Erased Tapes Records

Artist Experience

Multiple artists across the roster describe the label environment prioritizing creative freedom over commercial constraints. Ryan West, performing as Rival Consoles and the label’s founding artist, explains the relationship dynamics:

“Working with Rob and being friends is very important. Someone who loves the music and isn’t driven by the business side of it. I’d been making music for 10 years, but there’s only really been any interest or demand over the past two years. I’d have got kicked off any other label!”

Peter Broderick, signed early in the label’s development, emphasizes collaborative creative direction rather than hierarchical control. He describes founder Robert Raths as actively involved in creative processes while granting artists final decision-making authority. Broderick notes the label established visual and aesthetic continuity across diverse musical styles, creating unified identity despite genre range from classical to electronic. Nils Frahm characterizes the structure as familial, stating he maintains complete satisfaction with the arrangement after multi-album contract spanning 15+ years. Japanese vocalist Hatis Noit, joining the roster in the label’s mature phase, recounts receiving guidance toward authentic artistic identity rather than commercial formatting. Testimonials consistently emphasize founder accessibility, long-term relationship stability, and absence of commercial pressure conflicting with artistic vision. The pattern appears across 12+ artist interviews spanning the label’s operational timeline from inception through recent expansion.

Catalog and Commercial Performance

The catalog demonstrates sustained streaming engagement with flagship releases achieving significant platform presence. Ólafur Arnalds’ track “saman” from the album “re:member” generates 60M+ Spotify streams, representing breakthrough crossover performance for ambient classical composition. Nils Frahm’s album “Felt” achieved Metacritic score of 87/100 with universal critical acclaim designation, establishing foundation for subsequent platinum-level commercial success. The 2015 BBC Prom featuring Nils Frahm and A Winged Victory For The Sullen sold tickets faster than any other programming that season, indicating audience demand for the label’s aesthetic. Kiasmos released their second album in early 2025 after ten-year hiatus from debut, demonstrating sustained artist engagement and commercial viability for returns. The label’s Spotify presence includes verified catalog of 1,435+ songs with curated playlists accumulating 11.6K+ saves. Annual compilation series spanning 17 editions maintains consistent release schedule and collector market through special vinyl pressings. Artists maintain active international touring schedules with festival bookings at Primavera, ATP, and regional classical venues, confirming live performance revenue streams complement recording income.

Artist Development Track Record

The label demonstrates long-term artist retention with founding member Rival Consoles maintaining 17-year continuous relationship despite minimal commercial traction in initial decade. Ryan West describes the arrangement allowing developmental timeline without pressure for immediate commercial returns, contrasting with major label advancement requirements. Nils Frahm’s career trajectory from intimate piano recordings to platinum streaming performance occurred across multi-album development arc, with the label supporting experimental directions including custom instrument construction and unconventional recording techniques. Ólafur Arnalds developed proprietary Stratus software for algorithmic piano composition during “re:member” album production, with label supporting technical innovation alongside musical output. Ben Lukas Boysen received production collaboration from Nils Frahm for album mixing and mastering, demonstrating cross-roster mentorship infrastructure. Hatis Noit transitioned from Japanese underground performance to international touring and film scoring opportunities through label sync licensing connections. A Winged Victory For The Sullen expanded from ambient recording project to film scoring collective with multiple soundtrack commissions facilitated through publishing arm relationships. The pattern indicates developmental investment extending beyond single release cycles, with artists maintaining roster presence across multiple albums and stylistic evolution phases.

Publishing and Sync Operations

Erased Tapes Music operates as separate publishing entity providing sync licensing coordination for film, television, video games, advertising, and theatrical productions. The division maintains regional contacts spanning North America, Australia/New Zealand, France, and Nordic territories, indicating international licensing infrastructure. Business development representatives describe 24-48 hour response commitment for licensing requests with tiered pricing structure offering discounted rates for educational projects, emerging filmmakers, and choreographers with limited budgets. The publishing team identifies growth opportunities in SVOD platform content production, noting increased scoring commissions from Netflix, Apple, and Amazon original programming. Documented placements include Nils Frahm compositions in Adult Swim programming and multiple art house cinema soundtracks by A Winged Victory For The Sullen. The division launched Meet The Composer series providing artist visibility and scoring opportunity facilitation. Publishing representatives describe challenges with broadcasters demanding 100% publishing rights retention on scoring projects, positioning the company’s advocacy for writer rights protection as distinguishing operational approach. The infrastructure provides revenue diversification beyond master recording streams, with sync licensing representing secondary but established income channel for roster artists.

Distribution and Platform Presence

The label maintains direct platform relationships without disclosed major distributor partnership, suggesting independent distribution infrastructure. Catalog presence spans Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music with verified artist pages and complete discography access. Physical release strategy emphasizes high-quality vinyl pressings with special colored editions for collector market alongside standard CD and digital formats. The label operates official Bandcamp storefront providing direct purchase options with artist and label revenue splits. Annual Record Store Day participation with exclusive compilation releases demonstrates retail partnership network beyond digital channels. Instagram presence of 52K followers and X (formerly Twitter) following of 24.8K indicates established social media audience engagement. The label operated Erased Tapes Sound Gallery in Hackney as physical venue for listening sessions, artist performances, and community events, with recent reopening for Piano Day celebration in April 2025 confirming continued activation. YouTube channel hosts artist documentaries, live sessions, and music videos providing promotional infrastructure complementing streaming presence. The distribution model appears optimized for independence and direct artist-audience connection rather than major label aggregator relationships.

Operational Structure and Business Approach

The company operates as private limited entity with founder Robert Raths maintaining leadership since inception alongside label manager Sofia Ilyas. The structure maintains small team scale with 2-10 employees handling A&R, release coordination, marketing, and administrative functions. Artist roster curation emphasizes quality over quantity with 35+ signed acts rather than hundreds typical of larger independents or distributor-label hybrids. Release discipline includes annual compilation series maintaining consistent market presence while allowing individual artist projects to develop without forced deadlines. The label established visual identity through unified packaging design creating aesthetic continuity across diverse musical genres from classical to electronic. Founder visibility in artist interviews and industry profiles suggests hands-on management approach rather than corporate delegation structure. The independent status operates without venture capital backing or major label acquisition, maintaining complete creative and business autonomy. Artists describe transparent communication regarding release planning, marketing budgets, and revenue expectations, contrasting with major label complexity and artist-label information asymmetry patterns. The publishing arm operates under separate legal entity with distinct team handling sync licensing negotiations and composition rights administration.