Music Business and Management
Course 6: Record Labels Sales

The Sales Department’s main purpose is to oversee all of the retail functions of the record label. The Sales Department liaises with the label’s distributor, and also works alongside the Marketing, Promotion, and Publicity Departments to ensure proper product rollout. If sales are the name of the game, it takes a complete team effort.

Just like in any industry, the sales department of a label is responsible for getting the products into the store and, eventually, into the consumer’s hands. Today, this is done with either online retailers or through digital service providers (DSP), and the two have very different sales models. You’ll learn those differences and how to approach each form of media. For example, there is no physical distribution needed for a DSP.

The sales team will research the artist or band they’re selling, relying on the promotional and marketing teams to help with the sales effort. Sales will also develop a sales plan, which includes pricing, how many units will be produced (if it’s a physical product), advertisement, placement, and other sales strategies.

Your assignment for course 6 will be to develop a sales plan for both an established star and an up-and-coming artist. Take what you’ve learned from this course and how the plans may differ from one another. This is in addition to your weekly blog post, readings, course review, and quiz.