BAD APPLE RECORDS

What BAD APPLE RECORDS does

BAD APPLE RECORDS is a privately held independent record label and artist collective founded in 2021 and headquartered in the Bay Area, California. The company operates as a creative platform combining artist management, music production, branded merchandise, and live event production under a single integrated label structure. Its team of approximately seven listed members spans CEO/Artist (Rylan Ladion), VP/A&R/Artist (Victor Lopez), Production Director (Evelyn Santiago), and dedicated roles in design, PR, visuals, and social media — each doubling as artists on the label roster, indicating a multi-disciplinary creative collective model rather than a traditional label with separated artist and staff rosters.

The company's primary revenue streams are direct-to-consumer merchandise sales and ticketed live events. The merchandise catalog, sold exclusively through its owned e-commerce storefront at badapple.live, includes branded apparel (T-shirts at $45, hoodies at $80, crop tops at $40) and accessories (logo socks at $20, ski masks at $25), with a seasonal "Winter Capsule 24'" collection. Notably, multiple inventory items are listed as sold out, suggesting demand-side pressure relative to current supply. Merchandise is manufactured in Los Angeles, CA. Secondary revenue derives from tour event ticketing, with events featuring label artists at venues such as The Continental Club in Oakland, CA, with a scheduled event in May 2026.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, relying on organic social media, an email newsletter signup ("Join the community"), and tour-based brand activation. No paid advertising, third-party retail distribution, marketplace listings, or external institutional investment have been disclosed. Customer segment is a single horizontal persona — music fans and the artist community — with events restricted to attendees 18+. The company is founder/artist-owned with no parent company, subsidiaries, or disclosed funding rounds, consistent with a bootstrapped independent label operating at small scale.

Name

BAD APPLE RECORDS

Legal name

Bad Apple Records

Website

https://badapple.live

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BAD APPLE RECORDS is a Bay Area, CA-based independent record label and artist collective founded in 2021 that combines signed-artist music releases with direct-to-consumer branded merchandise sales and ticketed live events, serving adult music fans and the label's community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Record Label

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (51225)

akta.pro primary industry

Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Independent record label
• Branded merchandise apparel
• Artist collective management
• Live music tours
• Music merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Bay Area

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel including T-shirts, hoodies, crop tops, socks, and ski masks. One-time purchase transactions through e-commerce platform.
2. Tour and Event Tickets: Revenue from ticketed live events and tours featuring label artists. Event ticketing via third-party platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BAD APPLE RECORDS is an independent record label and artist collective that develops and releases music from a roster of multi-disciplinary artists covering music, design, visuals, PR, social media, and production. The company sells branded apparel and accessories (t-shirts, hoodies, crop tops, socks, ski masks) through its own direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, and produces live tour events with ticketed entry at venues such as The Continental Club in Oakland, CA.

Product overview

BAD APPLE RECORDS is a Bay Area, CA-based independent record label established in 2021, led by CEO/Artist Rylan Ladion. The company operates as a unified offering combining music/artistic content creation through its roster of artists (Victor Lopez VP/A&R/Artist, Ethan Sandoval Design/Artist, Peter Park PR/Artist, Chris Leipelt Visuals/Artist, Damian Guerrero Social Media/Artist, Evelyn Santiago Production Director) and direct-to-consumer branded merchandise. The merchandise line includes apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, crop tops) and accessories (socks, ski masks) sold through the online shop, with a WINTER CAPSULE 24' seasonal collection. The company also organizes and hosts tour events featuring its artists at venues such as The Continental Club in Oakland, CA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BAD APPLE RECS LOGO TEE Branded t-shirt featuring the BAD APPLE RECS logo, sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store. Currently sold out.
• BAD APPLE RECS "BAD" TEE Branded t-shirt featuring the word BAD, priced at $45.00 per unit. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store. Currently sold out.
• BAD APPLE RECS LOGO HOODIE Branded hoodie featuring the BAD APPLE RECS logo, available in XL at $80.00 per unit. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store. Currently sold out.
• BAD APPLE RECS LOGO CROP TOP Crop top made from 100% heavyweight cotton, fits true to size, priced at $40.00 per unit. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store. Currently sold out.
• BAD APPLE RECS "BAD" CROP TOP Branded crop top featuring the word BAD. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store. Currently sold out.
• BAD APPLE RECS LOGO SOCKS Branded socks with the BAD APPLE RECS logo, one size fits 6-10, priced at $20.00 per unit. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store.
• BAD APPLE RECS SKI MASK Ski mask made in Los Angeles, CA, priced at $25.00 per unit. Sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store.
• WINTER CAPSULE 24' Seasonal winter 2024 merchandise collection of branded apparel and accessories, sold as a one-time purchase through the owned e-commerce store.
• BAD APPLE RECORDS Tour Events Ticketed live music tour events featuring BAD APPLE RECORDS artists at venues such as The Continental Club in Oakland, CA. Events are restricted to attendees 18 years or older, with ticketing handled via a third-party platform (pear.us).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Direct peers

• 88rising: Independent music label and media company operating as an artist collective with strong cultural branding, merchandise line, and live events. Comparable indie-collective model with direct-to-fan community and DTC apparel focus.
• OVO Sound: Independent record label founded by Drake with a signature owl-logo apparel line sold DTC and at live events. Highly comparable music-plus-streetwear model with strong cultural brand identity.
• Awful Records: Atlanta-based independent hip-hop/alternative record label and artist collective founded by Father. Closely comparable structure: multi-artist collective combining music releases with branded apparel and merchandise drops sold direct-to-consumer.
• Strange Music: Independent hip-hop record label (Tech N9ne) famous for building a merch-driven business model alongside its music catalog. Closely comparable as an indie label with an apparel-forward revenue strategy and direct-to-fan e-commerce.
• Fat Possum Records: Independent record label with a multi-artist roster and direct-to-consumer merchandise storefront. Comparable small indie label combining music catalog with apparel and accessory sales.
• Brainfeeder: Independent record label founded by Flying Lotus with a curated multi-artist roster and DTC merch operations. Comparable as a small independent label combining music releases with branded apparel.
• Stones Throw Records: Independent record label with a roster of multiple artists and a branded merchandise storefront. Comparable as a small-to-mid independent label combining music releases with apparel and accessories sold DTC.
• Rhymesayers Entertainment: Minneapolis-based independent hip-hop label with a strong roster, festival/event programming, and merchandise line. Comparable indie label combining artist development, live events, and DTC apparel.

Broad incumbents

• Mad Decent: Independent label known for artist-driven merchandise and festival/event programming. Broader portfolio than Bad Apple but shares the indie-label-meets-streetwear playbook and DTC commerce focus.
• Top Dawg Entertainment: Larger, established independent hip-hop label (Kendrick Lamar, SZA) operating an artist collective model with merchandise. Broader scope and catalog than Bad Apple, but structurally comparable as an indie label with apparel revenue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bad-apple-records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BAD APPLE RECORDS