Re: Setting up an independant label and releasing a downloadable track question.

Martin Noakes <marndin@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I wondered if anyone has any experience of setting up a label. The main
> thing I'm interested in is how I can set a label up and release a song so
> that it is available to be downloaded and would count towards a U.K chart
> position.
>
> Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

In the UK, you must first register it with MCPS. You will be very lucky
to find a name that hasn't been used before, so you may have to ask them
to clear it with other labels using the same or similar names - and wait
some considerable time for a reply from the legal departments of the
companies concerned.

You will need to declare a catalogue number for the first release and,
again, it must not be easily mistaken for anyone elses numbering system.

If you want to sell by download, rather then by CD or DVD, you will fall
foul of the most abysmal muddle. Either you have to buy an extortionate
quarterly licence (and pay even more if you exceed your download quota)
or ...
....well nothing really, because they haven't got their
copyright act together for small individual producers. It is quite
understandable if some small companies currently decide to go down the
illegal route simply because of the difficulty and financial burden of
trying to do it legally. Even if you own the copyright on the songs and
performances, in practice you will have a hard job claiming exemption
from a licence.

You may find it better to sell your songs through an established
download site, rather than setting up your own. That way the licencing
hassle and costs are spread over more downloads and, in any case, they
won't be your problem.

If you want royalties from 'air-play', you also need to register with
P.P.L. This will nowadays mean an encounter with the CatCo web***
and software; OK if you are a Microsoft and Flash user and want to
spend all day on broadband just to get a simple job done - to hell with
everyone else, including the disabled.

MCPS may also refer you to CatCo, but there are ways around this if you
want to retain your sanity.


All the other things you need to know are common to setting up any other
business:

Inland Revenue
H.S.E.
Sale of Goods Act
Statement of Trading Terms (always state "English Law in English
Courts")
Name and address on the product (unless you register with Companies
House)


Good Luck!

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
.

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