This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Mark Orr, the founder of Lab Records, to explore how independent labels are evolving in today’s music industry.
From deal structures and artist ownership to marketing strategies and physical releases, Mark shares a transparent look into how his label has operated and adapted over nearly two decades. They dive into how indie deals have shifted to become more artist-friendly, how Lab approaches partnerships like distribution with ADA, and why physical products like vinyl and limited editions are more important now than ever. Mark also breaks down how to build a lean team, when to outsource, and how to create meaningful fan engagement in a crowded digital landscape. Whether you’re on the artist or label side of the business, you won’t want to miss this episode.
https://www.instagram.com/labrecords
https://labrecs.com/
Chapters
00:00 - Lab Records Origin
05:00 - Building a Lean Team
09:25 - Streaming & Fan Engagement
13:23 - Pitching Artists vs Majors
16:07 - Modern Deal Structures
21:19 - Artist Power Shift
26:19 - Marketing in 2020s
31:42 - Physical Sales Comeback
36:21 - Touring Builds Fanbase
45:50 - Tools, Teams, Future
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-Ergas
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
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