Distribution Center

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

  Castle Records, is opening their doors to other record producers and small labels in order to help them distribute there product, so it can be  be heard by the American people and radio stations across the USA. 

 

 

         A Note From Our Company Distributor

1.   Independent Distributors:   All record companies (with the exception of major companies who have their own branch offices) use regional independent distributors to get their product to retail stores.  Records are shipped from the company manufacturing the record to the ten or fifteen regional distributors based on orders received from the retail stores they service.  The shipment is on a consignment basis and both the store and distributor have the right to return the product within a certain time frame.  Records which constitute sales are paid for by the distributor at a pre-arranged price, usually about 50% of the suggested retail list price.  Due to the return privilege, it often takes as long as six months to receive accounting and payment for records shipped.  The key determining factor in the marketing process is airplay of the record which stimulates market demand and orders for the product.

2.   Major Label Branch Distribution:   The major record companies such as CBS, RCA, MCA, and CAPITOL have branch offices which handle the sales to record stores in their respective regions.  These companies search for recording artists whose recordings they produce and distribute through their system.  Much of the record product distributed by the majors comes from independent production companies and labels which find and develop talent and bring it to the attention of the major.  Once a major label decides to "pick up" an artist, the usual arrangement involves payment to the production company of advance royalties (used to recoup production costs), expenditures for record manufacturing, promotion, advertising and marketing.  The major label controls all marketing and promotional decisions and budgets and will have from three to five options for terms of one year each to produce additional records.  All further production will be in accordance with budgets and schedules set forth in the licensing or recording agreement between our company and the major label.  In this type of arrangement, the major label will pay a negotiated royalty rate to the production company who, in turn, will pay the artist and producer a pre-determined royalty rate.

3.   Independent Record Company/Independent Distribution:  There are record companies which do not qualify as a "major" label but produce and sell records with a great commercial success through regional independent distributors.  These companies vary greatly in size and financial stability. It would be possible for us to negotiate an arrangement with one such company to  manage the manufacturing, distribution and promotion of our Master with both companies contributing negotiated amounts to the cost of promotion and future productions.

4.   Distribution of Master Recordings:  Each of the three routes of distributing above described have advantages and disadvantages. Usually, it is advantageous to go with the major label whenever possible in order to utilize their contracts, marketing machinery and financial resources.  The main disadvantage of the major label system for the new artist is lack of attention given to a new artist project by a very busy and overloaded staff contained in a large organization based in New York or Los Angeles.  A smaller label, with a smaller artist roster, can usually make better and more selective use of the same marketing and promotional dollars and consequently be more effective for the new artist's record. Our plan is to consider all possibilities as the project progresses and to budget the project to manufacture and distribute records under our own label through independent distributors.  We will make efforts to explore the interest of the majors in our project and will have a number of smaller labels interested in distributing our records.  Major labels will often pick up an artist on the strength of a successful first independent record release and/or video promo and begin to finance the production and marketing beginning with the second album.  The time required between recording and the shipping of records out through independent system is approximately three months.  If a major label is involved, the time between recording and shipment could extend to four or six months.  


PROMOTION

Adequate promotion is vital and essential to the commercial success of a record.   There are many ways to promote records and many differing opinions as to the deepest market penetration use of promotional dollars.  Most new artists being released by major labels receive a minimum amount of promotion and, as a result, never come to the public's attention.  Since airplay of our record is essential to the sale of records, we will concentrate our efforts on securing airplay on both radio and television through the use of independent promotion specialists and a video music promo piece.  In addition, a firm specializing in recording artists should be contracted to secure coverage in a wide variety of print publications and to gain maximum exposure for the artist at every opportunity.

1.   Independent Promotion Specialists:  Promotion specialists are consultants who specialize in knowing the program directors and disc jockeys at the major radio and television stations, syndicators, and those stations which set the trends and report to national chart services.  Their job is to get the record played on the radio by convincing the program or music director of each station to listen to the record and give it a chance.  Most promotional consultants specialize in certain genres of music and specific geographic areas.  It usually requires hiring a number of promo men or teams to work the record if you are releasing the record in all major markets simultaneously.  Since the average time required to launch a new record is three months, we will know fairly soon whether a continued promotional campaign is warranted

2.   Video Promotion:  Today there are over 400 different television programs using video music clips in the United States plus some type of similar programming in most overseas markets. With the overwhelming commercial success of MTV and TNN and CMT as prime examples, and their proven track record for stimulating record   sales, you should make arrangements to produce a video promo clip of one song from the first album.  Production will begin soon after the completion of the recording of the album.  The video will then be released in conjunction with the release of the record to maximize exposure of both the song and the artist during the initial three month period.

3.   Publicity Specialist:    We should hire a publicity firm which specializes in entertainment talent for the purpose of achieving maximum public exposure for the artist in the print and television media during the period of time following the initial release.  The four to six months following the release of promotional copies of the record will be the period of heaviest concentration on promotion and publicity. If you think these strategies should be utilized and made a part of your marketing strategy for this record, we would welcome the promotion and distribution of your next Master. Please give us a call if we can be of further help or assistance and we will discuss the various strategies more specifically and try to devise a budget which would give you maximum return on your investment.        Call     615-401-7111   

 

We are Accepting Country Music, R&B, Pop, Rap and Gospel. 

Please read our Submission Policy before you call us

CODE WORD ( D-2007-12-EM  )

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