Joy Division and Factory, anyone else?
― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)
In other words, a 50% profit split from releases...
― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)
Depeche Mode and Mute, for a long while there.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)
I think Merge operates like this, or used to.
― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:30 (twenty years ago)
I know this is going to sound like a really dumb question, but does the label usually take more or less than 50%? I guess what I'm asking is, is the 50/50 split good for the artist or the label?
― Michael Copeland, Thursday, 28 April 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)
Touch & Go, most indie-famously
― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:38 (twenty years ago)
In fact isn't this really the gold standard indie label deal? Dischord, T&G, KRS, Merge etc. Seems pretty unlikely with Matador & Sub Pop these days tho.
― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:39 (twenty years ago)
http://www.zuzula.comwait a minute. you record and encode your own music with your own money, upload it to this site, promote it yourself, and they take 50 percent of the cut of anything you sell? am i missing something or is that a much bigger ripoff than any label in the world offers? am i missing something or is that the dumbest concept in the history of the web?
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 28 April 2005 02:09 (twenty years ago)
It's acually only good for the artist if the costs are low because in a 50/50 split the label take all the costs off the top, including distribution charges marketing and manufacturing and mechanical royalty payment.
A high royalty I think works out better if you sell a lot of records, because then the label stomachs the major costs.
Many Major label artists who have been heavily marked - say Keane for instance, will be making much more money than the label, because the per unit marketing cost is so huge - maybe near £3.
50/50 split would be great for a band like The White Stripes who sell large numbers with relatively little marketing, but I imagine their deals are so good it doesn't matter anyway.
Also, a bands income from international sales will be much higher with a royalty - in that instance the original label gets a margin, say 5-10%, but the artist gets their full royalty payment say 15-20%.
Since international sales will be much higher than domestic (unless your from the US), it works out better.
― LEO SILVERMAN (JJAGB), Thursday, 28 April 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)