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 research, study, and try your best to understand basic music contracts, indie labels, major labels, publishers, who does what, where, and when. If you think your just going to put together a few songs, mail them out to a few people on a list, and or get noticed playing in some club one night, then GOOD LUCK!
Todays artists must be pro active in moving their careers forward. Your approach should be that you will manage, publish, and promote yourself until a better manager, publisher, and or promoter appears that maybe has more resources than you, at which time you decide wether to partner with to expand on what you are already accomplishing 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 gain much more ground when you are approaching Major Music Labels, Music Publishers, and or Independent Music Labels if you approach them with an attitude of wanting to join their team, as more of a partnership. If your approach is I think my music is good, I want you to give me a contract to sign, and a bunch of money and fame, 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.
Heres an example, lets say that you have written and completed a demo of two or three songs, and you have maybe seven or eight songs written but have not yet recorded.
Which do you think would look better when you approach a small but fairly successful Indie Label. Lets look at the first, not so favorable approach.
You mail them a demo CD with your phone number, or you go to their office and drop off a CD with your cell phone number written on the front of it. This approach more or less screams I AM LAZY, AND I WANT YOU TO HANDLE EVERYTHING AND MAKE ME FAME AND FORTUNE.
Now lets take a look at a more favorable approach, one which will most likely yield success, or at least open the door for more discussion and or dialog. Lets say you set up a meeting with the head of a small indie label, and sit down with them and tell them that you have a demo CD with three songs, and seven other songs that have been written, but not yet recorded. Then you inform them that you have already gotten a copyright on the recorded material, as well as a copyright on just the lyrics of the other songs.
You continue to tell them that you are promoting the four songs that you currently have recorded on multiple web sites, and that the three completed songs are available to purchase at Rhapsody.com, Emusic.com, and Napster.com, and that last week there were a total gross sales of $67.00 then you continue to devulge your current promotional efforts, and that you are meeting with independent labels, in search for a team that believes in your music, and can help take your current successes, and add some resources, that are needed to boost the product up.
You then continue to show to them your plan to continue self promotion, and working promotional efforts geared to get increased sales up every week, and you believe that with your passion, motivation, and work ethics, aligned with their high end connections, and resources that as a team all of you can turn this into a highly profitable venture.
Now you tell me, which approach do you think would open, and keep the doors open for you?
Again, if you are serious about succeeding in the music business, you MUST take a proactive approach towards developing yourself as a professional artist. - 16747
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 research, study, and try your best to understand basic music contracts, indie labels, major labels, publishers, who does what, where, and when. If you think your just going to put together a few songs, mail them out to a few people on a list, and or get noticed playing in some club one night, then GOOD LUCK!
Todays artists must be pro active in moving their careers forward. Your approach should be that you will manage, publish, and promote yourself until a better manager, publisher, and or promoter appears that maybe has more resources than you, at which time you decide wether to partner with to expand on what you are already accomplishing 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 gain much more ground when you are approaching Major Music Labels, Music Publishers, and or Independent Music Labels if you approach them with an attitude of wanting to join their team, as more of a partnership. If your approach is I think my music is good, I want you to give me a contract to sign, and a bunch of money and fame, 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.
Heres an example, lets say that you have written and completed a demo of two or three songs, and you have maybe seven or eight songs written but have not yet recorded.
Which do you think would look better when you approach a small but fairly successful Indie Label. Lets look at the first, not so favorable approach.
You mail them a demo CD with your phone number, or you go to their office and drop off a CD with your cell phone number written on the front of it. This approach more or less screams I AM LAZY, AND I WANT YOU TO HANDLE EVERYTHING AND MAKE ME FAME AND FORTUNE.
Now lets take a look at a more favorable approach, one which will most likely yield success, or at least open the door for more discussion and or dialog. Lets say you set up a meeting with the head of a small indie label, and sit down with them and tell them that you have a demo CD with three songs, and seven other songs that have been written, but not yet recorded. Then you inform them that you have already gotten a copyright on the recorded material, as well as a copyright on just the lyrics of the other songs.
You continue to tell them that you are promoting the four songs that you currently have recorded on multiple web sites, and that the three completed songs are available to purchase at Rhapsody.com, Emusic.com, and Napster.com, and that last week there were a total gross sales of $67.00 then you continue to devulge your current promotional efforts, and that you are meeting with independent labels, in search for a team that believes in your music, and can help take your current successes, and add some resources, that are needed to boost the product up.
You then continue to show to them your plan to continue self promotion, and working promotional efforts geared to get increased sales up every week, and you believe that with your passion, motivation, and work ethics, aligned with their high end connections, and resources that as a team all of you can turn this into a highly profitable venture.
Now you tell me, which approach do you think would open, and keep the doors open for you?
Again, if you are serious about succeeding in the music business, you MUST take a proactive approach towards developing yourself as a professional artist. - 16747
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.
