Purple Disco Machine, one of the many artists who have released music via Defected Records. Photo Credit: Kimthaya
Creators can officially submit demos to London-based house label Defected Records via Beatport’s LabelRadar.
Demo-submission platform LabelRadar (which Beatport bought in May of 2022) and 24-year-old Defected Records (which Wez Saunders acquired in July of 2022) detailed their tie-up today.
As part of the straightforward pact, Defected, which is said to be the Ampsuite owner Beatport’s “top-selling label,” has opened its demo process for “the first time.” Submissions can be directed to the main label as well as sub-labels including but not limited to Nu Groove, Classic Music Company, Soulfuric, and The Remedy Project, the involved entities indicated.
The corresponding upload pages, through which professionals can simply drag and drop MP3s, were already live at the time of this writing. (Previously, February of 2023 saw Toolroom Records begin accepting demos via LabelRadar, and the Stay True Sounds parent Defected last year hosted an “Unsung Heroes” contest for emerging DJs.)
Addressing the partnership and the wider goal of “nurturing new talent,” Wez Saunders – who was Defected’s managing director for a number of years before buying the business and beginning as CEO in 2022 – acknowledged that demos “have historically been a challenge.”
“However, with LabelRadar, we believe we have found a solution that will help streamline this process and enable our A&Rs more quality time to check and review demos for the labels within the Defected ecosystem,” he continued.
Elaborating upon the open-demo model’s impact on the talent-discovery process, Defected Records A&R head Allan Nicoll (known also as Kid Fonque) said: “Navigating the deluge of demos that flood any record label can be an exhilarating yet demanding experience.
“I have spent many years trying to find the best way to deal with an unrelenting inbox, and LabelRadar is the definitive solution: streamlining the process, liberating valuable time for concentrated artist development, and propelling our commitment to nurturing exceptional musical talent,” finished the Stay True Sounds founder.
The LabelRadar-Defected Records union represents the latest in a series of high-profile 2023 announcements for the overarching Beatport, which kicked off the year by taking a majority stake in the International Music Summit (IMS) and outlining seemingly far-reaching expansion plans.
Then, March brought with it the launch of Web3 EDM hub Beatport.io, and April saw Believe-owned TuneCore tap Beatport to broaden its electronic artist offerings. “Electronic music is a top genre among TuneCore artists,” TuneCore head Andreea Gleeson said at the time.
