What are 5 things an artist/band can do to get a record contract?

[Visconti]

If you have more steps that's cool, but I want to know what are the main things an artist/band needs to do to get a record deal.

 

Of course I know a band needs to write songs and rehearse them, but what then?

[5e3deluxe]

 

If you have more steps that's cool, but I want to know what are the main things an artist/band needs to do to get a record deal. Of course I know a band needs to write songs and rehearse them, but what then?

 

 

Forget a record deal. You will make NO money with any major label. I have a friend in Nashville who was on Arista for the better part of 10 years. He never made a dime and actually owed them about $500,000 when they dropped him. Of course that debt went away when they dropped him but it wasn't as if he'd gotten his hands on much of that money, it was recoupable expenses he owed.

 

Major label deals are nothing but an unsecured line of credit you get to pay back a few cents at a time out of your share of record sales, which is next to nothing. Better to make your own record and sell it at CDBaby or some other outlet. Major label deals are worthless.

[Anderton]

If you really, really want a record contract:

 

1. Sprout very, very large breasts.

2. Make sure you have Really Good hair.

3. Sleep with an executive who's high up on the record company food chain.

 

There you go!

[Visconti]

If you really, really want a record contract: 1. Sprout very, very large breasts. 2. Make sure you have Really Good hair. 3. Sleep with an executive who's high up on the record company food chain. There you go!

 

Craig, have you seen Kings of Leon? They are successful and they are not models by a long shot.

 

[Visconti]

 

Forget a record deal. You will make NO money with any major label. I have a friend in Nashville who was on Arista for the better part of 10 years. He never made a dime and actually owed them about $500,000 when they dropped him. Of course that debt went away when they dropped him but it wasn't as if he'd gotten his hands on much of that money, it was recoupable expenses he owed. Major label deals are nothing but an unsecured line of credit you get to pay back a few cents at a time out of your share of record sales, which is next to nothing. Better to make your own record and sell it at CDBaby or some other outlet. Major label deals are worthless.

 

 

There you go, make your own CD and bypass the big labels.

 

Have you got any ideas to build up fanbase?

[sventvkg]

Write Beat Driven simple songs with repetitive catch phrases.

Hire Doctor Luke

Be a decent looking female.

 

Also, be very very talented, driven has hell, work your ass off and put in your 10K hours, and still be as lucky as anyone who his the powerball or megamillions lottery.

[BlueStrat]

Define 'recording contract'. There are an infinite number of types of contracts for recording, with varying degrees of ease to get.

[AVisme]

I don't have a contract, so take this with a pound of salt:

 

IMO you have to make yourself as marketable as possible. Record companies are looking for singers and groups they can make money off of, so you have to look like a good investment to them. The more you can convince them that you will sell lots of records and make them a buttload of cash, the better chance you have of getting signed.

 

This of course means you should be young, attractive, and at least have a passable voice. Barring that, you should have a ton of talent for songwriting, or have a clever gimmick, or have "IT" (charisma or star power), or be able to prove that you can sell records or merchandise on your own.

[U&I]

 

If you really, really want a record contract: 1. Sprout very, very large breasts. 2. Make sure you have Really Good hair. 3. Sleep with an executive who's high up on the record company food chain. There you go!

 

 

4. Use autotune.

5. Act like a tramp.

6. Sound like everybody else.

[Cliftonb]

The very question itself begs even more questions. What kind of music do you make? All the best and brightest in various styles and artistic movements are represented by recording labels that purvey and cultivate that style. In my honest opinion I'd say forget about trying to get a major label deal for now until you establish yourself independently.

 

For rock/pop there's Domino, Dead Oceans, Young God, Tomlab, Drag City, Thrill Jockey, Kill Rock Stars, Rough Trade, Fonal, and lots others.

 

For Hip Hop/Electronic there's Stones Throw, Planet Mu, QN5, Definitive Jux (El-P's Label), Alpha Pup, Brainfeeder (Flying Lotus' label), Ninja Tune, and Anticon

 

For experimental, avant-garde, jazz and noise stuff there's Recommended Records (Chris Cutler's Label), Important Records, Rune Grammofon, Ipecac (Mike Patton's label), Ambiances Magnetiques, Clean Feed, ECM, Intakt

 

For folk, country and roots music, there's Rounder, Fat Possom, Rebel Records, Anti-/Epitaph, and Sugar Hill to name a few.

