The track to success for todays musicians and artists is quite different than it was even five years ago.
For any artist, songwriter, musician, and or performer. Even if you don't inspire to start and or manage your own Independent label, Or even if you don't want to learn how to start your own record label if you are somewhat serious about gaining any level of success in the music business, you must obtain as much knowledge as possible so that you understand the business that you have a desire to succeed.
You must find the drive to research, study, and try your best to understand topics such as standard music contracts, Indie labels, the majors, the publishers, who does what, when, and where. Don't think your going to throw together a handful of demo songs, throw them in the mail to a some people on a list, or get spotted playing in some club one night, and become a huge star, it just doesn't happen that way anymore.
Artists, musicians, and performers absolutely MUST be proactive in advancing their careers. Your attitude MUST be that you will manage, publish, and promote yourself until a better manager, publisher, and or promoter comes along that has more resources than you, at which time you may decide to partner with to expand on what you have already accomplished yourself.
This approach is what separates the winners in the game from the losers, or the successful V.S. the Non-Successful.
You are far more likely to open doors when you are approaching Publishers, and or Labels when you approach them with a goal of joining their organization, as a partner. If your approach is I think my music is awesome, and you need to give me a recording contract to sign, with a bunch of cash with fame and fortune attached, then GOOD LUCK your going to need it!
You will be much more likely to open doors when you are approaching Major Labels, Publishers, and or Indie Labels if you approach them with an goal of wanting to join their team, as a partnership. If your approach is I think my music is cool, I want you to give me a big contract to sign, and a bunch of money with fame and fortune, then again GOOD LUCK!
You will gain the attention of music business players much quicker, and with far more respect if your approach is backed up with proof that you have been working hard to develop, and promote yourself, and that you are not looking for someones small indie label, or publishing company to dump a cash investment into you, but rather you are looking for someone that maybe has resources that you dont have, and that you believe in your music and talent enough to show them that if they can join in and add additional resources to take your product to the next level, that you honestly believe that the both of you will greatly benefit from the partnership.
For example, say you have written and completed a demo of a few songs, and you have say nine or ten songs written but have not yet recorded them. What do you think would look better when you meet with a small but somewaht successful Indie music Label. Lets look at the first, not so favorable introduction.
You mail a demo CD to them with your contact information, or you just show up at their office and drop off a CD with your contact information scribbled on the front of it. This approach more or less screams I'M TOTALLY LAZY, AND I WANT YOU TO HANDLE EVERYTHING AND BRING ME FAME AND FORTUNE.
Now lets look at a much smarter approach, an approach that will typically bring great results, or at least real attention.
You set up a planned meeting with the A&R of a indie label, you sit down with him, let him listen to your well recorded CD with four songs, and show him the copy of written lyrics of twelve other songs that you have written, but not recorded.
You then proceed to tell them that you are promoting the three songs that are recorded on various web sites, and that the three completed songs are available for purchase as singles on Amazon.con, Rhapsody, Emusic, and Napster, and that last month there were a total gross sales of $67.00 You then continue to explain your current promotional strategy, and that you are scouting around for an independent label, or team that believes in your music, and can help take your current successes, add some additional resources, and boost the product up substantially.
You then proceed to show to them how you plan to continue self promotion, and working to get gross sales up on a monthly basis, and you truly believe that with your work ethics, passion, and motivation, aligned with their resources that as a team all of you can turn this into a substantially profitable venture.Which approach do you honestly believe would open, and keep the doors open for you?
Even if the small independent label that you are meeting with was not able sign you at that time, they most likely would be so impressed with your level of professionalism, that they would be more than willing to refer you to everyone they know in the industry to help you out.
Again, if you are serious about succeeding in the music business, you absolutely MUST take a proactive approach towards developing yourself as a true professional artist, performer, and or musician.
For any artist, songwriter, musician, and or performer. Even if you don't inspire to start and or manage your own Independent label, Or even if you don't want to learn how to start your own record label if you are somewhat serious about gaining any level of success in the music business, you must obtain as much knowledge as possible so that you understand the business that you have a desire to succeed.
You must find the drive to research, study, and try your best to understand topics such as standard music contracts, Indie labels, the majors, the publishers, who does what, when, and where. Don't think your going to throw together a handful of demo songs, throw them in the mail to a some people on a list, or get spotted playing in some club one night, and become a huge star, it just doesn't happen that way anymore.
Artists, musicians, and performers absolutely MUST be proactive in advancing their careers. Your attitude MUST be that you will manage, publish, and promote yourself until a better manager, publisher, and or promoter comes along that has more resources than you, at which time you may decide to partner with to expand on what you have already accomplished yourself.
This approach is what separates the winners in the game from the losers, or the successful V.S. the Non-Successful.
You are far more likely to open doors when you are approaching Publishers, and or Labels when you approach them with a goal of joining their organization, as a partner. If your approach is I think my music is awesome, and you need to give me a recording contract to sign, with a bunch of cash with fame and fortune attached, then GOOD LUCK your going to need it!
You will be much more likely to open doors when you are approaching Major Labels, Publishers, and or Indie Labels if you approach them with an goal of wanting to join their team, as a partnership. If your approach is I think my music is cool, I want you to give me a big contract to sign, and a bunch of money with fame and fortune, then again GOOD LUCK!
You will gain the attention of music business players much quicker, and with far more respect if your approach is backed up with proof that you have been working hard to develop, and promote yourself, and that you are not looking for someones small indie label, or publishing company to dump a cash investment into you, but rather you are looking for someone that maybe has resources that you dont have, and that you believe in your music and talent enough to show them that if they can join in and add additional resources to take your product to the next level, that you honestly believe that the both of you will greatly benefit from the partnership.
For example, say you have written and completed a demo of a few songs, and you have say nine or ten songs written but have not yet recorded them. What do you think would look better when you meet with a small but somewaht successful Indie music Label. Lets look at the first, not so favorable introduction.
You mail a demo CD to them with your contact information, or you just show up at their office and drop off a CD with your contact information scribbled on the front of it. This approach more or less screams I'M TOTALLY LAZY, AND I WANT YOU TO HANDLE EVERYTHING AND BRING ME FAME AND FORTUNE.
Now lets look at a much smarter approach, an approach that will typically bring great results, or at least real attention.
You set up a planned meeting with the A&R of a indie label, you sit down with him, let him listen to your well recorded CD with four songs, and show him the copy of written lyrics of twelve other songs that you have written, but not recorded.
You then proceed to tell them that you are promoting the three songs that are recorded on various web sites, and that the three completed songs are available for purchase as singles on Amazon.con, Rhapsody, Emusic, and Napster, and that last month there were a total gross sales of $67.00 You then continue to explain your current promotional strategy, and that you are scouting around for an independent label, or team that believes in your music, and can help take your current successes, add some additional resources, and boost the product up substantially.
You then proceed to show to them how you plan to continue self promotion, and working to get gross sales up on a monthly basis, and you truly believe that with your work ethics, passion, and motivation, aligned with their resources that as a team all of you can turn this into a substantially profitable venture.Which approach do you honestly believe would open, and keep the doors open for you?
Even if the small independent label that you are meeting with was not able sign you at that time, they most likely would be so impressed with your level of professionalism, that they would be more than willing to refer you to everyone they know in the industry to help you out.
Again, if you are serious about succeeding in the music business, you absolutely MUST take a proactive approach towards developing yourself as a true professional artist, performer, and or musician.
About the Author:
Brent Thomason is the owner of a small indie music label, and music publishing firm. Proactive Musicians Music Tool Reviews. Click here for Article Submissions.
