Starting A Reggae Re-Issue Label - Thoughts and Ideas Please!!!

[drive instigna]

wow, i have to admit - i'm surprised that there is any negativity in this thread at all! i say, GO FOR IT!
obviously, it will not be a cash cow - but if you realize that from the start and keep in a labor of love - the label will be a success! labels start failing when they take on marketing staff, sales reps, etc. you can do this all yourself! blogs posts, make your own website, social media - all free to you (or minimal hosting costs) and easily managed! keep it small, don't overdo it - i really like the idea of limited well constructed product (cd, vinyl, whatever) and will pay extra for items that are legit and i know that the person who made the music will be getting their fair slice of the cake!

don't be discouraged, the RA MASSIVE has got your back!!

That is not true...blood and fire didn´t have a marketing staff as far I know. What I said was not meant negative but rather realistic.

Limited editions are not a smart idea in a niche market... You can make a limited editions rolling stones or beatles set. There are millions of fans, it will sell out with a good profit.. that doesn´t count for reggae.....
Exactly ´with love´.. that is not going to earn any money. It´s still a commercial product...

Yes and it´s true about other genres.. but it´s a whole different world. Look at some of those west African re-releases (ebo taylor, orchestra poly ritmo incredible rail band etc etc)... them re-releasers do dj sets in expensive fancy clubs for silly money in New York London or Paris.. organize tours across Europe with former artists etc etc. Their profits don´t come from the sales of records but from all kinds of side projects that can be done due to an album re-release...you can´t take the Ethiopians, derrick Harriot or whoever on a successful sold out tour across Europe nor does it get played in fancy clubs..

[drive instigna]

And I also know that most people are not willing to pay that little extra...that is just a very very small group.

Not because people don´t care but most reggae lovers or collectors are not the same as old rich jazz collectors for example..
Seen so many complaints on the internet over re-press prices whether a product is 4, 8 or 10 pound...Japanese probably will but that doesn´t count for European customers..People want it as cheap priced as possible (regardless of what the product is..)

`labels start failing when they take on marketing staff, sales reps, etc`

Most labels (and also physical stores) go out of business because they don´t pay attention to the commercial aspect but put ´love´ in the first place. Again it´s still a commercial competitive business and product.

[Digikiller]

I would love to see the Jah Life catalog see some more reissues. Albums like Smashing Superstars, Family Album, School Days, What's Wrong With the Youths, Mr Sunshine etc.

hold tight, more Jah Life soon come...

[Marky Dread]

Well, take the lamented "blood and fire" for example - a label that REALLY had it going on! GREAT attitude, GREAT roster and SUPERLATIVE product... what happened? Everyone FREAKED when the "Run It Red" comp came out, because Mick Hucknall (although a legit fan) is not seen as a name to be trusted in the reggae scene. I saw and heard MANY complaints of "sell out" and "what the hell?" because the purists that entered my store for their reggae saw his pic on the cover - they felt that his image "strayed from the purity" of what they had produced up to that point. BAD marketing, BAD choice.
Also, my purist customers HATED the "fisherman" comp - to them, it lacked legitimacy due to the fact that it contained contemporary artists - same complaint, suspicious "money grab" (NOT my words or attitude towards ANY of their releases, but perception / marketing again)... Whatever, but that was sales LOST. BAD marketing.
So now someone wants to start a label and release small quantities of music that they feel deserves to be heard, and small press = more money. Will you pay for the love of it, or just download so you can have it all? Call me socialist (haha!), but I for one will save up and pay for the love. I do not believe that people "want it as cheap as possible" (I'm talking about the TRUE CORE of who you are selling to, the perhaps 1000 people worldwide you can most likely sell a physical CD of this genre to), but prefer a well-done product with heart and some thought put behind it. THAT'S why B&F did SO well for SO long! And sure enough, I have NOT illegally downloaded ANY of their titles - I purchased them, supported them and have 90% of their catalog - MUCH higher percentage than any other label out there! I'm still saving up for more PRESSURE SOUNDS releases, because they are worth paying for.

[Franco Nero]

Marky Dread wrote :wow, i have to admit - i'm surprised that there is any negativity in this thread at all! i say, GO FOR IT!

Whoa, you have to define negativity. I'd wager most on this forum are eager patrons of repress titles. We're more than willing to pay the bucks for our reggae music. The real issue is can a new re-issue label survive economically in a world where hardcore reggae fans (who actually pay for their music) can only be numbered in the thousands.

I think a new re-issue label would be awesome. What would be even more awesome is if it could stick around for more than a year or two...And give fans access to impossible-to-find tracks and OOP LPs.

[Funky Punk]

I'm only speaking for myself here - but I don't mind paying more (within reason) for quality releases and reissues.

OTOH, if it's a piece of crap that sounds like it's a straight vinyl rip from a well-used LP and the CD booklet (IOW one piece of paper folded in half!) just consists of a picture of the singer/band and a restatement of the track listing from the back (with maybe an advert for other releases on the label) and I just paid £14.99 for it, then that's a different matter.

[Marky Dread]

Nice lively conversation, thank you all!

I'm defining negativity as telling MellowMan how much money he's NOT going to make by starting a reissue label. Trying to stay positive in the face of economic odds is hard, but again - this will be a labor of love... hope I have not offended anyone with my conversation - NOT intended!
I have had a couple small labels myself (punk, not reggae) and have spent MANY nights folding sleeves, hand-stamping numbered editions and hawking them out of the back of my car... REALLY fun, and I didn't make a dime - but the labor of love showed and I still hear from people who remember buying them from me at shows and pizza joints... I wish the best for MellowMan (and us all who will be supporting his venture!)!!

[SistaLin]

Well,lmfao at da breakdown of da re:issue u DO NOT want 2 see!i confess shamedly dat iv bought sumn like that b4..umm,it was b-spear,i was desperate,ok!!lol.gwaan wid u bad self my yute.

[dubisamust]

a MUST for me is original cover artwork, and if possible extensive sleeve notes. i wanna know Producer, Players, Studio etc.

I love the showcase style, that'd definitely entice me...

[GreedyG]

Joachim, will the Mr Spaulding reissues include my fave Jr Marshall tune?

Respect

G