Lead Name:
VBS (Discord: VBS#2486)
Project Name:
Wassie Records
Elevator Pitch:
A record label with a Wassie theme for smol/underground/indie artists.
Project Description:
This record label will be a smol infrastructure to release music from quality unsigned artists that did not have their work published, all under a Wassie themed backdrop. It will have an online store (EU based) where anyone can order physical items (mainly vinyl and cassette copies) and digital support through a Bandcamp page linked to the webstore and also selling digital versions. Social media presence will have dedicated Twitter and Instagram pages.
The project may expand beyond selling physical and digital copies of artists. Additional types of items may be added to the store ( Wassie Records merchandise, etc.) as well as collabs to share the music on larger channels or even supply music to metaverse/crypto projects that may need soundtracks. As a Wassie based project, it will also involve the community by promoting music sharing on the Wassie Discord for potential new signings (participating in polls, Wassie musicians promo, etc).
VBS, a melomaniac wassie, will set up and run the whole operation while (possibly) externalizing much of the production, fulfillment and warehousing through known manufacturers in the space, as well as managing artist curation (with participation of the Wassie community of course!).
How does your project add value to the ByWassies community?
Wassies are bound to infest every single corner of this earth. By creating a dedicated music label, Wassies will be able to set a presence in the music industry. This will expand the Wassie brand to uncharted lands, opening up new possibilities for the community and Wassie infestation. The aforementioned participation of the community by having a say on what is published or providing support to Wassies that have their own music projects are a few ways it adds value to the ByWassies community. Presence in events, in the brypto industry or not, will also provide further exposure (there are always gigs, dj sessions, etc).
Moreover, the intention is to publish works from artists that are most likely not familiar with Wassies, or even brypto. Indeed, a music label is hardly a crypto-centric entity and as such will be exposing many non-initiates to the wonders of the Wassie community. The Wassie themed artworks, logos, flyers and cards distributed with all items and online will ensure a swift Wassie domination within the music industry!
Funding Request:
Approx. 6k USD (for an initial launch, can vary depending on size of published material. As mentioned below).
Financials and Task Breakdown:
Rough estimates that may vary depending on course of action (multiple options*).
- Set up "Wassie Records" start-up: $500 (EU based entity).
- Design, artwork, logo: $300 (series of designs to be used online and on all products).
- Set-up social media and digital support pages: $0 (no cost, if not paying ads or premium services)
- Set-up online webstore: $0* (variable depending on service provider, possibly free* if using an all-in-one option).
- Artist curation: $0 (search and negotiation to onboard).
- *Design, collection and order items in small batches: 50 cassettes can cost around $250, 100 vinyl (12") can cost around $1500. Individual costs are reduced with larger batches, but considering the nature of the label, small amounts are advised. In order to have some traction, a couple of releases should be in the pipeline before release (ex: 3 cassettes and 3 vinyl batches, so roughly $4,500-5,000). Increasing this amount will facilitate the label's sustainability.
- Fulfillment and warehouse: covered and included by the previous step.
Estimated Timeline
3 months to have the full operation running (ie. ready to announced official items).
- 1 month to set up the label, designs and social media.
- 1 month for artist curation and manufacturer set-up (webstore, etc).
- 1 month for item orders (conditioned by manufacturer time estimates).
Business Model
Revenue will be generated through the Webstore (physical sales) and Bandcamp (digital sales). Other streams may be added if closing collaborations/partnerships/licensing.
Deliverables
Physical audio support (vinyl and cassettes) for artists wanting to have their music released by Wassie Records.
Online music streaming site (Bandcamp) for those same artists.
Active Wassie infestation in the music industry.
Current Project Status
On paper, everything is clear (steps, potential artist catalog, pending manufacturer contact for budget estimates). Waiting for execution.
Other Information:
The Wassie Label project will be open to all genres of music, although a preference towards certain types might be noticeable. Music fitting the Wassie theme (ex: "comfy synth") could be the case.
The Wassie Label project will hopefully become self-sustainable after launch. And eventually return any grant received as much as possible in the future. Considering the nature of the artists and scope of releases, it is not expected to be a money making machine (quite on the contrary, covering costs would be great in a short to midterm). VBS does not expect to receive any compensation until the aforementioned self-sustainability and grant return is completed. The motivation is purely enthusiasm for music and Wassies. LFG!!!