Init Records (often stylized as
INIT) is an American
independent record label founded in January 2001 in
Mankato, Minnesota by Steven Williams. In May 2003 the label relocated to
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since its foundation the label has been solely owned and run by Williams, as a one-man operation, strongly influenced by
DIY ethics of
punk subculture and with an "emphasis to release aesthetically pleasing records from hardworking bands." An example of DIY ethics that the label applies in its releases is the use of recycled material, such as
paper and
plastic whenever and wherever possible.