Starting a record label/distributor

[Brit' fan]

If I wanted to start up a label/distributor, how do I go about it, does any one have any ideas.

I need to know the costs involved, if the label is to license material only already recorded/signed to a label not to create original material or new talent?

Also this has been done before so what is the success rate if any?

 

[DJ Soul]

Biggest Question is how much money do you have to invest. Second what kind of Music are you going to be putting out? Third If your Putting out your own material and its good do you have Name DJ's that can break a record and or friends in the distrbutors to get the product pushed and sold at the top record stores. Are you putting out vinyl pushing to the jocks or CD for mainstream or both. Its a large investment. Check out cd manufacturing places and find out prices, on not just making copies but of mastering, jackets artwork etc. Then theres also studio time in the first place to create a finished product. And if your buying tracks off of other established artist and or producers. Its pay up front as little as 3,000 to ? per track depending how good or large thier name is. Then theres promoting, marketing. Getting your acts if thier performing artists to perform and then dealing either hiring management for your talent or dealing with the talent for hires management. And tons of more stuff I cant even fit into a post. Im being very spread out on touching little dabs of topics in the matter. But Its not that difficult and at the same time it is if you want to make money on the deal