The independent music scene in Guangzhou has become increasingly vibrant since the Guangdong pop music scene turned from prosperity to decline in the mid-1990s. Over the past 20 years, independent bands, campus musicians, labels, livehouses, music festivals, music media, etc. born in Guangzhou have emerged one after another and flourished. The city center of Guangzhou has even nurtured a famous "band village", which they jointly built The city’s rich independent music ecosystem.
What is the independent music ecosystem in Guangzhou like today? Maybe we can get a glimpse of it from the label's perspective. This issue of music label observation focuses on independent music labels that grew up in Guangzhou, are relatively active at this stage, and have relatively complete operating systems such as artist management, copyright operations, and performance planning. Nandu Entertainment reporters talked with a number of label managers and industry observers, trying to outline the current appearance of independent music labels in Guangzhou, and explore the dilemma and future of developing independent music labels in Guangzhou.
1
Small, wild, with downplayed regional colors
What does an independent music label growing up in Guangzhou look like? Among the label managers interviewed by
, there are native Guangzhou people, new Guangzhou people who studied here and then took root, and there are also outsiders who came to start their own businesses due to various opportunities. Most of them started from personal interests and original jobs, and gradually got involved in more aspects of the music industry such as copyright, performances, venues, ticketing, etc., and then relied on their own accumulation of resources to sign artists in the name of labels.
咩声 record logo. "咩声" means "what sound" in Cantonese.
Biesheng Records was founded in 2022. The manager Huang Zijian is from Hangzhou and is also a core member of the well-known independent band Brownie in the Mainland. His partner Xiao Qiao previously lived in Shenzhen and has been influential in the local area since its establishment eight years ago. Starting from the music fan community, he gradually entered the music industry.
made the pronunciation logo. Wang Yue, the sound production manager of
, graduated from Jinan University with a PhD in advertising. He once worked as a journalist and later founded the well-known music self-media "Folk Story" and "Tour Bus". He started his self-media business and gradually got involved in ticketing and tours. It was not until 2019 that he established a music label, signed his first artist Liu Limin, and officially started corporate operations.
湹fing3 brand logo. "卹" is taken from the Cantonese word for shaking one's head and shaking one's hands while listening to music.
Pepper started to form a band in Guangzhou in 1999, and later established the fing3 label with several like-minded friends. He first engaged in performance planning and tour management, and in 2011 founded 430 Music Festival and sd livehouse. The latter became Guangzhou One of the landmarks of independent music. Later, he signed independent bands such as Chui Bo Tang, Liu Dao Mu, Moonband, and Hourglass Saalau, and started the business of artist management and operation.
佗佻music logo. "Tuo" describes Lao Guang's leisurely and comfortable attitude towards life.
Compared with the first three labels, which mainly rely on the managers' own resources and business strategies, and almost have to start from scratch, Tuoyan Music is affiliated to Beijing Niwu Entertainment, which is a company that has considerable accumulation and reputation in the mainland independent music circle. The company will complete an angel round of financing worth tens of millions of yuan in 2022 and establish the Tuo Dian music label in Guangzhou in 2023. The label manager Xiaomei has worked in different positions such as venue, copyright, and brokerage in the past ten years, and has rich industry experience.
Most independent music labels in Guangzhou maintain a small size of a few to more than a dozen people, and most of the members have other part-time jobs. Among the interviewed brands, Zaoyin has the largest number of employees, with a total of 12 colleagues based in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. There are five official members of Me Sheng. Except for Xiao Qiao, the other members "will only come here if they are alive." Tuotian only has one person in charge, Xiaomei, who is based in Guangzhou, but his subsidiary Niwu Entertainment has more than ten employees in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. "Whenever there is a project, everyone will cooperate with each other." In addition to label business, most of the members of 湹fing3 have other jobs. The manager, Pepper, has also been undertaking national and even overseas tours for non-label artists for a long time.
music critic Wang Jifan uses "small" and "wild" to describe the current overall appearance of independent music labels in Guangzhou. "We are all small labels, so it may be better to focus on promoting one or two groups of artists, which will give us greater flexibility and autonomy.”
The businesses of the interviewed labels basically cover three categories: artist management, copyright operation, and performance planning. Some of them also have their own “industry”, such as 湹fing3’s self-operated venue SD Livehouse and 咩声’s self-built recording studio. In addition to 咩The majority of the income of Sound comes from the recording studio business, and the main source of income of the other three labels is performances - whether it is hosting performances for their own artists or cooperating with other artists to tour - the revenue from the performance segment can be as high as 70% to 90% .
