Question for label owners

db2 · Post by **db2** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:27 pm

I ran a couple of small techno labels years back, we did some modest sales and were fortunate enough to find two p&d deals that paid for us to press up some vinyls. We were still a small struggling label, but got some quality releases out from myself, Kero, Dustin Zahn, Tim Xavier, Andrei Morant, Ian Lehman, and some others. Now eventually we experienced the implosion of the distribution companies we were working with (I'm sure some of you can make a few guesses). At this time, with one distributor we were saddled with some debt that we couldn't pay and we simply dissolved the relationship agreeing for them to liquidate the remaining stock of our vinyls.

Fast forward to years later, and I see some of our releases cropping up on quite a few different mp3 sites, wondering, where are these coming from? Probably from disparate people from imploded distributors who figure the vague international laws will protect them from real prosecution, or even discovery. Now at first I was like, whatever, f*ck it, let someone else do the footwork and spread those old releases around. But now as the digital age is evolving, I'm wondering just who is collecting the small checks, and how much. From running a small label venture I can imagine it's probably barely, if even, enough to cover the operating expenses to get the stuff out to people.

I'm curious what some of the people here with labels think about this situation and what you would do about it. For the most part I'm not that concerned about it, but I've wondered enough that I'm interested in getting some feedback from other people.

camus · Post by **camus** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:28 pm

what site are you talking about? if it is russian ones, forget it, piracy is kinda legal there , just try to distribute your catalog on legal pateforms.

patrick bateman · Post by **patrick bateman** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:37 pm

Spill the beans with the label name and the mp3 shops.

habitueE · Post by **habitueE** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:05 am

Isnt it possible the distributors have nothing to do with it? As in, people bought your releases back then and ripped , uploaded them? Unless im missing something :p

db2 · Post by **db2** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:41 am

I might clarify some details later, but we're talking about legitimate mp3 selling sites, not something ripped on a blog or something.

patrick bateman · Post by **patrick bateman** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:12 am

db2 wrote:I might clarify some details later, but we're talking about legitimate mp3 selling sites, not something ripped on a blog or something.

Okay, that doesn't sound good in my ears. I would mail the shops and ask who they are doing business with regarding the tracks...

PsyTox · Post by **PsyTox** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:34 am

ok, so your label is Live Wire? I love google

If your tracks are being released on Beatport and such, chance is very good that it's indeed a distributor. Check your contracts of back then if you signed away rights to distribute the releases on other formats then just vinyl. If that's not the case, I'd present your case to Beatport etc, I know they will certainly have a listen to what you have to say.

If you're right, you could even ask them to just cancel the account of who ever is selling your music, or -even smarter- simply ask them to turn the account of your label over to you.

You could of course start some legal action, but with the current amounts of money you can only get from a release, the costs outweigh the possible reward I think. So best way is to try and contact the ones that are selling your music and start a dialogue from there on.

Good luck