Dear Artist,
in the following, we want to explain how we work at Amselcom. This is to help you understand each process and give you upfront clarity about the things that will happen on the way to your release with us.
Collaboration and Communication
We will work closely with you to create a product that stands out. This means you should be available for calls, and reply to emails and messages. This process takes time and there is no way to streamline it because we want to be well-prepared and release your music with peace of mind.
It is very important for us to give each project the time it needs to develop and to take each step with utmost care for detail. We think that it’s worth waiting for the right moment instead of rushing things.
Release Schedule
Generally, we release each track as a standalone single. Every artist has one release slot per six weeks. That means if you want to release four tracks with us, the release cycle will be six months.
You will receive a link to the label copy of your releases. This page includes all metadata and the release date. Please read this carefully and check if everything is correct. It also includes the release date, so please add this to your calendar or save it elsewhere.
Exclusivity Period
One month before and during this period, you cannot have releases on other labels. It would conflict with our strategy and reduce the chances for playlist features. The standard deal is non-exclusive, meaning you are free to release on other labels one month after your last track has been released on Amselcom.
This strategy is optimized to get the best results for your profiles on streaming platforms and grow your fan base organically over time. It aims to trigger algorithms to ensure a long life cycle for your music. We start to work on the release packaging when you send us the final mixdowns. The first step is the mastering. We work with the best mastering engineers in the industry and constantly develop the sound of Amselcom.
Remixes and Collaborations
Remixes are exceptions and are only intended in selected individual cases. The focus lies on collaborations.
Release Text, Titles & Cover Artwork
Our goal is to create a release that unites these elements in harmony and sends out a strong message. We need your input for the release text because it is your voice that speaks to the listeners along with your music. This can be related to the music but it’s not a must. It can also be a personal note or poem of the feelings you have at this moment. You can see this as another creative process triggered by your music and meant to accompany the release in a way that adds value to the listener’s experience.
Track titles and the EP title cannot be the same. If you want to release an EP or album with us, we will create a wholesome concept for it. If you have a striking concept for the titles, we are glad that all the work is done already. But sometimes we might assist you with finding ideas for the overall title concept, and therefore the titles become more of a teamwork.
The cover artwork is a process that doesn’t involve any of the artist’s input. Sometimes the artwork speaks the exact language of the music, sometimes the opposite, and sometimes there is an abstract connection between them. Amselcom’s release log is an exhibition of art and your release is the frame for another tile in this ever-growing gallery. Please note that we don’t include any text layers (artist name, titles) in the artwork.
Release Phase Timing
The timing is determined by how digital stores work. The reason why we are doing this is to increase the chances that your music gets featured by the DSPs by giving them the requested amount of time ahead of the release. Lead time is four weeks starting after the promo.
Promo and Pre-sales
Roughly six weeks ahead of the release, the promo starts. We will send the music out to key DJs, blogs, and tastemakers to get their feedback and possible plays in clubs and on air. The results of the promo are essential for pitches and serve as marketing arguments. We will invite you to join our Inflyte so you can follow the feedback and post the best comments on your socials. You can also listen to all the other releases on Amselcom and download them.
Two weeks before the release, the pre-sales start on Beatport. This is an old tradition coming from physical sales, mostly vinyl, where the number of copies was limited. Therefore, fans did a pre-order to make sure they would get a copy when the record was out. In times of digital sales, the pre-order is rather a marketing trick that gives us another reason to make a social media post and gain attention for your music before its release day.
Release Day
The actual release date is when the music will be available everywhere. Stores like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon, Tidal, etc., will start streaming your music at midnight on the consumer release day.
Social Media and Press Photos
While our focus is on pre-release promo and pitching, we do not produce any social media content. You can use the cover artwork to produce your own clips and post them. This is because the artist can establish a much stronger relationship with the fan than the label. We can help you with advice if you want to be active on Instagram. If you don’t want to post at all, please let us know.
Press Photos – Please send a series of artist pictures in high resolution to phil@amselcom.de. You can ask a friend who has a camera or just a phone. Try to find a setting that feels comfortable and matches your music. Be yourself, no shirts with print, no sunglasses, use both landscape and portrait mode, no effects that cover your face, full color – no black & white. At least 2600px.
Community
The idea of Amselcom is to create a strong community where artists help each other on social media. Together, we can reach much more than alone.
Please follow Amselcom on Soundcloud and repost other releases that you like.
The same on Instagram: make stories from other Amselcom artists to support their music. Get in touch with them and ask them to return the favor when your music is out. Always tag @amselcom so we can repost as well.
You can also add a note in your SoundCloud and Instagram bio that says: Releasing on @amselcom. Use your own language and adjust the sentence to your writing. For example: “My music is released on @amselcom,” or “Part of the @amselcom family,” etc.
On release day, please repost your track and ask your friends to do so as well. Post it on Facebook and Instagram for maximum exposure to your fans. A few days after we have posted your music on SoundCloud, make a playlist with your track on top and add some other Amselcom releases to this playlist. Send the link so we can repost it. Also, ask all included artists to repost. Add a buy link to: https://amselcom.bandcamp.com/ and tag the included artists in the description.
Add other Amselcom releases to your Spotify playlist and post the playlist on Instagram stories with the newly added artists tagged. This is very helpful for all profiles involved because algorithms like it.
Follow the Amselcom Playlist on Spotify so you can always see the latest releases on the label and add your favourites to your playlist. You can also share the playlist on your socials and tag your favourite artists.
Thank you for your support.
Event Submission
If you have any upcoming gigs, please submit them through our event submission form.
Once submitted, we will add them to our artist event calendar on our homepage. This will showcase your events to our website visitors, both your fans and ours, while also providing us with an overview of your schedule, allowing us to potentially assist in promoting your gigs.
Profiles on Stores and Streaming Services
Please update your Beatport profile with an artist image and your bio text here.
Please claim your Spotify profile here. A free Spotify account is required.
Please claim your Apple Music profile here and grant access to phil@amselcom.de.
Additionally, you can claim Deezer here and any other DSPs you might find important. Please use the same images and texts across all profiles.
Mixdown Specification
Please render your mixdown with these settings:
- 44.1kHz
- 24 or 32 Bits WAV or AIFF
- 6 dB headroo
File names – when you send your mixdown, please keep the following format:
Artist name – Title – Mixdown V01.wav/aif
Mix revisions are numbered by the version number. Also include a self-master for reference:
Artist name – Title – Selfmaster.wav/aif/mp3
Head of Agreements
Artist share on releases, 3rd party deals, in-house compilations:
- 50% of net profits
Artist share on production costs are 100% recoupable – meaning the label pays all costs in advance and they will be recouped by the first incoming royalties. You don’t pay for the costs – even if they never fully recoup.
100€ per track including:
- State-of-the-art analog mastering
- DJ, Radio, Blog Promo via Inflyte
- A dedicated team of electronic music marketing specialists in Europe and the USA working on a customized pitch to all major DSPs with a focus on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal & Beatport.
- Artist management & profile growth