{"id":11389,"date":"2020-07-14T15:49:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-14T19:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=11389"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:07:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T16:07:50","slug":"how-to-start-sample-label","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-to-start-sample-label\/","title":{"rendered":"How to start a sample label: Marketing, finances, and branding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Illustration:<\/strong> Franco \u00c9galit\u00e9<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you want to start a sample label?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a behind-the-scenes look at what running your own sample label entails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prospect of starting a sample label is an exciting one, but there are many intricacies that go unnoticed if you\u2019re not involved with day-to-day operations. To build a holistic picture, we spoke with four sample label leaders from the Splice community to learn the ins and outs of running a sample label business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify your purpose and goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although the sample world offers great earning potential, doing anything solely for money in the music industry can lead to rapid burnout<\/a> and a less than fulfilling experience. It\u2019s crucial to have a purpose, to know why you\u2019re starting a sample label. Everyone\u2019s purpose will look different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s a matter of filling a need or gap in the market. Kate Wild<\/a> of 91Vocals<\/a> has a few guiding motivators. As a session vocalist, she saw a lack of quality in songwriting and vocal recordings in the sample community. On a personal level, she wanted to break out from the vocalist\u2019s silo and collaborate with others. She also liked the idea of having control of what she created and the ability to spend more time producing \u2013 to transition from hobby to career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to seeing a gap in the market for real, legal, and authentic soul instrumentals and vocals, Wes Pendleton<\/a> and the other Soul Surplus<\/a> founders spotted an opportunity to get a foot in the door at major labels. He said, \u201cIt only takes one big producer to use your sounds, see your name, and want to work together on custom, royalty-bearing collaborations. These opportunities could lead to label recognition as a co-writer or co-producer, and may open doors to a publishing deal or working with other artists on that label.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild added, \u201c[Having a label] puts you in rooms you haven\u2019t walked into yet. Your reputation precedes you a bit.\u201d An artist or producer is much more likely to respond to a cold email from someone whose sounds they\u2019ve used in their tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sean Davis<\/a> of AudeoBox<\/a> offered a different perspective. He said, \u201cIt allows you to put your spin on something without it taking over your life. By collaborating with others as a label, you can explore different genres and styles and create new work without diluting your artistic vision or confusing your listeners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your specific purpose will drive your goals, which will inform each of your strategies. A guiding principle will keep you on a clear path and help you make important decisions along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Define your unique value proposition (what you\u2019re offering)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While your guiding purpose is an internal compass, your unique value proposition (a niche or style) is what makes you stand out to external audiences. It\u2019s your competitive edge, whether you\u2019re offering a unique spin on what\u2019s out there or introducing something completely new. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Wild\u2019s unique value was clear out of the gate: to solve the lack of high-quality vocal samples available. As an expert in that area with recording experience to back it up, she partnered with Capsun of Capsun ProAudio<\/a>, who offered label experience to bring her vision to life. She suggests, \u201cFocus on the things you\u2019re best at. Sometimes that in itself becomes your niche or defines your brand.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Pendleton says focusing on a niche or a specific genre keeps you top of mind when people need that specific sound. He added, \u201cBecause we specialize in soul, people tend to come to us first. That gives you an advantage. When someone is thinking about that particular sound, they know they can come to us and get quality every time.\u201d By becoming a leader in such a highly-demanded genre, Soul Surplus has found an audience beyond artists and producers among ad agencies, podcast producers, and film\/TV production companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on a genre or niche makes your brand more discoverable if someone searches for a specific term like \u201csoul samples.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AudeoBox offers a slightly broader variety of musical genres. They set themselves apart with high-quality trap and future R&B samples and a clear artistic vision that\u2019s uniquely them. We\u2019ll dive deeper into branding below, but AudeoBox\u2019s focus on storytelling plays a large role in their competitive edge. Each sample pack has custom animated art<\/a> that illustrates what the pack sounds like, appealing to those who are visually inclined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davis of AudeoBox found that crafting niche packs under a broader label is an effective way to garner attention. They did this with their \u2018MCMLXXXV (1985)\u2019 pack<\/a>, which focuses on the synthwave sounds of the mid-80s. They\u2019ve become experts in spotting trends. They knew Stranger Things<\/em> was returning last year and Davis could hear an uprising of the subgenre in the indiesphere. He pays attention to trends and gets ahead of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He suggests listening to what your competitors and peers are releasing. Most importantly, listen to the music in the genre you\u2019re making and don\u2019t rip off songs \u2013 more on that below. To build a sustainable business, follow what you enjoy and are skilled in, rather than chasing trends or the hot genre of the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a business model for your sample label<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are four main broad types of business models for a sample label: royalty-free, royalty-bearing, small\/boutique, or a large marketplace-style company. Your business may be a combination of two of the four. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a royalty-free model, sales royalties (a percentage of profits from the sale or download of a sound or pack) are distributed to producers and artists. They don\u2019t receive publishing royalties from the resulting projects post-purchase. In a royalty-bearing model, the rights holders receive publishing royalties on the publishing and master sides. In this case, the samples need to be cleared before being licensed for commercial use in sync, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of your business structure, you have nearly endless options. You can distribute your samples through a marketplace like Splice<\/a> or lone-wolf it and focus on building an independent brand through ads, partnerships, collaborations, social media, and other marketing channels. Or, you can do both. The structure of your business will depend on how much capital you have and the market during that time, as well as your niche, purpose, and goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know what\u2019s legal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to many instruments\u2019 terms and conditions, you cannot use those tools to create samples for selling. This comes as a big surprise to many, often when it’s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Native Instruments, for example, it\u2019s \u201cstrictly prohibited to use single, combined or modified sounds from Native Instruments to create sound libraries, loop libraries, sample CDs or similar products, as the license granted is strictly limited to one person only \u2013 any trading, lending, renting, re-issuing, redistribution or re-sale of sounds is not permitted under any circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also illegal to download a sample from a marketplace like Splice, change it a little, and then resell it as a stand-alone one-shot or loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kam Shariff<\/a> of Capsun ProAudio and X10 says that if you\u2019re building a library, you have to craft 100% original sounds. Read the terms and conditions of every instrument you\u2019re using and ensure you have full rights to sell the sounds you make. Understand what you can and cannot use to create samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, \u201cproducers aren\u2019t necessarily sound designers. In creating our trap sounds, we need sound designers. People who will craft original sounds from instruments that are legal to use in sample creation. As a label leader, you have to have an ear for that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davis added, \u201cI think it\u2019s going to come to a head with the way people are making sounds. The smarter AI gets, the better it will be at detecting rip-offs and certain instruments\/plugins. Sometimes I hear something and think, there\u2019s no way it was made from scratch. If it was, it was close to infringing on someone\u2019s rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why originality is so important. Create new, raw sounds or know exactly where everything you\u2019re using came from. If you can afford it, consider getting a lawyer or legal advising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get your finances in order and know how much capital you need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you get too far into your business plan, know how much money you need to launch. When it comes to making your first packs, Wild suggests asking yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n