As an indie record label owner, there are things you need to focus on to ensure your success. More importantly, there are things that you shouldn't be too worried about.

Let’s look at 5 things that don't matter for record labels…

1. Vanity Metrics

Vanity metrics refer to the superficial numbers that people often focus on such as follower counts, likes, and views. While these metrics can be useful to a certain extent, they are not the be-all and end-all of your success as an indie record label owner.

What really matters is engagement and building a genuine following. It's better to have a smaller, engaged fan base than a large, disinterested one. Additionally, these metrics can create a false sense of productivity, or a false sense of failure to connect with an audience. 

The solution with vanity metrics is to not give them any weight either way. Don’t put your hopes in them but don’t let yourself be brought down by them either.

2. Namedropping

Many indie record label owners believe that associating themselves or their artists with well-known names will help them gain credibility and success. However, this isn't always the case. While it's important to network and make connections, it's more important to focus on building your own brand and identity. Most importantly, avoid paying for the ability to namedrop… when hiring mastering engineers, mixers, or publicists…

Don’t get me wrong, I understand there is a time and a place for namedropping in the right context if it helps you connect with someone or helps authentically establish authority.

3. Registering Your Business

Registering your business is an important step in establishing yourself as an indie record label owner. However, it's important not to let this distract you from the bigger picture. Before you register your business, it's important to ask yourself why you're starting a record label and what need you're trying to fill.

Don't let administrative tasks take up too much of your time and energy, especially before you’ve identified your niche and your record label’s unfair advantage.

It is easy to register a business, file paperwork, buy a domain, or open a bank account. it is much harder to answer the question of why the music world needs you to start your record label!

4. Press Coverage

Many indie record label owners believe that getting press coverage is essential to their success. While press coverage can be helpful in getting your name out there, it's important to focus on more tangible goals such as revenue and building a loyal fan base.

Instead of focusing on getting press coverage, focus on reengineering your revenue model to find out where your fans are coming from and how you can better serve them.

don’t assume the traditional ways of getting attention is where you should be putting your attention.

5. Quality

The truth is that quantity is more important than quality when it comes to producing music. Being prolific and persistent will eventually lead to quality. Quality can't exist without quantity – it's the byproduct of quantity. It's important to keep producing and releasing music on a regular basis, even if it's not all perfect. This will help you build momentum and improve over time.

Quality can’t exist without quantity. You have to produce and release and set new bars, new personal bests, perfection is the enemy of progress. 

As an indie record label owner, it's important to focus on what really matters for your success. While there are certain things that can be useful to a certain extent, such as vanity metrics and press coverage, they shouldn't be your primary focus.

Instead, focus on building a genuine fan base, networking and making connections, establishing your “why”, and producing music on a regular basis.