Some labels also have their own "industries", such as recording studios.
What's interesting is that although the managers' entry paths and label backgrounds are different, most of the label names as "fronts" reflect the same. Distinctive local characteristics. "咩声" means "what sound" in Cantonese. "卹" is taken from the Cantonese description of shaking one's head and hands when listening to music. "嗗佻" is used to describe Lao Guang's leisurely life. Attitude.
However, the name of the label does not entirely represent the style orientation of the label. The artists the label cooperates with are not limited to local areas. Even if the artists signed are from the local area, the works may not have a strong local flavor.
Different types of performances are. The main source of income for most labels. The five groups of artists under
are mainly indie rock and pop. The lyrics are mostly in Mandarin and English. "This can attract more different audiences." Of the two bands, Hourglass Saalau insists on Cantonese originals, while Moonband's songs are more integrated with Japanese rock styles. Tuo Dian once assembled ten Lingnan bands to release the Cantonese compilation album "Zi Zi Tuo Dian" to make their first move in the Lingnan region. ; However, the label’s only contracted band, Chizhi, usually sings in Mandarin, and the artists they collaborate with on tour also have diverse styles. “Language should not be a limitation, we still prioritize musicality. "said the manager Xiaomei.
Cantonese singer-songwriter Liu Limin who is based in Shenzhen.
Wang Yue, who produces music, said frankly that although the label grew up in Guangzhou, the 10 groups of artists it currently operates include the Cantonese singer-songwriter who is based in Shenzhen. Except for Liu Limin, a band composed in Chaoshan dialect, most of the others are idol artists from different provinces with more popular styles, and are not much tied to Guangzhou.
Liujia Fan, a band composed in Chaoshan dialect.
music critic Wang Jifan also observed this phenomenon, "Because this generation of young people grew up in the era of globalization, they just live in Guangzhou, but they are not obsessed with exploring some very local colors, but love them. As for doing what you like, the regional colors in your works may become increasingly diluted. This generation of independent music labels in Guangzhou will have a broader vision and produce things that national and even global audiences will not feel cultural barriers to listening to. ”
2
Conservative, neglected, and uncooperative
Why has Guangzhou not yet hatched a large-scale nationally renowned label?
In recent years, a number of bands that started in Guangzhou, such as Wu Tiao Ren, Jiulian Zhenren, and Super Zhan, have participated in domestic top brands. The music programs on the platform have been known to a wider audience, and have also brought Guangdong band culture back to the public’s horizons. Judging from market performance such as subsequent tour box office and music festival invitations, they have truly stepped out of Guangzhou and Guangdong. Let's get going."
In addition to quality, the number of musicians in Guangzhou also ranks among the top in the country. According to the "Report on the Survival Status of Chinese Musicians (2020)" released by NetEase Cloud Music, the number of musicians in Guangdong ranks first in the country. According to China The "2021 Chinese Musicians Report" released by the working group of Zhang Fengyan, a professor at the School of Music and Recording Arts of Communication University, found that among the thousands of first-line musicians who participated in the survey, the proportion of musicians living in Guangzhou ranked third in the country
. At the same time, Guangzhou’s performance market is extremely active and can be called the “ticket warehouse” in the country. In May this year, data released by the Guangdong Provincial Performance Industry Association showed that Guangdong’s concerts ranked first in the country in terms of number of concerts and box office. The number of shows and box office ranked among the top five in the country.
In addition, the audience of independent music is mainly young people, and Guangzhou is "the number one city for college students in the country." The "2023 Guangzhou National Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin" shows that the number of college students in Guangzhou exceeded 1.64 million last year, Ranking first in the country, independent music has a huge potential audience here.
"The cost of living in Guangzhou is relatively low, and the pressure is not as high as other first-tier cities. At the same time, the population of college students here is large enough, the market has a large enough audience, and there are people paying for every style. Although you can't make a lot of money doing independent music here , but at least I can support myself,” Xiaomei said. Wang Yue and Xiao Qiao also have similar views. Guangzhou music fans are extremely receptive and "are high-quality music fans."