 

For World music there's Wrasse, RealWorld (Peter Gabriel's label), Luakabop (David Byrne's label), World Village, and DoubleMoon (specifically Turkish-Jazz fusion)

 

I've gotten to some of these guys pretty well over the years. They're passionate about music and work hard so that great art gets out there and gets supported. The bar is extremely high though - and getting higher.

 

I would suggest playing festivals. I don't know what kind of music you make, but SXSW is a huge opportunity to showcase your skills to the right people.

 

Get on the radio. The awesome, awesome folks over a WFMU (one of the largest and longest running non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations in the US) live for music and make it there mission to showcase up and coming artists. Shoot Brian an email and get some songs played.

 

Become part of a mutimedia project. Provide music for short films, art projects, or documentaries.

 

Learn the channels that established artists similar to you went through.

 

I really can't think of very much else to say considering I don't know what kind of music you make, but there's really no substitutes for making great music. Make the art your main focus and remember that it's a journey.

[5e3deluxe]

 

There you go, make your own CD and bypass the big labels. Have you got any ideas to build up fanbase?

 

 

Gig non-stop. Get yourselves onto Youtube, Facebook, Reverb Nation. But mostly play good music, play it well, and be entertaining while you do it.

[Scafeets]

There's still a time and a place for a major label deal. Anyone who has been in the business for more than a few months has an "I have a friend who signed with (insert label here) and he got screwed" story. Having been personally "screwed" by a major label as an artist, and having been an accused "screw-er" as a label exec, let me point out a few things you can do IF you really want to reach for the brass ring.

 

1. Get Real: If you don't have the whole package together, don't reach out to a big label. The days of artist development are pretty much over. Labels can't afford to have stylists, publicists, A&R people with imaginations, etc. on staff for noobs anymore. Any artist aspiring to get a "record deal" should already have their look, sound and {censored} together. Take a hard look at your band. Any ego or substance problems? Get rid of them before you approach a label. Any weak links in musicianship or performance? Buh-bye. Any excess baggage in the way of flaming amateur managers or other contractual problems? Fix them first.

 

2. Know what a label is supposed to do. As has been pointed out many times in this thread and all over this forum, you don't need a label to make a recording or sell your stuff. Assuming you have your {censored} together, you can sell maybe ten thousand CDs and downloads with tenacity, ingenuity and hustle. If you put a real label to work for you, you're only doing it because you want to take it to the next level. If you use them as a bank, there is an expectation that they will get their investment money back -- In other words, if you spend $150,000 in the studio and on a video, and another $150,000 on promotion, understand that every cent comes out of your future royalties. Most of the "I know a guy who got screwed by his record company" stories that I hear are a variation on the theme that the band spent way more than they earned.

 

3. P&D The value of a big label is promotion and distribution. These are things that they can do better than the individual artist because of experience, connections and economies of scale. The label ain't your mama, it's your pimp. Use it wisely.

 

4. Expectations: Expect your first major-label release to give the band enough exposure to play decent-paying gigs and keep working long enough to have a second major label record. If your business plan calls for royalties to survive, you're doing it wrong.

 

5. The end game: If you're one of the lucky 5% of label signees to do well enough to actually generate a profit for the label, you will have the opportunity to make some decent money. Sadly, many artists are not prepared for this. See point #1 about Getting Real. Stay real and don't blow it just because you can afford better recreational devices (booze, drugs, girls, whatever).....

[BlueStrat]

 

I don't know what kind of music you make, but SXSW is a huge opportunity to showcase your skills to the right people.

 

 

Maybe at one time it was, but now, not so much.

[richardmac]

 

