How To Run A Record Label
According to 10 artists going it alone, from Janelle Monae to Dre Skull.
Janet Jackson recently announced that she will release her first new material in seven years on her own brand new BMG imprint, Rhythm Nation. In the ‘90s, Jackson was known for signing two multi-million dollar deals with major label Virgin that made her the highest paid artist of her day; the fact that in 2015 she would choose to self-release on her own label could be seen as a sign of the times. Today, with plummeting record sales, the increased importance of streaming, and the relative ease with which anyone can self-promote and distribute online, it seems every other artist is announcing their own record label. And it’s not just Soundcloud hustlers: across the spectrum, experimental pop star Janelle Monae is backing Jidenna’s classic stylings on Wondaland Records; New York underground rapper and performance artist Mykki Blanco is shedding a light on a little-known scene with Dogfood Music Group, and breakthrough London MC Little Simz is eschewing the traditional industry route to release her debut album on her own imprint AGE 101. If you’re an artist considering putting out your music without—as Atlanta rapper Father of Awful Records once said—signing a 360 deal with a white man, take in this wisdom from 10 artists who’ve been down that road themselves.