Therefore, Guangzhou should be a fertile ground for cultivating independent music, no matter in terms of the quality and quantity of musicians, performance box office, characteristics of music fans, etc. However, the above-mentioned labels that grew up in Guangzhou can basically only operate on a small scale at this stage, and the above-mentioned bands' "exit" path is basically "curves to save the country" - starting from Guangzhou and emerging through national platforms, some of which Behind it was also the promotion of well-known brands in Beijing, and then became popular all over the country and then returned to Guangzhou.
seems to lack the local driving force of Guangzhou in terms of discovering seedlings and creating popular products. So, why has Guangzhou not yet established a well-known independent music label with scale and the ability to break through the industry?
Regarding this issue, several industry insiders have talked about the same or different reasons, which can be summarized in the following aspects.
From a macro perspective, Guangzhou still lacks the mature soil and atmosphere to cultivate independent music. The so-called "soil and atmosphere" include not only the current situation of different links in the industrial chain such as venues and media, but also the urban temperament and group inertia.
Huang Zijian takes Chengdu as an example. There are many small venues and taverns in Chengdu, which often provide free rental and ticket-free performances. Musicians can get together to "jam", communicate and perform with each other, so it is relatively easy to form a band in Chengdu. , the atmosphere of independent music is also particularly strong. "The Chengdu band we signed was randomly discovered by us on such an occasion." In contrast, Guangzhou lacks such small venues that play a key role in incubation, exhibition, and exchange. "There may be good independent bands in Guangzhou, but we can't discover them. Where do you want me to discover them? I can't go to other universities to see other people's clubs."
There is a lack of "base" for communication between bands. There is also a lack of motivation for communication. Xiao Qiao believes that the labels in Guangzhou are "relatively self-isolated" and "rarely communicate with outside labels. Cooperation between local labels is also rarely seen. We can only rely on our own judgment for our operations." Xiaomei I also have a similar feeling, "Everyone will feel more at ease doing small things locally." Wang Yue further pointed out that Guangzhou's extremely prosperous performance market allows people of every type of work in the industry to "live quite well and not starve to death." Such a gentle competitive state allows everyone to perform their duties and be safe. "The guys don't have the motivation to get together and do new adventures together." Wang Jifan described this situation as "a straggler", "This is also very Guangzhou people's style. It's actually quite good to do what you want to do with ease."
The extremely prosperous performance market not only means that the industry Every job type is "living pretty well", which also means that music fans here have too many choices. Both Pepper and Wang Jifan mentioned that the dazzling choices have caused the local independent music close at hand to be ignored and drowned.
In addition, platforms and programs are also reasons mentioned by many hosts. Looking back at the "out of the circle" path of the aforementioned Guangdong bands, in addition to the excellent quality of the band's works themselves, nationally renowned platforms and band-specific variety shows played a crucial role in them. At this stage, Guangzhou lacks high-profile leading platforms and music variety shows.
From a micro perspective, Huang Zijian believes that the independent music scene in Guangzhou lacks a well-known figure with appeal.He gave an example of some cities that may not have had the soil for the development of independent music originally. However, due to the feedback of established bands and musicians, they either opened live houses or trained local up-and-comers, and the systematic operation has cultivated a strong local independent music atmosphere. , and can even attract foreign musicians to develop.
In addition, the individuals signed by the label also have their own personalities and choices. Many managers mentioned that compared to the "Beijing circle", most bands in Guangzhou are "part-time" and music is a hobby outside of their job. "There are very few people who really do music full-time." "Many bands in Guangzhou over the years have the feeling of 'just do it if you can, forget it if you can't'. They also insist on making music, but they do not insist on turning music into something they can do full-time." Wang Jifan said.
Someone in the band managed by Pepper faced such a multiple-choice question. Individual members of the band had their own families, and one member’s child had just been born. "If you want to go out to tour or go abroad, it's a difficult choice." Pepper said, "The bands in Guangzhou or Guangdong are relatively pragmatic, you can also say they are conservative."
3
Funds, artists , content, publicity
What else can independent music labels in Guangzhou do?
Indeed, for some labels and musicians, it is enough to "do some small things" locally and make music as a pursuit other than their job. "Living well" is enough. Individual value ranking and There is no right or wrong in life planning. As Pepper said, running a label in Guangzhou cannot be simply divided into whether it is difficult or not, "it depends on what kind of label you want to be."
So, for those labels and musicians who are ambitious to go beyond Guangdong and go nationwide, as well as those who hope to help the overall development of independent music in Guangzhou, what efforts can the labels themselves and the external environment make?
From the perspective of brand management, Wang Yue believes that we must first figure out what the main business is and how to maintain cash flow. "Many people do it without thinking clearly, which is true, but running a label is a business after all. If you rely solely on emotions to generate electricity, I believe it won't last long."
