Believing that music was meant to be heard, not forgotten, No Dead Records is an archival label that preserves the legacies of inactive artists.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
My journey to starting No Dead Records began with my previous music management firm here in Oklahoma. For six years, I had the privilege of working with incredibly talented artists. I saw firsthand the immense passion, creativity and sacrifice that went into every single release.
I also saw how fragile a musical legacy can be. I witnessed brilliant artists leave the local scene and, in some cases, their music would vanish entirely from the internet, as if it never existed. It felt like a profound loss, not just for the artists, but for our entire community.
To preserve these works, I founded No Dead Records. Our mission is to keep this music accessible at no cost to artists or their families, ensuring their stories and songs are never lost.
What services do you provide within the music industry?
Our primary service is providing free digital distribution to artists who are no longer performing, ensuring their work finds a home on all major streaming platforms. We act as a dedicated archival partner, guiding artists and their estates through the complexities of rights administration and sample clearance. Through our local partnerships, we also provide professional digital mastering and seek licensing opportunities in digital media to help this music get discovered by a new generation.
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s music industry over the last 3-5 years?
No Dead Records was founded recently as a direct response to a growing need we’ve observed in the Oklahoma music scene over the last several years. As the industry has shifted, we’ve seen a gap forming where vital local music was at risk of being lost forever.
Our growth has been in immediate action. Though we are new, we have moved quickly to meet this need head on. In our short time, we have already successfully restored artists’ digital presence by getting their music back online, we’ve had the privilege of releasing previously unheard works and we have begun the crucial work of digitizing and preserving the cassette archives of an artist’s estate.
We see ourselves as a vital new piece of Oklahoma’s music infrastructure, built to ensure our state’s rich musical heritage is protected and accessible for the future.
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
Basing our operations in Oklahoma is fundamental to our mission. The state is a constant wellspring of incredible music, with historic scenes in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and growing scenes in smaller towns across the state. There’s a rich history here to preserve and an exciting future to be a part of.
On a practical level, the recent growth in Oklahoma’s music industry infrastructure has made this the perfect time to build a business. But the single greatest benefit is the community. The people here aren’t just talented and knowledgeable; they are incredibly supportive and accessible. It’s a place where a simple social media message or an email can lead to a meaningful partnership. That collaborative energy is in the foundation of No Dead Records.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
Our greatest accomplishment has been proving that our mission is not just a concept, but a vital service for artists and their families. Recently, we began working with an artist’s estate to digitize their entire cassette archive. These were recordings that had been unheard for over a decade, a piece of Oklahoma music history, and the voice of someone’s loved one, at risk of degrading into silence.
Bringing that music back to life and ensuring it will be preserved for the artist’s family and future fans—that is our biggest accomplishment. It’s the reason No Dead Records exists.
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma music industry?
Our most exciting recent success has been the launch of No Dead Radio, our 24/7 internet radio station. It’s one thing to preserve an artist’s catalog, but it’s another to create a living, breathing platform where that music can be discovered by a new audience. The station is dedicated exclusively to the artists we work with, creating a unique listening experience that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s our direct answer to making the state’s hidden musical gems accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
What are you working on now/next?
Our immediate focus is on launching Limbo, our dedicated artist portal, by the end of this October. This will be a streamlined online space where artists and their estates can easily apply to our roster, upload their releases for distribution and manage all their information in one place. Our goal is to make the process of preserving a musical legacy as simple and transparent as possible.
Once Limbo is live, our next goal is to expand our work in music publishing. We don’t just want to archive this music; we want to actively create a second life for it by placing it in new media and bringing it to a new generation of listeners.
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
Our ultimate goal is to help create a future where music is never permanently lost, ensuring an artist’s legacy doesn’t depend on changing technologies or the whims of the market.
Our vision is to be the most trusted and effortless archival partner for artists and their estates. We will continue to simplify our processes, removing every barrier to preservation so that managing a life’s work is never a burden. Simultaneously, we are building an indispensable library of unique sounds for music supervisors, filmmakers and curious fans—a place to discover authentic music with a real story.
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a music business in Oklahoma?
My advice is the same as what I used to tell aspiring artist managers: just get started. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it will never come. The only way to begin is by beginning.
Here in Oklahoma, you’re not starting in a vacuum. We have an incredible and uniquely supportive music community. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people doing work that inspires you. Send the email, send the social media message. More often than not, people are willing to connect and share their knowledge.
Most importantly, center your work around the artists. Reach out to musicians whose work you admire and ask them a simple question: “What do you need?” Let their answers guide you. If you build your business by genuinely serving the needs of Oklahoma artists, you will find your place in this community quickly.
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s music industry in the future?
For years, we’ve had a lot of incredible artists and now we’re building the ecosystem to help them thrive on a larger scale. I believe we’re on the cusp of a major expansion in that support sector. We’ll see more homegrown labels, management firms and agents establishing themselves here.
Crucially, this growth has a distinct technological edge. With investments from tech giants like Google and the emergence of innovative local platforms like Bootleg, Fimmi and Fanwave, Oklahoma is positioning itself as a hub for innovation. We’re not just supporting artists in the traditional sense; we’re building the tools that will shape how music is created, managed and monetized for years to come.
Each featured individual or business is given the provided questions to answer in their own voice. Other than formatting and grammar, the answers are personal to each featured voice, and are not provided by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
