Dischord Records
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Dischord Records does
Dischord Records is an independent record label founded in 1980 in Washington, DC by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson to document the music of the Washington, DC punk community. The label has released work from more than 60 bands across 201+ cataloged releases, including historically influential acts such as Minor Threat, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Jawbox, and Nation of Ulysses, and operates a sister-label relationship with Superbad Records.
The company's core product is its label and distribution service, delivered through physical formats (12" LPs at $18-25, CDs at $10, cassettes at $10, 7" singles at $4-7) and digital downloads ($3-7). The technical platform is a custom-built Phoenix-framework web application (dischord.com v4.0, launched January 2011, developed by Rec Center) that powers both the direct-to-consumer storefront and back-end administration. A distinctive sub-product is the Fugazi Live Series, an archive of 1,000+ performances and roughly 900 concert recordings, now being expanded onto Bandcamp and streaming services.
Dischord's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer first, supplemented by wholesale to record stores and digital distribution through Bandcamp, EMusic, iTunes, and major streaming services across the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and France. The company employs 1-10 people, is privately held with no external funding, and maintains a recording partnership with Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA. Community development is reinforced through the DC Free Recording Project, which provides free studio sessions to young DC-area bands.
Dischord Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dischord Records
- Legal name
- Dischord Records
- Website
- https://dischord.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dischord Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Record Label
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225), Sound Recording Industries (5122)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recorded Music Distribution (Physical & Digital) (MPAIAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional) (MPAIACAM), Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)
Keywords
Where Dischord Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dischord Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Physical Record Sales: Sales of vinyl records (LPs, 7" singles), CDs, and cassettes through the Dischord website and distribution to record stores.
- Digital Downloads: Sales of MP3 and digital album downloads directly through dischord.com, as well as through third-party platforms like EMusic, iTunes, and Bandcamp.
- Streaming Services: Revenue from streaming platforms where the catalog is made available, including Bandcamp and major streaming services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 12" LP (Various Colors) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Download |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | CD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cassette |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 7" Single |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Dischord Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dischord Records is an independent record label that produces, releases, and distributes music from over 60 bands associated with the Washington, D.C. punk and hardcore community. Its core offerings are physical music releases (12" LPs, CDs, 7" singles, cassettes) and digital downloads, supplemented by the Fugazi Live Series archival concert recordings.
Product overview
Dischord Records is an independent record label founded in 1980 to document the Washington, D.C. punk community. The company operates as a single unified offering centered on its label/distribution service, releasing music from over 60 bands in physical formats (LPs, CDs, 7" singles, cassettes, DVDs) and digital downloads. The portfolio includes the core Dischord label catalog, the Fugazi Live Series (an extensive archive of the band's performances now expanding to streaming platforms), and the Dischord.com e-commerce website. Physical and digital releases are distributed directly through the company's store and via third-party platforms including Bandcamp, EMusic, and iTunes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Physical Music Releases (LP, CD, 7" Single, Cassette, DVD) Physical music releases produced and distributed by Dischord Records in vinyl (12" LP and 7" single), CD, cassette, and DVD formats, drawn from a catalog of over 60 bands associated with the Washington, D.C. punk and hardcore community.
- Digital Music Downloads High-quality, unrestricted MP3 digital downloads of the entire Dischord Records catalog, available directly via dischord.com and through third-party platforms including Bandcamp, EMusic, and iTunes.
- Fugazi Live Series
Companies that use Dischord Records
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dischord Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dischord Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BandcampcoreDigital distribution partnership for streaming and download sales. Dischord makes releases available on Bandcamp including exclusive content like the Fugazi Albini Sessions and Fugazi Live Series recordings.
- Inner Ear StudioscoreLong-standing recording studio partnership for Dischord releases. Founded by Don Zientara, Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA has recorded the majority of Dischord releases including Minor Threat, Fugazi, Rites of Spring, and countless others.
- DC Free Recording ProjectminorJoint sponsorship program with Inner Ear Studios and Ruffian Records/Swim-Two-Birds Studio offering free five-hour recording sessions at Inner Ear Studio to young, DC area bands that have not had professional recording experience.
- EMusicminorDigital subscription service partnership for Dischord catalog distribution. EMusic focuses on independent labels and provided wider digital availability for the Dischord catalog.
- Superbad RecordsminorLabel partnership for split releases. Founded by Alec Bourgeois (Dischord) and Eugene Bogan in 1991, Superbad is a sister label that shares distribution through Dischord Direct.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dischord Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dischord Records social profiles
Digital presenceDischord Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dischord Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dischord Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dischord Records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dischord Records
What does Dischord Records do?
Dischord Records is an independent record label that produces, releases, and distributes music from over 60 bands associated with the Washington, D.C. punk and hardcore community. Its core offerings are physical music releases (12" LPs, CDs, 7" singles, cassettes) and digital downloads, supplemented by the Fugazi Live Series archival concert recordings.
Is Dischord Records a public or private company?
Dischord Records is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dischord Records founded?
Dischord Records was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dischord Records based?
Dischord Records is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dischord Records make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Record Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Downloads and streaming Services.
Does Dischord Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dischord Records.
What industry is Dischord Records in?
Dischord Records's product category is Independent Record Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAC, Recorded Music Distribution (Physical & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAIACAM, Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional). Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 5735.