A small label usually starts by accident. You help a friend release a song, then another artist asks, and suddenly you're handling five people's music, artwork, credits and deadlines. What separates a label that grows from one that drowns is rarely money. It's a few boring systems set up early.
Keep the roster to what you can serve
Every artist you add needs time: checking files, writing credits, planning promotion, answering questions at midnight before release day. Before you take anyone on, ask yourself honestly whether you can give them a proper release cycle.
A useful rule for a one- or two-person label: know three things about each artist. What they want from the next twelve months, how often they can deliver finished music, and who on their side makes decisions. If you can't answer those, either the artist isn't ready for your roster, or you aren't ready for them.
Put every arrangement in writing
Friendly handshakes lead to the worst disputes. Even a two-page agreement beats none. It should cover at least:
- What the label does. Distribution only, or also promotion, artwork, video and bookings.
- Who owns the recordings. Whether the artist keeps the masters and gives you a licence, or the label owns them. Both models exist. Just be clear.
- Term and territory. How long the agreement lasts, which releases it covers and in which countries.
- Money. How income is split, which costs are recouped first, and how often you report to the artist.
- Exit. What happens if either side wants out, including what happens to releases that are already live.
Also get written confirmation that the artist owns, or has permission for, everything they hand you: samples, beats, lyrics, photos. As the label, you're the one submitting it, so you're the one who has to be sure.
One release calendar for everyone
Overlapping releases compete for your attention and your audience's. Keep a single calendar for the whole label. A shared spreadsheet is enough, with one row per release:
- Artist and title.
- Date files and artwork are due to you.
- Date you submit for distribution.
- Planned release date.
- Promotion window and who is responsible.
- Current status.
Leave real buffer between files due and release date. Review can come back with requested changes, and each platform needs its own processing time. A label that submits at the last minute will eventually miss a date it promised an artist.
A metadata style sheet
When five artists fill in their own details, you get five ways of writing "feat.", a producer spelled three different ways and songwriters listed by nickname. Write a one-page style sheet and use it on every release:
- Exact artist names with correct letters and capitals (Nigar Sel, not "Nigar sel" or "NIGAR SEL").
- How you credit featured artists and versions such as remix, acoustic or live.
- Full legal names for songwriters and composers, spelled the same way every time.
- Language and genre conventions for your catalogue.
- Artwork rules: JPG, 3000 × 3000 px, no text that contradicts the metadata.
Consistency pays off later, when you search your own catalogue, prepare statements for artists or claim profiles.
Communication and approvals
Pick one channel per artist and stick to it. Before anything is submitted, get the artist's explicit approval on three things: the final audio, the artwork, and the credits exactly as they will appear. A screenshot of the release page in the portal, sent with a simple "OK to submit?", saves arguments later.
Have one person on the label side responsible for uploads. If two people upload, sooner or later the same song goes out twice.
Choosing a plan that fits the label
Count your releases honestly, including singles, remixes and re-releases, and count the artist profiles you manage. On CULT, releases are unlimited on every paid plan, so the profile count is what decides: the New Artist plan covers 2 artist profiles, while the Professional Artist plan covers 10 artist profiles. Once you manage more than two or three artists, the second is usually the fit. You can start on a monthly plan, which is a reasonable way to test your workflow before you commit to a year.
Whatever setup you choose, review it every few months. A label's needs change quickly once the first artist starts to grow.