Hundreds of unsigned music acts have already bought ‘Record Label in a Box’ which offers the ‘entire infrastructure to start and run a record label as a business’. Tony McDonough reports.

If Ditto Music had been around when the Beatles were starting out the Fab Four may never had needed Brian Epstein.

Based at Liverpool creative hub, Elevator Studios, the business is targeting international expansion following the first-year success of its Record Label in a Box (RLIAB) product.

Kick-start your career

Hundreds of unsigned music acts have already bought the readymade music publishing package which is described as the “entire infrastructure to start and run a record label as a business”.

Ditto director Matt Parsons explained: ‘We help you start your music career and stick around to help at every step. 

“Start your business within 24 hours, then quickly and easily sign artists with no legal fees. Onwards you get mentoring, funding and contacts assistance, events to attend – everything you need to succeed in creative industries.”

Drawn to Liverpool

Music publisher brothers, Matt and Lee Parsons, launched Ditto in 2010, relocating from Birmingham to Liverpool.

They identified a lack of musical inspiration in their home city and the excessive costs of London living as prohibitive and also became enthused after visiting Liverpool during Sound City.

With two staff on board, Ditto initially took on small offices within Elevator and have continued to expand in the past six years, relocating within the Grade II-listed warehouse where they now employ 18 people.

Matt added: “Being in the Baltic area is a brilliant for our business, working around like-minded creative business, many of whom we have collaborated with.

“It has been great to see the area grow and thrive and Elevator sits at the heart of everything that’s happening here.

“We’ve moved around the building as our needs have changed, and we can see more growth ahead so we’ll pack our bags and take the journey up or down a floor again.”

Global expansion

Ditto now has offices across the world including Nashville, San Diego and Texas as well as Melbourne and London.

Each office provides label services and has in-house radio pluggers, PR, social media team, allowing them to take on bigger clients.

Ditto has published music for 85,000 bands worldwide and launched more than 17,500 record labels.

Tim Speed, director at Elevator, added: “Ditto are a great part of the Elevator community  and are incredibly representative of what the building is about.

“Housing and supporting creative brands and businesses is wjhat Elevator do and we are very proud of what Ditto has achieved in such a short time .

“Its journey has been pretty inspiring and it continues to innovate and take risks as was the case with Record Label in a Box.”