WESTMOON RECORDS
ABOUT
Welcome to Westmoon Records - a program of Hot House West non-profit 501(c)(3)! You might be wondering: what is Westmoon Records? Well, in our quest to make Salt Lake City a world class hub for acoustic music, we realized that people need to know what acoustic music sounds like here. That thought made us create this program with the following goals in mind: Remove the cost barrier of recording albums as much as possible. For example: Use creative recording spaces, use in house gear and experience, support a short run of physical merchandise. We have a unique non-profit business model that makes this possible! Create artistic development opportunities for engineers, musicians, artists, etc. AKA: mentor and add lines to people’s CVs! Archive the great songwriting and composing found by Utah legacy artists who haven’t been documented yet. Help local acoustic musicians record an album for booking, promotion, etc. to better support initiatives in our Swing Collective, Trash Moon Collective, and Swing Orchestra programs. Build a massive catalog of Utah artists. Utilize a blind peer review process for incoming catalog so our artists can point to a higher level of esteem in academic and professional circles. In essence, we are doing everything in our power to support our scene releasing projects. In our dreams, we see the connection, learning, and joy of working on an album to be just as important as the stage. Furthermore, it’s an expectation in the industry. So here we are—Westmoon Records—working to make Utah music show up anywhere and everywhere. How can you get involved? If you are an aspiring engineer, artist, or a musician with a project—reach out to westmoonrecords@hothousewest.com. If you want to donate to the cause (purchase of gear or physical copies for projects), you can donate via our website at hothousewest.com. If you just think this is a cool idea, follow us here @westmoonrecords and at @hothousewest_ and listen to our releases. If you just like our music, save, follow and stream our playlists and artists on Spotify. More than anything; we want people to hear the great acoustic music of Utah. May the stoke never die!
Westmoon Records Catalog
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
PROJECT PROPOSAL
The project proposal process at Westmoon Records reflects our commitment to elevating Utah’s acoustic music scene while staying true to the mission of our parent organization, Hot House West. As a non-profit, Hot House West aims to foster connectedness, learning, and joy through the language of acoustic music. In this spirit, Westmoon Records combines a professional standard for its catalog with mentorship, guidance, and practical support to help artists thrive.
Artists initiate the process by submitting a proposal form, which allows our team to understand their music, artistic identity, and goals. Questions focus on the acoustic nature of their music, their location, and their vision for the project.
STEP 1
BLIND PEER REVIEW
If the proposal is accepted, it undergoes a blind peer review by five community members. These reviewers evaluate anonymized submissions against criteria such as artistic vision, alignment with the label's values, musicality, and potential for fostering community connection. A score of 96 out of 120 is required to advance. Projects not meeting the standard receive constructive feedback to encourage future success.
STEP 2
CONTRACTING
Approved artists are offered comprehensive support, including recording and engineering services, digital distribution assistance, press contacts, album design, and guidance through the release process. The label strives to reduce costs for artists through discounted labor, material charges at cost, and potential donor or sponsor support. Additionally, Westmoon Records emphasizes artist education on industry practices and fosters a collaborative community.
Our goal is to foster a prolific acoustic music scene in Utah, where more artists can release materials and contribute to a growing community. Through professional standards and supportive resources, Westmoon Records ensures that Utah’s acoustic music is heard everywhere
STAGE 3
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