Where we are now

Volifonix - Actively touring

1 agent, 1 road manager, Rodie/sound tech

1 album: oregonisms, enough material to make a

2nd or an EP

Fans spread around the NW, no real fan club

No real merchandise

No promotion for shows other than what the venue does.

Van + Trailer

PA system suitable for indoor venues.

Sponsors: Cornerstone, Ninkasi, possibly Jody

Myspace and Facebook but without constant feeds

Enough material to record a full length album

Few gigs scheduled by band mates

Pat's truck as PartiMobile

Fans in Eugene and Corvallis

Myspace and Facebook sites with some updates

PartiBand

Team Banzai

Some gigs scheduled

Enough material to record an album

Distributing through SounCloud

Myspace and Facebook with active updates.

Overall we have good and varied product (music) to sell, but no engine to make it heard

.

This is where the Label comes in.

Why start our own label?

To maximize profit.

The artist is always the last one to get paid for the art he/she worked so hard to produce

More control, or more freedom for the artist.

Another angle to approach the music industry.

As a corporation the label can be owned in part by the artists themselves via Shares

Typical structure for a fair sized record label (Wikipedia.com)

Incorporate the artists too by being part owners

Begin as a Partnership Agreement

Once there is real structure into a Corporation with a Board of Directors.

Board of Directors

People elected by the owner/owners (majority shareholders)

Oversee the company's buisness and performance.

Make sure things are done in the benefit of shareholders

How and where do we start?

Structure (most likely hierarchical) with goals, responsibilities and accountability

Investment capital (investors)

Loans or investment?

Cash injections during critical times

The amount of money and structure needed depends on the duties we want the Label to take over.

What to we want the Label to take care of?

Recording?

All promotion and marketing?

Band management?

Agents?

Touring expenses?

Distribution?

What kind of licencing deals? (time)

Contracts?

Splitting profits?

(Idealy 50/50, since band members are shareholders anyway)

In order to successfully start this label we need to combine forces

Volifonix: WEBSITE! record new EP as teaser for next years album. New music video Begin changing the way we book. Take over some of Linda's duties (mainly promotion and management). She is an excellent agent. Actively touring in OR, WA, CA, ID

PartiBand: WEBSITE! New album recorded before new years. Video of a single. Actively touring in OR

Team Banzai: WEBSITE! A new album recorded before new years. Video of single. Remix some VFX and PB songs to release with promo EP's. Actively touring in OR

In the next six months we need to:

Label – Come up with a nameMake sure all the artists get in with either BMI or ASCAP for

royalties purposes.

Tunecore.com and SouncCloud.com for online distributing.

By new years there should be a contract between label and bands

Be able to press and and print all new releases by the artists.

Able to do some in house distributing and actively looking for some deals in OR and WA

BEGIN STAGE ONE OF PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN

Target our different audiences differently. Pre-release campaigns

Promotion and PR: Web and print advertising

Guerrilla advertising with street teams in high schools and college to create hype.

Fan clubs with “special” rewards

Radio play in non commercial radio spectrum (8000 to 9100)

Merchandise – clothing and accessories, This is where “Bud Labs” will get its start. Providing promotional material for bands, street teams and fan clubs (all clothing will have the Bands logo, the labels logo and Bud Labs logo.) Image!

WEBSITE for Bud Labs too!

As CD release date approaches

Plan CD release parties for PB and TB in Eugene, Corvallis and Portland. All super hyped up (see previous slide) advertising VFXs teaser EP

Close to release dates begin our “industry” parties where influential people in the community are invited for a screening of the new album and to show our “professionalism”

Press coverage with album reviews, band interviews and live show reviews

After the release of albums and teaser EP

Follow up with a CD relase tour of about 1 - 2 months in OR and WA. All shows promoted and arranged by label.

Culminating with a big show where the three bands play all together (VFX, PB, TB mashup!). Maybe one in Eugene and one in Portland.

These next 6 months will be crucial to establishing ourselves as indispensable in the music scene in the NW

We will need a Headquartes for the label to happen. If not possible yet, we at least need a PO box and a land line

LOTS and LOTS OF BUISNESS CARDS! asap

Maybe more sponsors?

1 year (next summer)

VFX: new album recorded before summer starts. Video to go with a single

PB: New EP? Actively touring promoting their new album. New video?

TB: New EP. More remixes of VFX and Partiband. Actively touring promoting their new album. New Video? (the nature of TB music requires them to pump out more material [remixes mixtapes] than a rock band)

LabelThis would be about the time the Label changes

into a corporation with shareholders and a board of directors.

Label will start growing in complexity with its own separate branches (promotion, merchandise, etc..)

By now we should be able to book shows where we want to (Doug Fir, Crystal ballroom and the likes) or throw our own shows by renting locations.

Label will need an established HQ

Keep establishing the Label and bands name

We will continue our “industry” parties building our contacts

We will also throw just “parties” to helppromote the label and bands to different audiences.

Spread the word is the name of the game.

Cd and EP releasesBig CD release parties for Vfx in Eugene,

Corvallis and Portland

Summer Northwest tour for all three bands (together or separately, depending on logistics)

This will be the first big tour under the (hopefully) established label.

The constant release of albums and EP's should help acquire distribution deals in WA, ID, OR and CA through licensing

This should be seen as the propeller into the national scene.

cont.We can take over the NW scene this way.

Most likely will need a capital injection from investors to afford our tour + promotion + maybe begin building a record studio?

Insurance for bands?

Promotion will be its own branch within the label. Begin tackling commercial radio and TV

Bud Labs should be more established as its own business, being able to sell more to the public (maybe its own store)

Scouting new talent?

3 Years

In house recording studio – for label's bands and for rent to the public

Bigger HQ, possibly in Portland.

VFX, PB and TB all with at least one new album. Possibly have them all come out at different times during the year to keep a steady flow of material. (keep outside distributors happy)

National distribution deals through licencing

3 year cont.

In house event maker.

Profits possibly. Begin paying back investors.

Scouting more talent

DVD of a tour, or a show, or something.

All bands actively touring all year round

5 years and more (this one has room to grow)

Expand recording studio and HQ

Distributing deals in the UK and all of Europe, Latin America, Japan

Touring all of the US, maybe Canada and Mexico

The key it to keep on moving, producing and most of all ROCKING!