Slumberland Records
Slumberland Records is an Oakland-based independent record label founded in 1989, releasing indie pop, noise pop, C86, and shoegaze music on LP, CD, cassette, and 7" formats plus digital platforms, serving global indie music enthusiasts through its own storefront and co-releases with international labels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Slumberland Records does
Slumberland Records is an independent record label founded in 1989 and based in Oakland, California. The label operates within a defined niche of indie pop, noise pop, C86, and shoegaze music, building a 35+ year catalog through continuous artist signings and releases. Its roster spans emerging and established artists within the indie scene, and it serves a global audience of independent music enthusiasts, collectors, and physical-format aficionados.
The label's product surface centers on recorded music released in physical formats — LP, CD, cassette, and 7" — alongside digital distribution. Revenue is generated through a multi-channel stack: an owned direct-to-consumer storefront, third-party platforms (Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon Music), and passive streaming royalties. Co-release partnerships with international independent labels (Fortuna Pop!, Skep Wax, Fika Recordings, Safe Suburban Home, Heavenly Creature, Lost & Lonesome) extend its cross-territory footprint without requiring direct overseas operations.
Beyond recorded music, Slumberland operates podcast and radio programming and maintains a social media presence, using these channels for catalog promotion and fan engagement. The label is privately held, employs 1–10 people, has not raised external funding, and shows no evidence of M&A activity, leadership transitions, or product pivots in the available record.
Slumberland Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slumberland Records
- Legal name
- Slumberland Records
- Website
- https://slumberlandrecords.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slumberland Records is an Oakland-based independent record label founded in 1989, releasing indie pop, noise pop, C86, and shoegaze music on LP, CD, cassette, and 7" formats plus digital platforms, serving global indie music enthusiasts through its own storefront and co-releases with international labels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slumberland Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Music Label
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB), Download Stores & Digital Music Retail (Transactional) (MPAIACAM)
Keywords
Where Slumberland Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slumberland Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Physical Music Sales: Slumberland Records generates primary revenue through the sale of physical music formats including vinyl LPs, CDs, and cassettes. Albums are released across multiple price points depending on format, with LPs commanding premium pricing ($19-22), CDs at mid-tier pricing ($8-10), and cassettes as entry-level offerings ($7-10). The label also produces 7-inch singles and limited edition pressings with special colored vinyl variants.
- Digital Downloads and Streaming: The label distributes music through digital channels including Bandcamp (direct-to-consumer digital downloads), Apple Music, and Amazon Music for streaming and digital sales. Digital releases complement physical format sales and expand geographic reach.
- Licensing and Co-releases: Slumberland engages in licensing agreements and co-release arrangements with international indie labels (such as Fortuna Pop! for UK/Europe), generating revenue through territorial licensing and shared pressing costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vinyl LP releases priced at $19-22 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CD releases priced at $8-10 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cassette releases priced at $6-10 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 7-inch singles priced at $4.50-9 per unit |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Slumberland Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slumberland Records is an independent record label that curates, releases, and sells indie pop, noise pop, C86, shoegaze, and alternative guitar music across multiple physical formats (vinyl LPs, CDs, cassettes, and 7-inch singles) and digital channels. The label's catalog features hundreds of releases from established and emerging indie pop artists, distributed direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce storefront and digitally through Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, with international reach facilitated through co-release partnerships with regional indie labels.
Product overview
Slumberland Records is an independent record label established in 1989, specializing in indie pop, noise pop, and alternative rock music. The label's product portfolio consists primarily of physical and digital music releases across multiple formats including LP (vinyl), CD, cassette tape, and 7" singles, as well as digital downloads. The catalog features releases from various artists including The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Allo Darlin', The Cords, Autocamper, Tony Molina, Railcard, The Telephone Numbers, and many others. The label operates an e-commerce store integrated with FoxyCart for selling physical and digital music products, and distributes through platforms including Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tony Molina - On This Day (LP/CD) An album of 21 songs recorded to 8-track tape at home studio, featuring folk/rock gems, acoustic folk tunes, classical guitar interludes, and baroque/soft-pop delicacies. Released on LP and CD formats.
- Railcard - Railcard (CD) DIY pop collaboration featuring Rachel Love, Ian Button, and Peter Momtchiloff with sunshine indie meets Bacharach/Stereolab pop drive. Released on CD format.
- The Telephone Numbers - Scarecrow II (LP/CD) Album featuring Byrds jangle, Lemonheads-tinged power-pop, and classic pop reminiscent of The Go-Betweens. Released on LP and CD formats.
- The Cords - The Cords (LP) Self-titled debut album by Scottish pop duo, reinvigorating the C86 sound with boundless energy and youthful confidence. Released on LP format.
- Allo Darlin' - Bright Nights (LP) First new album in a decade from Anglo-Australian indiepop quartet, featuring smart, beautiful pop music with folk and country influences. Released on LP format.
- Autocamper - What Do You Do All Day? (LP) Debut album of Manchester band featuring jangle pop sounds of the '80s without C86 revisionism, recorded at Glasgow's Green Door Studio. Co-released with Safe Suburban Home Records.
- Rachel Love - Picture In Mind (LP/CD) Lush, dreamy pop between 60s sunshine pop and mod-ish sounds of Saint Etienne and Broadcast, co-produced with Steve Lovell. First time on vinyl.
- Rachel Love - Lyra (LP/CD) 2024 album featuring intimate folk-tinged pop, elegant atmospheres, and gentle melodicism with chamber pop arrangements. First time on vinyl.
