Independent Record Label
Independent labels and artist-run imprints
Releases from demo to street date, artist deals, recoupment and royalty statements.
Use this templateIndependent Record Label
Releases move left to right on the board from accepted demo to released. Costs belong to a release; statements belong to an artist and pay back the advance. Start on the Dashboard: slipped releases first, then this week's releases, then money.
Start here: how the label runs
Dashboard
The eight weeks before release day
Royalty statements and recoupment
Artists
The roster: each act's deal, advance, what they have earned and whether the advance is paid back.
| Artist | Roster status | Genre | Deal | Artist share (%) | Advance (USD) | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlowe Finch | 50 | $8,000 | Dana Oyelaran | |||
| The Velvet Understudies | 50 | $12,000 | Caspar Lindgren | |||
| Kaito Brennan | 60 | $5,000 | Self-managed | |||
| Sunroom Static | 50 | $0 | Priya Halloran | |||
| Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye | 50 | $6,000 | Rafael Duarte | |||
| Greywater Choir | 85 | $0 | Hanne Solberg | |||
| Lupe and the Lanterns | 50 | $4,000 | Tomasz Rivera |
Releases
Every single, EP and album from accepted demo to release day, with its catalogue number, budget and first-month numbers.
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 | |
| Coldframe | Released | Kaito Brennan | LT2620 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400302 | |
| Lowland Hymns | Pitching | Greywater Choir | LT2616 | Mireille Dubois-Grant | 860012400289 | |
| Glasshouse | Pitching | Sunroom Static | LT2623 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400333 | |
| Afterhours Grid | Delivered to distributor | Kaito Brennan | LT2621 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400319 | |
| Small Hours | Artwork and metadata | Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye | LT2627 | Jonah Petrakis | — |
Release costs
Mastering, pressing, artwork, PR and video, each tied to a release, with what is recoupable from the artist.
| Cost | Status | Release | Category | Vendor | Amount (USD) | Recoupable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights mastering | Paid | Harbor Lights | Riverbend Mastering | $900 | Yes | |
| Harbor Lights 500 vinyl, black | Paid | Harbor Lights | Cascade Pressing Works | $4,600 | No | |
| Harbor Lights cover and jacket | Paid | Harbor Lights | Ilse Vandenberg Studio | $1,200 | Yes | |
| Harbor Lights press campaign | Paid | Harbor Lights | Northlight Publicity | $3,500 | Yes | |
| Harbor Lights college radio | Paid | Harbor Lights | Tall Grass Radio Promo | $2,400 | Yes | |
| Cheap Seats 300 vinyl, clear | Paid | Cheap Seats Forever | Cascade Pressing Works | $3,100 | No | |
| Cheap Seats press campaign | Paid | Cheap Seats Forever | Northlight Publicity | $2,200 | Yes | |
| Cheap Seats mastering | Paid | Cheap Seats Forever | Riverbend Mastering | $650 | Yes |
Royalty statements
What each artist earned per accounting period, sent and paid, which pays back their advance.
| Statement | Status | Artist | Period ends | Net receipts (USD) | Artist share (USD) | Paid on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlowe Finch, statement 7 | Paid | Marlowe Finch | Jul 13, 2026 | $7,200 | $3,600 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Marlowe Finch, statement 8 | Sent | Marlowe Finch | Oct 11, 2026 | $12,080 | $6,040 | — |
| The Velvet Understudies, statement 5 | Paid | The Velvet Understudies | Jul 13, 2026 | $6,400 | $3,200 | Aug 11, 2026 |
| The Velvet Understudies, statement 6 | Sent | The Velvet Understudies | Oct 11, 2026 | $7,960 | $3,980 | — |
| Kaito Brennan, statement 3 | Sent | Kaito Brennan | Oct 11, 2026 | $3,583 | $2,150 | — |
| Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye, statement 11 | Paid | Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye | Jul 13, 2026 | $6,200 | $3,100 | Aug 13, 2026 |
| Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye, statement 12 | Sent | Ophelia Marsh-Ndiaye | Oct 11, 2026 | $7,600 | $3,800 | — |
| Greywater Choir, statement 4 | Draft | Greywater Choir | Oct 11, 2026 | $4,000 | $3,400 | — |
Four tables: Artists (the roster and their deals), Releases (every record in progress), Release costs (what each record cost) and Royalty statements (what each artist earned). This page says who touches what, and when.
A release's life
A demo the label wants becomes a row in Releases, linked to its artist, at Demo accepted. The release manager sets a budget the label head has agreed.
Mixing and Mastering move it along. Every invoice from a studio, pressing plant or publicist goes into Release costs at Quoted, then Approved once the label head says yes.
Artwork and metadata is where most releases stall. The catalogue number, UPC and songwriter splits must be complete before delivery.
Delivered to distributor at least four weeks before the release date, then Pitching while publicity works the press and playlists.
On release day press Mark released. At day 28, fill in streams and playlist adds.
