Label Costs

The one-time innova $3500 admin fee goes to keep the business running, to help create the buzz, and keep your title in our catalog in perpetuity (that's a long time). Innova takes no income from sales; this fee allows us to exist. Given enough titles published each year, we can pay our bills and no more. This admin cost is subsidized by our endowment interest to keep costs lower to the artist; otherwise we would have to charge more than double the amount (cf. other labels which charge $7-13,000 for similar services; hiring a publicist alone can run you into thousands). The costs here are real but are unnecessarily confusing to break down for each title in the budget. You are hiring a share in a staff of at least six people, relationships and resources to give your project the best chance we know how.

Staff (pro-rated % of salary + benefits)

Chris Campbell: label management, label development, distributor and industry relations, conduit for accounts and bills, marketing, consulting

Tim Igel, hired to promote your record; define marketing angles, write one sheets and press releases, follow up on all contacts: generate media coverage (reviews and airplay), push licensing options, social media promotion

Paul Hanson, Finance officer: accounting (there's tons of it!), checks to vendors and artists, audit, account status reports

Vanessa Rose, ACF President: contracts, budgets, legal, Board relations

Webmaster; posting one sheets, links updates, streamed samples, site update, hot news, site development and design, shopping cart integration

Intern team assigned to establish and maintain industry relations, shlep boxes, and research cool new options.

Magazine ads: The admin fee includes $150 to guarantee your title ad placement in a national magazine appropriate to your music (eg the Wire, Gramophone, NYC Jazz Record, Pig Breeders' Monthly, etc.). This improves the chances that your title will be reviewed and you may also benefit from other innova ads other artists take out in related journals.

Space; rental of storage, share of office costs

Equipment: stereo, computers, software, envelopes, mail stickers, telephones, postage machine, CD duplicator, blank CDs and DVDs, phaser printer (+ ink)

Printing catalogs, one-sheets, design and placement of ads, labels, paper, CD self-mailers, fridge magnets, bumper stickers...