We had the good fortune of connecting with Cayle Sharratt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cayle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to do something that would combine two of my passions – independent music and social justice. And there were already successful examples of the same combination of business and passion that existed that I could look at to emulate. The nonprofit record label idea has been done before. I particularly like the approach because it attracts plenty of people to support the artists and the label not only because they’re fans of the creative work, but also because they know that other community organizations and the people they serve are benefitting from their support.

What should our readers know about your business?
Share It Music is registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that is otherwise run as an independent record label. Our mission is to “support independent musical artists and advance community organizations by merging music and social causes.”

The objective is for musical artists to give back and support their own communities that have supported them or organizations that are particularly meaningful to them. This objective is based on the notion that music is a collective experience. That means we believe in the reciprocal nature of music, that music does not exist in a vacuum, and that the music industry and notions of community engagement can be merged together to create benefits that extend beyond the record label and the musical artist to permeate our communities.

The concept itself is simple, I think. But the operation of it is time consuming and truly a labor of love. Given the rules and regulations that the organization is subject to, no owners, officers, etc. can participate in any financial benefit from the organization’s operations. So all the time that I put into operations is solely considered volunteer time. Of course, the musical artist’s and their chosen community organizations can and do receive financial compensation in accordance with the terms of the artist’s particular recording agreement.

I think one of the things I’m most proud of are the connections and friendships I’ve been able to build throughout the process of running the label. Certainly, I don’t take it lightly when a musical artist trusts Share It Music to be the steward of their creative work and the label name and logo on the back of their vinyl LP. So really getting to know the artists, their experiences, and their goals is important to me. And that’s naturally led to friendships and connections that go beyond just working together.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way are all cliches, but I suppose that doesn’t take away from their usefulness: trust yourself, be persistent, take risks, don’t be afraid to ask for help or say I don’t know, seek out and contribute to collaborations.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Uh-oh! I haven’t been to LA in like 15 years. The last time I was there was a quick trip through while on a cross-country tour with my friend’s band. But during our limited time there, we did make a point of going to see and tour the Watts Towers, built by Simon Rodia. I can’t speak with any sort of deep knowledge about it, but I remember it being impressive, inspiring, and completely unique.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sub Pop Records. Sub Pop is my full-time, 9-5, work-from-home, nitty-gritty day job. I’ve worked there in my current position as a member of the Business Affairs department for almost 10 years now. But I started my time there even before that as an intern in the sales department. Just getting that initial peek at the inner workings, not to mention the culture, of such a successful and storied independent record label kick-started my journey and led me to pursue a career in music business.

When I finally figured that I had the time, experience, and knowledge to try to start my own nonprofit record label, Sub Pop’s leadership group was my first stop. They offered guidance, encouragement, and the initial donation that turned Share It Music from just a concept into an actual 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Sub Pop also provides distribution and other services for Share It Music releases – meaning Sub Pop delivers our artists’ recordings to digital music services, independent record shops, Sub Pop’s retail outlets and much more.

Website: www.shareitmusic.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shareitmusic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cayle-sharratt-88620810/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShareItMusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shareitmusic

Other: Either or both of these? https://linktr.ee/shareitmusic Spotify playlist of Share It Music catalog to date – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Y6Z2ZOpkJw0CHW2SOAxRa?si=2d7879679c564f5a&nd=1

Image Credits
Sarah Cass, Ariel Esther Katz, Kitiya Palaskas, Rosa Morgan, Elisabeth Krause, Joe Rudko / Daniel Lyon, Bella Petro, Rosie Powell, Ada Knuth.

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