Easy Star Records
Managing a deep catalog while driving active releases to Billboard #1
Catalog depth vs. release velocity
How do you keep 200+ album profiles alive while launching new releases every quarter?
Easy Star Records is one of the most respected independent reggae labels in the world, home to artists spanning dub, roots, rocksteady, and genre-defying tribute albums. Their catalog includes iconic releases that defined entire subgenres.
The challenge: with 200+ releases across multiple decades, the label faced a common indie problem—legacy catalog profiles going dormant while human attention focused on active releases.
The core tension: A small team can only focus on so many releases at once. But the streaming algorithms don't care about your bandwidth—they reward consistent activity. Profiles that go quiet get deprioritized.
"Always-on" automation
Building systems that work in the background so humans can focus on strategy.
Catalog maintenance protocols
Automated systems keep legacy profiles active—ensuring tour dates, bio updates, and fresh content trickle across DSP pages even when no one is actively managing them.
Cross-platform synchronization
Spotify, Apple Music, Bandsintown, YouTube—sync infrastructure ensures every update propagates everywhere, eliminating the "stale bio on Tidal" problem.
Tentpole release focus
While automation handles baseline activity, major album drops get the full campaign treatment: paid media, playlist pitching, influencer seeding.
Engagement protocols
Response frameworks and engagement patterns that maintain authentic fan interaction across multiple artist profiles without burning out a small team.
Billboard debuts & catalog growth
Measurable outcomes from a decade-long partnership.
Chart success
Multiple Billboard #1 debuts on the Reggae Albums chart, proving indie labels can compete with major-label marketing budgets.
Catalog longevity
Legacy releases continue generating consistent streaming revenue years after release, thanks to maintained DSP presence.
Operational efficiency
A lean team manages a massive catalog without proportional headcount growth. Automation handles the routine.
Key insight
The streaming era rewards consistency over bursts. For catalog-rich labels, the competitive advantage isn't just having great music—it's having the infrastructure to keep that music discoverable. "Always-On" isn't a buzzword; it's an operating model.
What this means for other labels
Lessons that apply beyond reggae, beyond indie, beyond any single genre.
Your catalog is an asset, not a liability
Every release you've ever put out is generating (or could be generating) streaming revenue. But dormant profiles leak value.
Automation multiplies human attention
The goal isn't to remove people from the process. It's to ensure that human attention goes to the highest-leverage decisions.
Platform fragmentation is the enemy
Every new DSP, every new social platform is another place your artist can be wrong. Sync infrastructure isn't glamorous, but it's essential.
Long-term partnerships compound
Our decade with Easy Star means we understand their catalog, their audience, their voice. That institutional knowledge is irreplaceable.