How Do You Really Get a Record Deal in Today’s Music Climate?

Are you looking at people on You Tube or Jimmy Kimmel and saying, “Why, how, and where did they possibly get a deal? I am soooooo much better!”. It certainly depends if you are wanting to just do the music that yells your name, or do you want to make money? Those are two entirely different processes.

Being signed to a major record label means that you have music that appeals to a large mass of people that will buy your music. As obvious as that sounds, I am amazed at the number of musicians, who are shocked by that fact. It is sorta like selling water with cinnamon. You can stand by it all day long that it is the greatest latest in water flavors, but unless you spend millions of dollars branding the health benefit, it most likely won’t sell. If you sell music that has a bit of a “flavor” that most people may not like, you are going to be playing bars the rest of your life. That’s not to say you won’t be happier…..just broke most of the time.

When you sign with a major label, more often than not, there are pretty dumb reasons why an artist is signed…as witnessed by the plethora of horrible singers on television today. Most can’t sing their way out of an extremely transparent paper bag. It might boil down to the fact there was a “pop slot” for that band or solo artist meaning a label is copycatting off another label who launched a similar artists. If you are writing catchy, memorable songs that a fan just can’t quick singing, you are likely to tame the beast and get attention.

You have to get through the suits to get to your fans. Remember that if you are signing with a major label. Unless you are one excellent salesperson (not usually one in the same with my rather cocky rock musicians) you are not going to have fans unless you have thoroughly convinced that person in the suit that he should spend 1 mil in advertising on just you alone. And you wont make it if he doesn’t. Sorta a paradox when you think about it…

Internet marketing does get to the fans the fastest and cheapest way. So if you DO go to a major suit wearer and say you have one million + fans on the web following your every move, you just might have a snowball’s chance if you really want a major. Today’s artist is going the opposite direction.

THE BUZZ FACTOR IS HUGE because labels seem to enjoy the fact that they need to compete to get your loyalty. So get going and take every class, go to every seminar possible, and research daily on the ways to better market yourself with your friendly computer who will soon become your mistress.