Interview: Simon Fraser Label Manager @ Play Records

Simon Fraser, the Label Manager of Play Records, has been an integral part of the Canadian record label's success story. With a diverse roster of talented artists and a commitment to innovative music, Play Records has carved its niche in the music industry. We sat down with Simon Fraser to delve into his personal experiences, the label's unique approach, and the evolving dynamics of the music industry.

6 Interview Simon Fraser Label Manager Play Records

Q: What initially drew you to the music industry and working at a record label?

Simon Fraser: I'd been bouncing around some uninteresting gigs in my primary field (media production). The opportunity to work for Play came up, and I thought it sounded like a cool job from which I could learn a few tricks and to which I could employ some of my existing tricks.

Q: Can you share a memorable or defining moment in your career that had a significant impact on you?

Simon Fraser: Pandemic lockdowns had a significant impact because I was forced to build new workflows for operating remotely. And now I know how to best work remotely. As I'm writing this, I'm in upstate New York producing a feature film while still managing a record label.

Q: Which song or album best describes your life and why?

Simon Fraser: XTC's "Skylarking" because it's diverse and took a lot of heated arguments to create.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you've ever received in your career?

Simon Fraser: I don't think I've ever received good advice. But I've learned good lessons, like "create things bigger than yourself," "don't make other people's problems about yourself," and "confirm receipt of documents."

Q: What is one thing about the music industry that surprised you when you first started?

Simon Fraser: One thing that surprised me when I first started is that no one knows how many total streams are being generated on streaming audio platforms or what the breakdowns are between total subscription streams vs total ad-rev streams. Therefore, no one can possibly formulate the market value of a stream to learn how much artists and indies are being undercut by streamers. We're selling the music-listening experience without knowing its true value. And that can easily lead to a massive amount of fraud, as we have seen.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Simon Fraser: Telepathy, to expedite communication.

Q: What are some red flags that may discourage you from signing an artist?

Simon Fraser: We don't sign artists. We only sign tracks. High social media subscriber counts but low engagement or obvious bot engagement. This is indicative of click fraud. Not interested.

Q: What are the qualities you look for in an artist's demo or EP before considering signing them?

Simon Fraser: The boss lady Melleny Melody selects which tracks she wants to sign based solely on their aesthetic qualities: Does the music make her want to get up and dance? Then I research the artist and provide her with some data, which we discuss and then make a decision. Or, sometimes, if she really likes the track, we skip the part where I give her some data. Also, depending on the time of year, I may be packaging a collection focused on a specific genre.

Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception artists have about the role of record labels today?

Simon Fraser: I don't think artists have a misconception about the role of record labels. I think fans have a misconception about the role of record labels. There are thousands of record labels on this planet, and then there are 3 major labels that give everyone else a bad name. With the exception of the 3 majors, I think most record labels are in business to support artists and to reduce the stress that music administration can have on artists. And even at the 3 majors, I'm sure there are some good people, but I just can't see how it's possible to make wise choices when you've got a catalogue of millions of assets and you have to answer to people who only care about the value of their stocks.

Q: How hard/easy is it to get signed these days?

Simon Fraser: Depends on genre volume. For example, hip-hop is the most popular genre of music on the planet, so from a completely strategic POV, I would not recommend anyone try to break into the hip-hop market. That said, if you don't care how difficult it is to make the song, sign & release the song, and get the song heard by real people, then the world is your oyster.

Q: What artists have you signed from LabelRadar?

Simon Fraser: Through LabelRadar, we've signed works by DVRKO, Parker McFarland, Cav Eire, Avilo & St.Sinny, E.M.A., and KuntyBeatz, among many others.

Q: How does LabelRadar help the music discovery process for you?

Simon Fraser: It's a different community of artists than those who send us demos through our website. So it gives us the opportunity to expand a little deeper into certain genres. For example, we have a collection coming up in October for ADE that will be all techno & tech house. It would have been a grind to pull that together if I'd only relied on our website submissions, which tend to be much more varied electronic genres.

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