- The Kitchenettes - Sunday Best (7-inch single) Debut 7" vinyl release by San Francisco band featuring three songs updating the Marine Girls/Cat's Miaow/Lois template for 2026.
- Railcard - Two Steps At A Time (LP) Album featuring delicate Bacharach-tinged soft-pop to raucous Girls In The Garage workouts, ranging from 60s folk rock to indiepop-meets-kosmische chug.
- Velocity Girl - 1989-1992 (LP) Compilation covering the band's pre-Sub Pop years, including first two singles, split single contributions, covers, and unreleased tunes. Available as limited edition colored vinyl.
- Foglights - Nous Deux (Cassette EP) Debut cassette EP by Eva from The Cords & Stone Anthem, featuring washed-out guitars, hypnotic melodies, and folk-like pop soundscapes.
- Real Numbers - Was It Always This Way (LP) Album of ten expectant, exuberant songs mixing hope and despair, referencing late-80s/early-90s UK indiepop like Field Mice and St Christopher.
Companies that use Slumberland Records
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Slumberland Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Slumberland Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fortuna Pop!coreFortuna Pop! is Slumberland Records' primary UK/European co-release partner. The two labels collaborate on releases by artists including The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Allo Darlin', and others, with Fortuna Pop! handling European distribution and sales while Slumberland maintains US distribution.
- Skep WaxcoreSkep Wax is Slumberland Records' co-release partner for UK and European distribution of releases by The Cords. The partnership follows the model of other Slumberland international partnerships, with Skep Wax handling territorial distribution in the UK.
- Safe Suburban Home RecordsminorSafe Suburban Home Records is a York-based indie label that co-releases Autocamper's 'What Do You Do All Day?' album with Slumberland Records. This partnership exemplifies Slumberland's strategy of partnering with regional indie labels for international distribution.
- Fika RecordingsminorFika Recordings handles UK and international distribution (outside N & S America) for Allo Darlin's 'Bright Nights' album. The partnership enables Slumberland releases to reach European markets through established regional indie distribution.
- Heavenly Creature RecordsminorHeavenly Creature Records is a Glasgow-based label that co-releases The Cords' 'Favourite Time' single with Slumberland Records. This represents Slumberland's continued partnership strategy with Scottish indie labels.
- Lost & LonesomeminorLost & Lonesome is an Australian label that co-releases selected Slumberland releases including The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's 'Everything With You' single, handling Australian distribution.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Slumberland Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sub Pop: Major indie label (Nirvana, Beach House, Father John Misty) with significant overlap in genre and historical connection through Velocity Girl's later Sub Pop years; a much larger, broader incumbent.
- Matador Records: Independent label under Beggars Group (Belle and Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Interpol); broader portfolio player with significant overlap in indie and noise pop audiences.
- Domino Recording Company: UK-based independent label (Franz Ferdinand, Animal Collective, Real Numbers) with global reach and shared indie-pop roster overlap (Real Numbers' album is listed in Slumberland's catalog).
Direct peers
- Saddle Creek Records: Omaha, NE independent label (Bright Eyes, The Good Life) with a similar artist-development orientation and indie-rock/indie-pop catalog spanning multiple decades.
- K Records: Olympia, WA independent label founded by Calvin Johnson with a long-running cult roster in indie pop (Beat Happening, Bikini Kill). Comparable in ethos, founder-led model, and DIY aesthetic.
- Cherry Red Records: UK independent label with a deep catalog in C86, indie pop, and shoegaze-adjacent heritage, plus active reissue program; strong alignment with Slumberland's indie-pop focus from a UK vantage point.
- Captured Tracks: Brooklyn-based independent label focused on indie pop, jangle, and noise pop (Beach House, Mac DeMarco, Wild Nothing). Closest direct peer in niche, aesthetic, and physical-format emphasis.
- Polyvinyl Record Co. Champaign, IL independent label (American Football, Of Montreal, Owen) with comparable size, D2C e-commerce emphasis, and physical-format catalog spanning multiple indie subgenres.
- Dischord Records: Washington, DC independent label (Fugazi, Minor Threat) with a similar small-team, founder-controlled, do-it-yourself operating philosophy in independent guitar music.
- Merge Records: Durham, NC independent label (Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel, Superchunk) with a similar artist-friendly, indie ethos and a hybrid physical/digital distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slumberland Records social profiles
Digital presenceSlumberland Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slumberland Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Slumberland Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slumberland 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 Slumberland Records
What does Slumberland Records do?
Slumberland Records is an independent record label that curates, releases, and sells indie pop, noise pop, C86, shoegaze, and alternative guitar music across multiple physical formats (vinyl LPs, CDs, cassettes, and 7-inch singles) and digital channels. The label's catalog features hundreds of releases from established and emerging indie pop artists, distributed direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce storefront and digitally through Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, with international reach facilitated through co-release partnerships with regional indie labels.
Is Slumberland Records a public or private company?
Slumberland Records is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slumberland Records founded?
Slumberland Records was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slumberland Records based?
Slumberland Records is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slumberland Records make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Music Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Downloads and Streaming and licensing and Co-releases.
Who are Slumberland Records's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sub Pop, Matador Records and Domino Recording Company. Direct peers are Saddle Creek Records, K Records, Cherry Red Records, Captured Tracks, Polyvinyl Record Co., Dischord Records and Merge Records.
Does Slumberland Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slumberland Records.
What industry is Slumberland Records in?
Slumberland Records's product category is Independent Music Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAIABAB, Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing). Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 5735.