The money side
Each artist's Earned to date adds up the artist share on statements that have been sent or paid. Against the advance it gives Left to recoup and a plain Recouped or Unrecouped label. A recouped artist gets a cheque with every statement; an unrecouped one gets a statement showing the balance coming down.
Releases that slipped past their date, what goes out this week, money approved but not yet paid, and statements still in draft.
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 |
| Cost | Status | Release | Category | Vendor | Amount (USD) | Recoupable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights mastering | Paid | Harbor Lights | Riverbend Mastering | $900 | Yes | |
| Harbor Lights 500 vinyl, black | Paid | Harbor Lights | Cascade Pressing Works | $4,600 | No | |
| Harbor Lights cover and jacket | Paid | Harbor Lights | Ilse Vandenberg Studio | $1,200 | Yes |
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 |
Past their release date
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 |
Out this week
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 |
My releases
| Release | Stage | Format | Artist | Catalogue number | Release manager | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2611 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400241 | |
| Cheap Seats Forever | Released | The Velvet Understudies | LT2614 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400272 | |
| Paper Lanterns | Released | Marlowe Finch | LT2618 | Jonah Petrakis | 860012400296 |
Approved costs to pay
| Cost | Status | Release | Category | Vendor | Amount (USD) | Recoupable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Lights mastering | Paid | Harbor Lights | Riverbend Mastering | $900 | Yes | |
| Harbor Lights 500 vinyl, black | Paid | Harbor Lights | Cascade Pressing Works | $4,600 | No | |
| Harbor Lights cover and jacket | Paid | Harbor Lights | Ilse Vandenberg Studio | $1,200 | Yes |
Statements to send
| Statement | Status | Artist | Period ends | Net receipts (USD) | Artist share (USD) | Paid on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlowe Finch, statement 7 | Paid | Marlowe Finch | Jul 13, 2026 | $7,200 | $3,600 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Marlowe Finch, statement 8 | Sent | Marlowe Finch | Oct 11, 2026 | $12,080 | $6,040 | — |
| The Velvet Understudies, statement 5 | Paid | The Velvet Understudies | Jul 13, 2026 | $6,400 | $3,200 | Aug 11, 2026 |
Stores and playlist editors need a record long before fans hear it. Work backwards from the release date, and if any step below is late, move the date rather than rush the delivery.
Eight weeks out
Masters approved by the artist, in writing. For vinyl, order a separate vinyl master; streaming masters are too loud for a lacquer cut.
Vinyl ordered from the plant. Pressing queues run eight to twelve weeks, so a record without a vinyl slot by now goes out digital first with vinyl later.
Publicist booked and the press angle agreed: why this record, why now.
Six weeks out
Catalogue number from the next in the LT sequence (year, then the release number), UPC for the release, an ISRC for every track.
Songwriter and publisher splits confirmed for every track. Missing splits are the most common reason royalties go unpaid later.
Square cover art at full size, with no website addresses or prices on it; stores refuse those.
Four weeks out
Deliver audio, art and metadata to the distributor and move the release to Delivered to distributor.
Pre-save smart link live and on the artist's profiles.
Editorial playlist pitch sent through the distributor. Pitches need one unreleased track and at least a week, ideally more.
Release week
Move the release to Pitching once press is out. Brief the artist on the release-day posts.
On the day, press Mark released on the row. The smart link button opens the page fans see.
Day 28
Fill in Streams, first 28 days and Editorial and curator playlist adds. Compare them with the record's spend:
A single with a video and a small ad budget often does more per dollar than an album campaign; plan two singles ahead of every album.
Artists judge a label by its statements. Send them on time, every period, even when the number is small and even when the artist is unrecouped.
How the split works here
Most of the roster is on a net profit split: the label takes its recoupable costs back out of net receipts, then splits what is left at the artist share on their row, usually 50%. A licensing deal pays a higher share because the artist owns the masters. Distribution only artists get 85%; the label keeps a fee and takes no risk.
Each period
Download the distributor's report and total net receipts per artist after the distributor's fee.
Make a statement row per artist at Draft, linked to the artist, with the period end date, net receipts and the artist share.
Check it against Release costs: only costs ticked Recoupable come off the artist's side. Pressing is usually the label's own cost.
Send it and move the row to Sent. The artist's Earned to date counts it from that moment.
When a payment goes out, press Mark paid on the statement.
Recoupment, in plain words
An advance is paid back from the artist's share, never from their pocket. Until earnings pass the advance, the artist is unrecouped and receives a statement but no cheque.
Rules
Never net one artist's costs against another's earnings.
A statement in Draft for more than two weeks after the period ends shows on the Dashboard; clear it before anything else.
When an artist leaves the roster, keep paying statements for their releases for as long as the label sells them.
What's inside
5 tables · 16 views · 1 form · 4 row actions · 1 agent5 pages
- Independent Record Label
- Start here: how the label runs
- Dashboard
- The eight weeks before release day
- Royalty statements and recoupment
4 tables
- Artists2 views · 7 sample rows
- Releases7 views · 13 sample rows
- Release costs3 views · 22 sample rows
- Royalty statements4 views · 10 sample rows
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