Are Record Deals Still a Thing?
Way back when, music artists had pretty much no choice but to sign with a record label. If you were lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time, you would have the chance to sign with a major record label. Today, artists are fortunate enough to be independent and still have the same success as signed artists.
Being Signed to a Record Label Comes With Many Benefits
Getting a record deal tends to be the goal for most artists for various reasons.
Mainly because record labels can grant you the finances, support, and exposure you will need as a developing or debut artist.
Let’s talk about how you, the outstanding artist that you are, can go about making this happen!
First, you need to think about how you want to present yourself. Branding is everything and labels will look at how you independently brand yourself. They want an already polished artist, one who can help them make money from their talent.
Using Social Media Is A Great Way To Show The World What You’ve Got
And Who You Are.
There are many ways you can market yourself on these platforms, I would advise signing up for social media marketing courses and apply it to music, if you’re not sure on how to do this.
Also, write a great bio about yourself and your music. You can use this to send to labels along with your music.
Look into having a personal website as well. One that hosts your music or links to the streaming platforms you use.
Your site should be very professional with photos for yourself and contact information. Labels are most likely going to look you up if they are liking your sound, it is best to be prepared.
The Most Important Part About This Process Is Your Music.
From the producing to the mixing and mastering, your music needs to be absolutely outstanding. Quality is a major factor in perfection.
To ensure this result, you have to get outside opinions about your songs. It’s better to ask people you don’t know, that way you get the constructive criticism you need. Like all art, not everyone will like it but you should pay attention to repeating critiques.
Next, you want to create a list of about five labels you would like to get signed to. Make you do your research on each label very thoroughly, choose the ones that support your style of music. You want to know the names and contacts of all the important people, especially the A&R’s.
Good sources would be the label’s website, social media pages, LinkedIn, and Google.
Making Connections With The Right People Is Also Vital To Getting Signed.
It can be difficult at first but do not be afraid to put yourself out there. You want to show these people how valuable you are as an artist including the thing that makes you different.
Don’t be afraid to interact in different ways, find out where these people hang out, follow them on social media and interact with their page, send an email, or literally go into their office (if it’s a large label.) Persistence will eventually make the important people listen.
Once you’ve made some acquaintances in the business, it will be key to bond with these people. Don’t let it all be about them listening to your music, genuinely get to know these people so that they can feel you out as a person and you can do the same.
Creating friendships in this business is an easy way to advance because great things will come to you all because you are likeable.
Don’t Let Them Have Everything at Once
When you’re really ready to send out music, make sure it is in the correct format and you only send a few songs.
Too many songs can be risky, you want to make sure they will absolutely love the music you’ve sent them. Be sure to only send music to one label at a time. As we all know, this industry is competitive so exclusivity is important.
There are many other things you can do to prepare for getting signed to a record label, these are the most important parts.
Be sure to do your research on all the details to be the most prepared. Remember that the best work comes from a lot of time dedicated to it. Believe in yourself and be persistent, your wildest dreams await you.
