2018, retrospective the most succesful and highest-grossing year with big changes and optimization.
The refactoring and new organization has been completed after months. Now all tasks of the label are not longer only the work of one person. Now splitted into a team of three people.
The new team consists of:
.) Mathias Rumbold - General Manager, Quality Manager, Security Manager, Head Of IT, Physiical and digital distribution, promotion, consulting
.) Anita Luttenberger - Media design (Layouts, videos, promotion material, etc.), consulting
.) Björn Franck - Photography, video shooting, booking, promotion, consulting
The cooperation has finally leveled off and a lot of new services got created which are running under the banner of L.A.A.S. (=Label As A Service). Also we were able to acquire our first customers (labels and artists) which we accompany also next year.
Physical and digital distribution
Our distribution network which was formerly built on the underground was extended with international and professional companies. Together with NovaMD from Bavaria, we were able to distribute on big platforms like Amazon, MediaMarkt, Saturn and many more.
With partners like Music Megastore (Greece), IndieMerch (USA), Shadow Kingdom Records (USA), Heavy Metal Merchant (Australia), the network grew. In 2019, we are also distributing our physical releases in Great Britain and in Japan.
The digital distribution, started in July/August of 2018 has been developed better as expected. With over 40 digital releases on over more than 100 platforms, the label was able to grew a lot more again.
China, a market with great potential
October 2017, when Talheim Records went active with local partners on Weibo, we never imagined what effects it has on the growing of the label and the potential in that market. With The Mortal World, an unknown band, we made a successful start with a high quality release into the chinese market. 300 of 500 copies we sold within a few weeks.
Since that we were able to grow more and with adding additional payment options for the chinese market, the translation of the website into Chinese, China became the third largest market. With our analyses, China will claim the second place and leave the USA behind.
To force the growing, we have some strategic changes.
Talheim Records International & Talheim Records China
For the optimized development of the label, we are changing the strategic focus of the label.
Talheim Records (Austria) is going to work on building up the existing roster bands and to work with bigger bands in the future. We are also extending our services and offer them to our sublabels. Talheim Records Germany is going to be transformed into a label. They are still carrying the austrian releases beside their own once.
Talheim Records China is going to be the new part of Talheim Records. Because of the requests on Weibo and WeChat we are going to unite more active with our local partners. The partnership will break the last language barricades and we are able to support local artists and build them up international. The domain talheim-records.cn was already purchased and the website is going to be online in the next months.
All websites and shops are going to be united under the international domain talheim-records.com. News of new artists and the roster, as of each sinlgle label will be available there. Also subpages of the domain talheim-records.at, taleim-records.de and talheim-records.cn will be united there.
Talheim Records (Austria) is going to use the distribution network also for Talheim Records Germany & China. So also all the bands of the sublabels are going to profit from our distribution network.
Personal thanks to all bands, partners, customers and listeners
Herewith I (Mathias) want to thank all artists, partners, customers and listeners of the bands.
Especially after the reorganization which took a few months, the patience in all the time is not a peanut for me.
Also I want to thank the long-standing bands for their continual loyality who are part of Talheim Records since 2012/2013. It was not always easy, also not as me as person. But in the last two years I was able despite to my age to grow personal. Remembering that I am almost younger than most of them.
Big thanks to Thou Shell Of Death, Waldschrat, Morn Guruth, Psychonaut 4, Happy Days, Thy Light, Seelenfrost, Aschenglas, who are cooperating with Talheim Records since an eternity.
But I also do not want to leave any other band left out. Big thanks also goes to VarulV, Deadspace, Afraid Of Destiny, Eyelessight, Durkheim, Acherozu, Laang, Lacrima Mortis, Korzo, In Luna, Angor Animi, Trollskogen, Arctic Sea Survivors, The Mortal World, Crusado Orchestra, Kanashimi, Kâhld, Wintarnaht, Hallig, Abstract The Light, Lost In Desolation, Mars Mantra, Nocturne, Northorn, Sea Of Disorder, Shadows Of Black Candlelight, Soupir Astral, Vagrond, Tulpa, NightForest, Obskene Sonare, Ketelens' Brukke, Hovert and Winterblood.
At last I want to thank Asmodeus, an old hand in the austrian black metal history for the possibility of cooperation and trust.
Vanhelga and Coldnight, still good friends and great musicians, a big thank for the great time of cooperation.
Also thanks to Nocturnal Depression, great artists and good friends.
Thanks to the loyal customers, listeners and partners who spoke out their trust also this year.
Thanks to the team, Anita and Björn who helped me to get my head free to develope Talheim Records. Without you, that growing were not possible.
2018 was awesome and I wish everyone a great start into the new year.
Thankful and honored,
Mathias Rumbold
CEO of Talheim Records