There's still a time and a place for a major label deal. Anyone who has been in the business for more than a few months has an "I have a friend who signed with (insert label here) and he got screwed" story. Having been personally "screwed" by a major label as an artist, and having been an accused "screw- er " as a label exec, let me point out a few things you can do IF you really want to reach for the brass ring. 1. Get Real: If you don't have the whole package together, don't reach out to a big label. The days of artist development are pretty much over. Labels can't afford to have stylists, publicists, A&R people with imaginations, etc. on staff for noobs anymore. Any artist aspiring to get a "record deal" should already have their look, sound and {censored} together. Take a hard look at your band. Any ego or substance problems? Get rid of them before you approach a label. Any weak links in musicianship or performance? Buh-bye. Any excess baggage in the way of flaming amateur managers or other contractual problems? Fix them first. 2. Know what a label is supposed to do . As has been pointed out many times in this thread and all over this forum, you don't need a label to make a recording or sell your stuff. Assuming you have your {censored} together, you can sell maybe ten thousand CDs and downloads with tenacity, ingenuity and hustle. If you put a real label to work for you, you're only doing it because you want to take it to the next level. If you use them as a bank, there is an expectation that they will get their investment money back -- In other words, if you spend $150,000 in the studio and on a video, and another $150,000 on promotion, understand that every cent comes out of your future royalties. Most of the "I know a guy who got screwed by his record company" stories that I hear are a variation on the theme that the band spent way more than they earned. 3. P&D The value of a big label is promotion and distribution. These are things that they can do better than the individual artist because of experience, connections and economies of scale. The label ain't your mama, it's your pimp. Use it wisely. 4. Expectation s: Expect your first major-label release to give the band enough exposure to play decent-paying gigs and keep working long enough to have a second major label record. If your business plan calls for royalties to survive, you're doing it wrong. 5. The end game : If you're one of the lucky 5% of label signees to do well enough to actually generate a profit for the label, you will have the opportunity to make some decent money. Sadly, many artists are not prepared for this. See point #1 about Getting Real. Stay real and don't blow it just because you can afford better recreational devices (booze, drugs, girls, whatever).....

 

 

REALLY good summary IMHO. Nice post.

[Visconti]

OK, many of you are saying to avoid a record contract with a major label, but why is it all major bands are with a label?

 

Are you saying to go with a small label that will not rake the band over the coals?

[richardmac]

Can't speak for others, but I believe it's because the majors have a track record of screwing artists. However, I think it's foolish to eliminate any business opportunities. From everything I've read, you need to already be successful, have a following, have proven sales, and basically be in the position that you don't need them. The majors cannot afford to "develop" artists because they don't have the money. So they're not willing to take a risk. If you have a successful band, you can sell out gigs within a 100 mile radius and you've sold a buttload of CD's, and have a huge hit on YouTune, the majors may come sniffing around. And if they made your band an offer, it would make sense to look at it, as well as any offers from minor labels. Pomplamoose was supposedly approached by a major and supposedly turned them down. I know I keep bringing them up approximately every 3rd post, but I am impressed with how they were able to become successful. And I think Natalie is adorable in a cute nerd girl sort of way.

 

So the best advice on getting a major (or minor) deal is probably to develop your own fan base and get to the point where you don't need them. Then if they make you an offer you can take it or leave it.

[BuckshotJenkins]

Here's a related question: What if your band is a spectacle live, and you're looking for a way to get in front of the masses?

 

My band http://www.myspace.com/wagner has a decent number of songs that are catchy enough to make an attempt to land on the narrow ledge of today's radio stations. However, most of our stuff is music that when played live (with humor and Zappa like "poke fun songs" about Nascar dads, sluts and Emo kids) blows people away. Folks come out to see a true show, and some leave in a huff. We get the line "I've never heard music like that before"...

 

...Still, as guys with kids and in different parts of the country, it's impossible for us to build up a following from scratch. Yet, every show adds very impressed folks that have a sense of humor. Our first finished disc is finally getting mixed. The rough drafts have raised a couple of music biz people's eyes, so we like our odds of immediately impressing any executive that knows what "it" is.

 

How do we get a look from a label just to get put on a string of shows? Within only a couple we would show that we are a one of a kind unit that effects every crowd we play for. We just are never going to top the charts, but do have a couple to present to the radio world.

 

...Can bands that deliver magic live get a label to allow a small budget to prove it live, and still make their money? Or do labels ALWAYS need the big sales from albums? We'd rip it up if we got a nudge forward.

 

We bring it...we just have no momentum! Or a plan.

 

Just saying...my post looks arrogant. I don't write the stuff...I'm just lucky enough to play lead over these very different rock songs...and I'm as disorganized as many of us! But when you KNOW you got something unique...

