Dischord Records

Influenced by existing labels like Dangerhouse Records, MacKaye and Nelson took up residence in the "Dischord House" and ran the label out of its premises. They founded the label with their Teen Idles bandmates Nathan Strejcek and Geordie Grindle, initially to release their own music.

Dischord's first release was Minor Disturbance by Teen Idles. released in 1980. The band members cut, folded, and glued the record packaging themselves to keep costs down. The label's first split 12" was Faith / Void Split by the bands the Faith and Void.

Dischord limits itself to bands from the D.C. scene. The label offers the same basic deal to all artists: Dischord fronts a certain amount of money to record and manufacture and once those costs are recouped, the label's distributor takes 30 percent of the profit and the band and label split the remainder.

"We don't use contracts, lawyers, any of those kinds of things", MacKaye says. "We are partners – they make the music, and we make the records."

Jeff Nelson has claimed the venture was never intended to be profit-making but was instead simply a way to get their friends albums in fans’ hands.

In spite of criticism over the years about how the label is run, MacKaye claims everything works and will continue to operate in the same fashion of no contracts or lawyers.

"From the beginning of this label, people have said that the way we do things is unsustainable, unrealistic, idealistic, and we were just dreaming", he said. "Well, the dream is now 35 years old, so they can go fuck themselves."

In 2017, they put their catalog on Bandcamp for free streaming or purchase.