Starting A Reggae Re-Issue Label - Thoughts and Ideas Please!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:07 pm
Hey guys, this is my first post, I’ve been lurking on these boards for a while,
so I’d like to say hello.
I am considering starting a reissue label for reggae albums that aren’t currently available. I have the means and resources to set up this label, which includes financial backing , distribution etc, so a lot of the business side is already in hand.
I am putting the feelers out for some experts to get involved by suggesting some albums that could do with a reissue that have a good chance of doing well. The best option in the early stages is to try and get something out by quite well known artists rather than unknown ones, as it gives us a better chance of selling a few more units to the less die hard collectors market.
The criteria is of this project includes:
*The albums have to have a reasonable chance of selling well. Over 1500 copies sold is ok, over 3000 worldwide is great.
*We have to be able to contact and get permission from the rights holders of the repertoire. The real shame about reggae is the fact that finding the rights holders to the music can be really difficult, as back in the day there was little paperwork involved in the Jamaican music industry. I have an inkling that the reason why so many albums are unavailable is because legally it’s been a minefield to license reggae and without being able to find or prove the rights holders, this has rendered many albums lost to any kind of re-issue.
*Find a way of finding masters, if they still exist at all, or otherwise coming across an alternative format to master from.
I’m sure there are other things I should mention, but no doubt they will come up in due course.
This project is in it’s early days, but I do have the go ahead from the powers that be to start this label, provided I can get all the bits and pieces like finding rights holders and come up with a decent plan to get the records shifting units. If the first few titles are successful, it leads to being able to do more and more and create a label that people will look out for.
If anyone can offer some ideas of what albums and artists we could look at doing that would be great. If anyone can suggest any albums that have a dub version as well, this could be a good thing to package together, much like the Marcus Garvey / Garvey’s Ghost package put out by Island.
Hopefully if it works out I can call on some experts from here to help out with sleeve notes, supplying of photographs, artists interviews etc.
There is so much great stuff out there that the public can’t get their hands on. And as an enthusiast, I would love this to get off the ground.
What is everybody’s view on this plan??? I guess you could call this market research.
Hopefully I get some good feedback from y’all.
so I’d like to say hello.
I am considering starting a reissue label for reggae albums that aren’t currently available. I have the means and resources to set up this label, which includes financial backing , distribution etc, so a lot of the business side is already in hand.
I am putting the feelers out for some experts to get involved by suggesting some albums that could do with a reissue that have a good chance of doing well. The best option in the early stages is to try and get something out by quite well known artists rather than unknown ones, as it gives us a better chance of selling a few more units to the less die hard collectors market.
The criteria is of this project includes:
*The albums have to have a reasonable chance of selling well. Over 1500 copies sold is ok, over 3000 worldwide is great.
*We have to be able to contact and get permission from the rights holders of the repertoire. The real shame about reggae is the fact that finding the rights holders to the music can be really difficult, as back in the day there was little paperwork involved in the Jamaican music industry. I have an inkling that the reason why so many albums are unavailable is because legally it’s been a minefield to license reggae and without being able to find or prove the rights holders, this has rendered many albums lost to any kind of re-issue.
*Find a way of finding masters, if they still exist at all, or otherwise coming across an alternative format to master from.
I’m sure there are other things I should mention, but no doubt they will come up in due course.
This project is in it’s early days, but I do have the go ahead from the powers that be to start this label, provided I can get all the bits and pieces like finding rights holders and come up with a decent plan to get the records shifting units. If the first few titles are successful, it leads to being able to do more and more and create a label that people will look out for.
If anyone can offer some ideas of what albums and artists we could look at doing that would be great. If anyone can suggest any albums that have a dub version as well, this could be a good thing to package together, much like the Marcus Garvey / Garvey’s Ghost package put out by Island.
Hopefully if it works out I can call on some experts from here to help out with sleeve notes, supplying of photographs, artists interviews etc.
There is so much great stuff out there that the public can’t get their hands on. And as an enthusiast, I would love this to get off the ground.
What is everybody’s view on this plan??? I guess you could call this market research.
Hopefully I get some good feedback from y’all.
