The label Enchant Audio was founded 4 years ago and has now published over 56 releases. Label manager Niels Petersen known from Labels such as Cirque de Son, Grossstadtvögel and Tächno tells us today how the label was founded and what he looks for in the artists he records on his label.
You are the label manager of Enchant Audio. How did you come to decide to start a music label?
Enchant Audio was founded 4 years ago and was initially meant to be a platform for my close circle of friends. We wanted to realize ourselves again, without any pressure. We wanted to do something new and maybe release some more experimental stuff. Those were the main reasons why I thought it was right to start a new label.
And how did you come to choose dig dis!?
I've been in the music business for a while now and was mainly active in artist and repertoire management. Through work, I somehow came across dig dis!. I already was in contact with other music distributors, but I wanted to start fresh somewhere else. We wanted to begin in an unbiased and self-sufficient way and break new ground from within our existing work.
Do you produce music as well?
I’m a musician, but more of a commissioned producer. I also have independent projects, but I've scaled them down a bit in the current Corona period. I think every label manager is also a musician or at least has a passion for music. I also think that because the genre of electronic music is so diverse, you can always find something suitable for you somewhere. Nevertheless, there will be a bunch of projects coming out this year that I'm looking forward to.
Where do you find young and ambitious artists? And when you're looking for new music, what are the most important elements and factors you look for, apart from the music fitting your label?
I didn't really define it at the beginning, because the platform was meant for friends and acquaintances. I proceeded in such a way that I didn't actually want to make it big with the label, but it was important to me that I give a chance to those who were ambitious and wanted to realize themselves. The character and personality simply had to fit. I preferred to take artists that I know and appreciate.
I'm all the more pleased about how well the label has developed and that we've already had a few label gigs in many cities in Germany.
When you look back at the start of your label, is there anything you would have done differently today than you did back then?
No. Looking back, I can say that it worked out very well from the beginning. The first releases I put out were from close friends of mine and we got some remixers on board right away and it did very well. We also had PRs in a few clubs straight away.
After that, the whole thing got rolling and more and more artists joined in. I revealed my vision right from the start and communicated that from the beginning. And as already mentioned, I wanted to root it in such a way that I wanted to give newcomers especially a chance.
Since I have a good personal contact with my artists, I could estimate quite well what the next release would be. I always put out a maximum of one release per month and now that we are on catalog 047, it fits perfectly with the past years.
Can you describe what a typical day in the office is like for you?
My daily work has a wide spectrum. Mainly I take care of the current artists and support them for example with the mastering. I am also responsible for artist contracts. I plan all releases and create schedules for them. I'm also in close contact with my graphic designers and that's also part of my daily business. However, I have handed over the social media part to my colleague.
What is the best advice you would give to future artists?
Be honest with yourself and don't imitate anyone. Remain unique and listen to your gut feeling. A pinch of courage is necessary, but then you will automatically find your way.
Thanks to Niels for sharing his life as a label manager with us today and we hope you found his story as interesting as we did.
If you are also interested in sharing your story about your daily music business life, please contact us anytime.