[Scafeets]

 

Can't speak for others, but I believe it's because the majors have a track record of screwing artists. However, I think it's foolish to eliminate any business opportunities. From everything I've read, you need to already be successful, have a following, have proven sales, and basically be in the position that you don't need them. The majors cannot afford to "develop" artists because they don't have the money. So they're not willing to take a risk. If you have a successful band, you can sell out gigs within a 100 mile radius and you've sold a buttload of CD's, and have a huge hit on YouTune, the majors may come sniffing around. And if they made your band an offer, it would make sense to look at it, as well as any offers from minor labels. Pomplamoose was supposedly approached by a major and supposedly turned them down. I know I keep bringing them up approximately every 3rd post, but I am impressed with how they were able to become successful. And I think Natalie is adorable in a cute nerd girl sort of way. So the best advice on getting a major (or minor) deal is probably to develop your own fan base and get to the point where you don't need them. Then if they make you an offer you can take it or leave it.

 

 

 

I think that major labels are the way to go (probably the ONLY way to go) if you really want to be a huge success. If you're happy with 100,000 downloads and no tour, and you're the lucky half of a half of 1% who can get traction through YouTube, you can be like Pomplamoose. If you think your songs and performance can reach a larger audience -- filling concert halls, arenas, etc. and selling 100,000 units a week for six months or longer, you're NOT going to get the job done without a team of professionals.

I don't want to be an apologist for the majors; but as I have said before, I think they have been made the scapegoat for what ails the music business. There's just as much, if not more, screwing over of musicians going on at the local venue and small-label level.

[flatfinger]

Any label has been backed into a corner ( especially small Indies ). The lost revenue stream of recorded music means less capital to gamble with . They can't afford to take a flier like they used to............ You basically have to be the spitting image of a dead ringer , in all it's lowest common denominator , cliché riddled , sickeningly predictable glory!!

 

This is the high tech progress that is being sown for the foreseeable future .....

 

Get ready for more Beiber!!!!!

[Visconti]

What exactly does the record label do for the artist?

[Scafeets]

 

What exactly does the record label do for the artist?

 

Good question.

A good label should provide insight and guidance as to what is commercial and what is not. It should provide coaching to help present the band in a way that may yield wider acceptance. That may mean pairing the artist up with a particular producer, assistance in picking songs, help in styling, etc.

 

It may provide the money an artist needs to make a first-class recording and video(s). In rare cases today (but once part of the package) a record company might provide tour support. Today, it will more likely provide connections to other label artists and managers to help package a tour.

 

And a label will take the financial risk of manufacturing, distributing and promoting an artist's music. Marketing, promotion and publicity (three separate disciplines with three different company teams) is expensive.

 

If any of this stuff connects, then they collect your money and give it to you after expenses. If you think this is any small feat, try collecting from retailers, distributors, online merchants, etc. on your own. Believe me: The guys with clout get paid first.... sometimes they're the only ones paid.

[Scafeets]

 

If you really, really want a record contract: 1. Sprout very, very large breasts. 2. Make sure you have Really Good hair. 3. Sleep with an executive who's high up on the record company food chain. There you go!

 

 

You know that's a partial myth, right?

Aside from KOL, there are still plenty of non-cute, non-titted, hairless, non exec-screwing artists doing just fine.

Decemberists? Mumford & Sons?

Hell; Tom Petty was the cute one in the Traveling Wilburys!

[BlueStrat]

 

What exactly does the record label do for the artist?

 

There is a label for whatever you want them to do for you. The more they do for you, however, the more you'd better be able to earn to pay t back. Scafeets is right, to go big you have to have what they offer. However, in my experience, too many guys are trying to get signed by majors when they don't need it and aren't ready for it. As most have said here already, the days of some A&R guy hearing some unknown bar band and signing them to a big major label deal are gone. There just isn't the money to develop unknowns anymore, and it's a huge gamble. As Scaf has said before, even big labels, with all their clout and budgets, only have about a 20% success rate of acts they sign. That means 80% of them don't make it even after getting signed. And because lagging CD sales, pirating, and a bad economy have made even successful bands less profitable for major labels, there is no longer the money to give artists a 3 album development deal.

 

I made my last two CDs on a local label and all they did for me is front me the recording. I paid them back out of sales, and paid for everything else my self. I was able to pay them back after three months, but while I got from them exactly what I wanted out of them, there was no distribution, promo, radio, etc. That's the price you often pay for not getting heavily into debt with a bigger label.

[Dancebass]

First get famous. Then get record deal. That's 2011. They only want to put out records by The Situation.

[Poker99]

 

First get famous. Then get record deal. That's 2011. They only want to put out records by The Situation.

 

 

hahahaha

 

Situation & the Douchebags : LIVE AT JERSEY SHORE