Subway Sonicbeat
Offline
Brazil
Lazerbeat wrote:

- Very high quality bar.
- Pretty clearly defined idea of what music they like.
- All releases visible and downloadable on one page. Im fairly unlikely to click through one of the blog style release pages.
- Easy track previews.

There. Need to focus. Is like LowToy or Chippanze, where is kinda geographical related. Hell, even 8bp were like that. So, I would seek for that kind of netlabels - and even if it's not just chip labels, which is better!

MisfitChris
Offline
Connecticut USA

Net Labels are great. Gives you a chance to collaborate and become close friends with a group of artists w/ like minded tastes. You also gain new fan bases based on that labels audience. Sometimes it's nice to self release, but net labels can really get your name out their to people who wouldn't normally hear your stuff. Again... it depends on the net label.

Also as far as like getting on a net label. If you make something that you feel like would really suite a labels style send a demo. But I think for the most part you should always wait for net labels/labels to contact you. Their managers tend to know what fits for their label more than you would.

Last edited by MisfitChris (Jan 5, 2012 6:28 am)

ZAZI
Offline
Ottawa, Ontario

net labels are great! submit a whole bunch.

people will download your music and share it.

boomlinde
Offline
Sweden

Some netlabels seem about as reliable (in terms of quality) as a random cm/8bc download, but I keep coming back to the more reputable ones to download fresh, good music. Bandcamp is convenient, and one of the few ways I still randomly listen to albums I've never heard of before. It's still hit/miss when it comes to quality, but as DKSTR pointed out, at least the player is good enough to account for it.

EDIT: And yes, net labels have helped me. I do virtually nothing to promote my own music outside asking labels when I get some songs bunched up, and according to last.fm i still have a bunch of listeners. Now, the proud part of me likes to think it's because my music is good, but it's probably mostly because I've gotten in contact with good labels that already have a lot of quality content relevant to what I want to release.

Last edited by boomlinde (Jan 5, 2012 8:38 am)

4mat
Offline

Pause were very helpful and let me keep on selling outside their label.   I'm not really sure what some of the smaller ones can offer that a Bandcamp/Facebook combo can't though, how often do you hear about these labels outside of TCTD and these kind of forums?   I prefer the freedom of promoting in whatever way I want to and not being genre tagged to whatever the label is perceived to be.

Solarbear
Offline
Lexington, KY
boomlinde wrote:

Some netlabels seem about as reliable (in terms of quality) as a random cm/8bc download...

That's kind of the feeling I've gotten from them.

herr_prof
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Unsubscribe

Re: tctd coverage, some labels are so good they get automatic postings without listening, some require a listening because of dubious quality and ill sometimes just stick the release in a tweet if I havent had time to vette it, or if a label is just releasing too much stuff for me to keep an eye on.

herr_prof
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Unsubscribe

For example: auto post status: Pause, Ubiktune, Da!heard it, Bleepstreet, 8BP, BoTB Comps, Metrodub...

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire
MisfitChris wrote:

Gives you a chance to collaborate and become close friends with a group of artists w/ like minded tastes.

That part right there cannot be emphasized enough.

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA
egr wrote:
MisfitChris wrote:

Gives you a chance to collaborate and become close friends with a group of artists w/ like minded tastes.

That part right there cannot be emphasized enough.

That only happens if you actually bother to interact with the other people in the label, otherwise, it's not much different from talking in a forum like this one.

A netlabel is just a means to an end. What are the goals for your music, really? Do you want as many people as possible to hear your work? Are you trying to land gigs? Looking for some hypothetical credibility? That, along with Decktonic's list will tell you if you need a netlabel or not.

Solarbear
Offline
Lexington, KY
chunter wrote:

A netlabel is just a means to an end. What are the goals for your music, really? Do you want as many people as possible to hear your work? Are you trying to land gigs? Looking for some hypothetical credibility? That, along with Decktonic's list will tell you if you need a netlabel or not.

Incredibly well said. That gives me something to chew on.

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire
Chainsaw Police wrote:

I'm not yet signed with or released any music on a netlabel yet, but I'm pretty good mates with Arnie of Datathrash.

Ever since he posted a link to one of my tracks, I've had a massive rise in listeners and respect in the thrash part of the scene. I've had requests for remixes, releases and the like.
I really don't think I'd have reached this particular level of coverage and respect in the scene without Arnie's help (and godinpants for originally showing him the link).

But on the same breath, self-releases are great if you wanna be in total control of what you release and when. I hate creating deadlines and pushing myself to reach them, but sometimes that attitude doesn't go down too well with label owners (luckily Arnie and most other chip label owners are swell guys).

We (meaning me) aim to please and help as much as possible.  Thanks for the kind words!