip public enemy vocals so wasn't sure about the legality of it.

in terms of sorting distribution if your going with amato or intergroove have everything written down with projected sales, business plan basically do it properly. However if you want minimal paperwork go with a smaller distributor, however if you go with a smaller distributor definetly do not get 2000 records pressed as they just cant sell that many records unless your an in demand label with well known artists.

If you do go for it good luck, but i found that it took a lot longer than i orignally aniticipated to go from initial idea of having a label to actually getting it in the shops.

2000 is pretty much for a new label.
Even if you have well known names on it.
I know from our distributor that most of the
labels sell not that much. I would be very carefully.

And please don´t try to save money for a real mastering.
In my opinion it is always better to have more quality than win money.

wicked thanks alot for all your posts everyone... think we will try a few less pressings, seems weve had a bit of good feedback with demos - 1st release was going to be a little more house orientated, seems no more then 1000 is prob the best...

does anyone have anymore views on MCPS and PPL, would there be a high chance of getting a few issues if we bypassed it for example? if the release got big maybe?

last year i got 500 tunes pressed without any problems or questions from the manufacturer - is this bad practice or do we not need the MCPS to give us a manufacture license?

i was also told it was essential to have a barcode for exporting the tunes?

basically ive been left a bit unsure from previous efforts and id like to do this with a few processes needed and as little cash spent as possible on them (except mastering etc...), but dont want it to raise any legal problems in a few months...