Case Study: Darren Coles - Line of Defence Records

In a crowded market, especially in/around Glasgow, how do you differentiate your label and artists to capture the attention of both industry professionals and music consumers?

We incorporate our label into a not-for-profit events space that's community driven. We're distinctly choosing not to push ourselves on a national scale just yet but instead involving local service users who will voluntarily help us promote the service as the sales keep the services afloat. It's essentially bringing back the street team ethos from the 00s.

How do you navigate the complex landscape of music licensing and copyright issues to ensure your label and artists are protected?

It's admittedly not something we have found as a speed bump yet so it's not something I'm able to comment on.

 How do you balance investing in emerging talent with maintaining a profitable business model?

As the emerging talent is a by-product of the bigger picture, we can actually afford to take a loss by offering their records as an affordable add-on to orders made through more established artists. The profit on records we get from bigger distributors really helps us balance the losses while allowing us to always promote. As long as we maintain interest in our artists, we hope this is an investment on their future.

In the face of industry disruptions (such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic), how has your label adjusted its financial approach to mitigate risks?

We established post-COVID but as we run digitally as well as a brick and mortar shop, we are future proofing by always marketing and establishing our brand as a reputable source in the west of Scotland.

And finally, how do you build and maintain strong relationships with artists, industry partners, and other stakeholders in the music industry in Scotland?

As I've spent 17 years entwined in Scotland’s music industry I was lucky to use a lot of that time networking and building my name to a point where I could finally pull the trigger on this venture and have the support of multiple entities. I've been very fortunate with the trust I've been given in starting a worthwhile shopfront that has a lot to give back as an incentive for my sales and promotions.