The average startup cost of a record label is between $200 – $50,000. For large labels, the average cost is $100,000 – $500,000. This cost varies by country and state.
When making a logo, use a simple black on white design. This allows flexibility across formats.
Tips for Logo Design
- Keep it simple to be easily recognized.
- Use simple shades.
Logos and labels work together to promote brands. However, logos serve as visual identifiers while labels provide product information.
Steps to Create a Logo
- Start with your story
- Get inspired
- Customize a template
- Download and build your brand
Making record label logos online is easy with design tools. These provide templates, icons, shapes, and fonts to select from to meet your needs.
Protect your logo with copyrights. Have contracts with artists to ensure funds are secured.
Key Considerations When Building a Logo
- Customization
- Relevance
- Conveying unique identity and style
The record label business is a large industry with room to promote and distribute music everywhere.
Types of Logos
Typically, most famous music artist logos and famous singer logos use a wordmark, with just the name of the musician or singer; bands and record labels are more likely to use a combination mark for a logo, with a graphic and typography.
Creativity is crucial for killer art logo design for a musical act. Your logo should reflect your music in an art form. A logo is a principal symbol for any product, group, business, or person.
An imprint is a brand that isn’t actually a company. It’s usually some form of "division" of a record label that has no actual business structure. The four major record labels are EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.
Imprints like Bad Boy, Cash Money, and Hit-Boi’s HS87 are examples of divisions under a record label.
Legal and Business Aspects
Most record labels will benefit from an LLC as it protects personal assets and increases credibility.
To make your record label legal: Choose your genre/sound/audience, file paperwork to become a business entity, obtain necessary licenses, and open a business bank account.
Steps to Start a Music Label
- Understand the role of a label
- Decide why you want to start a label
- Choose business structure
- Study the industry
- Create a business plan
- Pick a niche genre
- Develop an artist roster
- Set up an imprint label
- Secure distribution
- Build a marketing plan
- Promote artists
- Manage finances
Starting a label can provide opportunities to artists and act as a marker of quality. If no one else will put out your music, consider starting your own label!