The second step is to establish a "moat", that is, exclusive Advantage. The exclusive advantage can be the artist. Wang Yue shared that artists signed by labels have always followed three standards: the first choice is women. "We have been deeply involved in this from the beginning. Maybe in the eyes of some peers, men are more profitable, but Male artists have a relatively higher chance of losing their careers. "Secondly, they must have the ability to create original lyrics and music, and be able to freely express their personal attitudes in the language of music. Third, she must have a personal masterpiece, whether it is a variety show or an out-of-circle work. Through three standards, the brand characteristics are determined and differentiated content is established. The exclusive advantage of
can also be a marketing method. Liujiafan, the only Guangdong band signed by Wang Yue, has been making music in obscurity for more than ten years, and is only a "treasure band" known to a few people in Guangzhou. It wasn't until last year that the band signed a contract with a music label, and its sound significantly increased. Not only was it listed on the year-end recommendation lists of many well-known music critics, but it also sold thousands of tickets for a single show in Guangzhou, and even sold out all the national tours outside Guangdong. Although the volume is not as high as that of bands that have appeared on well-known shows, it has also opened up another path for Guangzhou independent bands to rise.
Wang Yue revealed that what the label does is just to amplify the band’s original characteristics and not fake them; to set low ticket prices to attract music fans to experience the venue in the most cost-effective way; and to recommend it to as many music critics as possible , many music critics spontaneously put it on the list, "I didn't pay because I have enough confidence in the band's work."
As a new label that has just been in operation for two or three years, Bah Sheng "lost a lot of money" in the past two years In the "money" stage, until this year, the profit and loss were just even. “You have to be mentally prepared first, the first two years will not be particularly easy."Huang Zijian said frankly that what you have to do during the start-up period is to "live". You cannot be reckless in operations, and you cannot "do big things right from the start." Instead, you should use your inherent funds to do more small performances, although the results may be losses," But the accumulation of quantity can be transformed into experience and brand visibility, and can also help us link to more resources in this industry. ”
From the perspective of bands and musicians, Xiaomei believes that one should place oneself in the entire market, interact more with the outside world, and go out more, instead of sticking to the local area and relying on the discounts or free resources provided by the local area to survive. In the illusion. “You should hone your professional skills, decide on content, arrange playlists, do promotions, let yourself grow quickly with local support, and then go to the national market to be tested. ”
Pepper, as the manager, has actively established a lot of interactions with the outside world. The two bands signed by the label, moonband’s songs are released in cooperation with Beijing Taihe Maitian Music, and hourglass saalau’s songs are handed over to another local label. Paitu Music is in charge. “Our specialty is performing, and we leave song distribution and operation to more professional people. A large platform like Taihe Music can help the band’s career to the next level. "In addition, Pepper's long-term expansion and undertaking of national artist tours has also brought more project opportunities to the team.
From the perspective of publicity and distribution, Wang Jifan deeply felt that "the most lacking thing for local small labels is publicity and distribution. ". Although many agency platforms have the function of distributing songs to global music platforms with one click, how to get recommended positions for works and how to better reach target audiences are still difficult problems. "This process requires a professional organization to Operation and promotion.
Despite facing various disadvantages and shortcomings, local brands have each found a path of growth in practice. More importantly, everyone is using practical actions to create light and explore the way forward, even if the light No matter how small it is.
Last year, Tuoyan Music collaborated with local labels to launch a collection of original Cantonese songs, bringing together ten local independent bands. This year, Baa Sheng Records and local music self-media continued to jointly launch the "Lu Baa" recording studio. Experience Day activities are intended to discover and cultivate musicians. Zaoyin revealed that it plans to sign more dialect bands in Guangzhou, including Cantonese, Chaoshan, Hakka, Minnan, etc., and continue to create differentiated content. Not long ago, SD Livehouse, co-founded by 湹fing3, held its 13th anniversary celebration. It convened a number of old Guangdong bands to perform, and witnessed with music fans this Guangzhou independent music landmark that has been relocated five times over the years. "It has never given up for 13 years." ".
What has also "never given up" is Guangzhou independent music, and the labels and musicians who are involved in it. They are the protagonists of this ecosystem. From prosperity to silence to a strong exit in recent years, the next step for Guangzhou independent music Where will it go? The label is a perseverant, a pioneer, and a game-breaker...
Written by: Nandu reporter Zhong Xin intern Li Ruiwen
