Most impressive is that they started Guin Records from their college dorm room. “It’s really amazing to have the unique perspective of being so young within the industry since we know what our generation wants to hear,” Milan said.
He continued, “We are very much so in touch with the history of hip-hop and knowing the impact we want our sound and label to have. Being the youngest in the room presents its own challenges on occasion, but at the end of the day, age is irrelevant in music so long as you’re able to bring your own perspective to the table and use it to build upon each other’s stories.”
Milan revealed that this all started with him wanting to create more of the type of music that he enjoyed listening to. “I started by reaching out to various SoundCloud and YouTube rappers I found online, contacting them and asking them if they wanted to be a part of the Uncharted album,” he said.
He added, “Along the way, Misha joined Guin as she was automatically taking such a pivotal role in the creation of the music anyways. I was asking for her advice on every track and her feedback made them all the better. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”
On their plans for the future with Guin Records, Misha said, “We hope to continue collaborating with really talented artists, learning from others who have been in the industry much longer than us, and creating music that continues to be impactful.”
Digital transformation of the music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Milan said, “I love that technology has made it so easy for anyone to create quality music and distribute their tracks, but at the same time it’s harder than ever to make money in music as an artist because of how little platforms pay per stream.”
Milan elaborated, “It’s a double-edged sword in that, I’m happy artists are getting paid beyond a single album sale, but artists are struggling to develop fan bases with the growth of playlists and decrease of album sales. I’m not sure where the future of technology and music will take us, but I hope that artists profit more from their music, at the end of the day they’re the ones shaping culture through their stories.”
As label executives, they both use technology avidly in their daily routines. “Milan and I are consistently in different locations from one another, as well as from our artists, so we’re face-timing, calling, texting, and emailing every day non-stop. It can often be hectic especially due to the time difference, but the use of technology has made it possible for two college kids to run a music label from two different coasts,” Misha said.
Milan’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to start their own indie label is as follows: “Don’t worry about what you know or don’t know, have or don’t have, everything will figure itself out along the way as you begin to create music and get it out there for people to hear.”
He continued, Misha and I knew very little going into this, and once you start to work on the music, you’ll realize what’s missing, what you need, and most importantly, the good people to work with. Finding friends and mentors within the industry is key, there’s a lot of people who try to take advantage of newcomers and that’s one of the lessons newcomers will learn rather quickly.”
For music fans, Misha concluded about Guin Records, “We love you all, we love all the support, and we thank you all for being a part of this journey with us. We really couldn’t do what we do without fans out there who support our vision, stream our music, and share our music with their friends. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, we really are indebted to you all.”
To learn more about Guin Records, check out its official website.
