Our Clients & Our Artists  Deserve The Best... The Very Best 

Harold R. Bradley president of Local 257 AFM and

Ed Russell CEO of Castle Records receiving his 25 year pin of service

Castle Records, is opening their doors to singers / songwriters who want to be heard by the American people and radio stations across the USA. Country Music, R&B, Pop, Rap and Gospel.

Thanks to Alison Krauss, who won (4) CMA awards on an independent label, the doors have opened for independent record Companies like, Castle Records. Rounder Records, Curb Records, Audium Records, DreamWorks Records,  Dreamcatcher Records, Dualtone Records, and Lyric Street Records, Artists like Kenny Rogers, Aaron Tippin, Randy Travis, and David Ball are all on independent record labels.

Castle Records has developed a new marketing approach in order to help you open some doors.

Castle Record's producers, will give your project a chance to be recorded with the top musicians ( The A Team ) sounds of Nashville Tennessee

A Note From The Producer   Ed Russell 

Many record companies these days, before they offer a new artist a multi-album recording contract, will offer an artist what is known as a "demo" deal or a "development" deal. These are basically different names for the same fundamental thing, although the terms of a demo deal might be shorter and the development deal might last a little longer. In these deals, the record company waves the Producers fee and all you have to pay is the Production cost to record a quality demo, and if they like it they have the first right to sign you to a full record contract. If they decide not to sign you, you get to walk with the demo. With the escalating costs of signing a new artist and the substantial expenses often involved in recording an album (not to mention the astronomical cost and expense of promoting and trying to "break" a new artist's first album), record companies often want to get a little taste of what an artist can do in the studio before they make the big commitment.

Such deals are usually appropriate only for a brand new artist. Established artists have a track record and experience of which the record label is already aware. A new artist, however, may have to make some demos with a label before the company is ready to commit to the bigger numbers necessary to record an album. If the demo deal is properly negotiated, there is usually no down side for a new artist to go this route. Same for the development deal-- in a development deal, the demo making period may last a little longer which gives the Producer more time to work with the artist, but the fundamental legal concepts in both agreements are the same.

Artist Producer/Development Agreement (See APDA) Agreement 
The agreement was published by Billboard publication known as  “This business of music” form 13. Seventh edition.

A Note from Jerome Headlands Press, Inc. For comments   www.dianerapaport.com 

Independent labels are poised to thrive and capture increased market share from majors

1. They have the strong support of college kids and from adult consumers
2. Increasingly strong and flourishing music economies in several cities outside of the major label mainstream.
a. Austin economic impact study shows it has a flourishing music economy that is not dependent on major label activity.
b. New Orleans is next to do study
c. Chicago, Portland, Atlanta, Boston and Seattle have strong music scenes that are very indie oriented.

3. More than 50,000 independent recordings are released annually in the U.S.
a. Regional and local music economies are thriving because of them
b. Indies are taking market share away from majors
c. Variety of technology tools are increasingly being bought (boon to manufacturers and retailers)
D. Manufacturing is relatively inexpensive.
E. Cheaper than ever for artists to profit on sales of 1000 to 2000 recordings
f. Creative uses of internet and internet radio
g. Sophisticated usage of internet by indie labels.
h. Development of niche marketing techniques

4. Proliferation of supra music community organizations to help local and regional musicians and songwriters thrive
a. Muses Muse
b. Just Plain Folks (more than 20,000 members
5. Increased membership in genre-organizations like Folk Alliance and new organizations (Rap Coalition, Future of Music, Americana )
6. Massive educational support from colleges, universities, and conferences that draw 10's of thousands (like South by Southwest)
a. Proliferation of DIY (Do it yourself) conferences in regional areas like Southern California.
b. Strong memberships in songwriter organizations all across the country

Major label woes are due to a synergy of mistakes
1. Focus on file sharing as primary source of declining sales is misleading and detrimental to consumer base
a. Lawsuits against consumers that engage in file sharing is turning them off
b. Misunderstanding of consumer needs
c. Lawsuits have infuriated large computer companies

2. Radio consolidation
a. Fewer radio spots available for major label artists
b. Increase in "promotional fees" charged to major labels
c. Less access to variety of music to consumers
d. Sparse commercial programming for independent artists
e. Fewer noncommercial stations for indie artists
f. Radio promotion costs to commercial radio stations and to independent promoters are huge and amount to payola, if not in name, then in deed. Consolidation has led to higher, not lower fees.

3. Consolidation of major labels into super entities
a. 90% failure rate for all recordings that are released
b. Glut of product, much of it mediocre (more than 6000 titles a year)
c. Too much reliance on back catalog (like Beatles or Pink Floyd) to carry the profits
d. Inability to pay attention to genres outside the big three (contemporary rock (and all its synonyms, e.g. urban, hip hop); country; historical rock
e. Super deals at the expense of new and established mid-line artists
f. Inability to sign and develop artists who are going to have the staying power and incremental creativity of 60 and 70's artists
g. Too much product with only a few good cuts
h. High retail prices
i. High executive salaries
j. Mediocre internet models

5. Recording contracts too heavily weighted against artists
a. No accountability for promo costs charged against artist's royalties (radio promotion; video production, etc), which can be much higher than recording costs.
b. Royalty audits (by those that can afford them) almost ALWAYS show huge discrepancies
c. 7 year clause ties artists to very lengthy contracts

6. Competition for leisure dollars from other products within their conglomerates (videos, video games, hardware, software, audio products, movies, and new formats, such as super DVD.) combined with a recession that has made fewer leisure dollars available for all consumers

The net results of this 'synergy' is a loss of support from their consumer base at a time when fans of music are increasing (as shown by interest in file sharing) and sales, market share and interest in independent labels is increasing.

International Union and Local 257 Nashville

Castle Records have been in business and in good standing with the AFM since 1969  ( Over 33 Years of Service).

For more information please call.

Dave Sullivan or Deb Wallin

- 615-401-7111