7 Things A Record Deal Teaches You About The Music Industry

[DonnaMarilyn]

Interesting article I came across recently. 

 

http://www.cracked.com/article_20939_7-things-record-deal-teaches-you-about-music-industry.html

 

Donna

[john]

I often forget people don't know this stuff! It reminds me there is a ton of articles I still need to add to Songstuff.... although I am surprised the author alleges Universal has a weed guy, no matter how certain he is or we are. I sense a lawsuit coming on lol.

 

It's like when I watch x factor or american idol and I know the details of how they are manipulating people, or when I talk to people who are unaware of the use of autotune by the majority of artists, in the studio and live... or who think the singers on Glee really do sound like that lol

 

Thanks for sharing with your fellow Songstuffers.

[MikeRobinson]

It is, indeed, a sober lesson, and one well worth remembering:

• There's no such thing as "overnight success" or a "free lunch."
• There are, however, an exploitable number of wannabees who don't know that ... people who have bought into the "it's all about Me" Kool-Aid.

In the case at bar, the industry sold 600,000 units of product.  To get those sales, they were willing to invest in studio-time, Heineken, sub sandwiches, and – yes, of course – "weed."  They had writers (who, they felt, could out-write Spose, at least in terms of producing the kind of Almighty Productâ„¢ they wanted Spose to do).  Spose was swept-along, dazzled by a single check for what was actually a very trivial amount of money, and the label got what it wanted:  600,000 sales in a hurry.  ("Not Bad," I might add, for a couple of kids from Portland!!)

 

Okay, so the same label, after "running the numbers," decided that an entire album might not sell sufficiently (according to their very-corporate business model ... the same model that oh-by-the-way moved 600K units in a month).  That was their decision to make, and they made it.

 

Even though "Spose" might feel right now a bit ill-used, the fact is ... he was responsible for selling over 600,000 units(!!) of product in a couple of(!!!) months.  He's only in his twenties:  maybe he can do it again.  "His Kind of Music" did attract serious corporate attention, and did sell a very-respectable number of units.  This amounts to a critically important thing in the world of commerce:  traction.

 

Even though "Spose" might not be entirely satisfied with how things turned out for him – he has, while still just in his twenties, produced music that not only did attract very-serious commercial attention, but that also promptly(!) rewarded that attention with more than half-a-million units of sales.

 

So ... my advice to him would simply be to "go back and Get Busyâ„¢ again."  Take that hip-hop musical idea and expound upon it.  Busy yourself preparing another product to sell.  You know that you have an audience of over half-a-million(!!!) people who know your name and who've already bought your stuff.  That's Huge.â„¢

[john]

Good points Mike.

However there are a couple of issues that relate specifically to the music industry that mean what you say is true, but there is a HUGE "but".

The music industry is notorious, especially these days, for providing a single strike and you are out. You may get a second strike if you are both very lucky and you reinvent yourself. It is almost like if you fail to totally score no one will dirty their hands with you. It can even be that way with a near potential signing. If EMI, for example almost signs you but doesn't, that can stop anyone else from signing you. sad but true. Gone are the days getting several chances at that level. I am not meaning getting turned down after sending in your recording, I mean getting to negotiations and failing. The same is true for signed and hasn't been successful with a release.

Can it be done, yes, but by then you have part of the industry not only not willing to give you a chance, but wilfully dismissing you.

Secondly, they may still be locked into a deal, but shelved. Many bands have found themselves in that predicament. Sometimes the band will get released, or they can buy themselves out of their contract. It also depends on what exactly was recoupable by the label according to the record contract. Being shelved had killed many bands.

For example, getting signed is a double edged sword. It provides an advance, it also gives access to money and resources bands don't normally get BUT many labels have only one A list signing (these days) who gets big budget, best of contacts, best of resources. The rest are B list or simply on the shelf. By on the shelf I mean the label has no intention of releasing their single or album.

Unfortunately on the shelf also means you are still under contract and cannot release music via another label or on your own! Often by the time you are free to pursue things you are a couple of years down the line.

Occasionally, very occasionally, you might find another label willing to buy your contract, or you may be able to raise funding elsewhere and buy your contract yourself.

On a good note, if you are free to pursue things on your own, and you are not crippled by recoupable money, then you can pursue making what traction you have left work for you. For many the lesson to be learned is as you say, you have made good numbers once, musically you can do it again.

Sadly, many bands don't learn much about how the music industry works. They want to focus on art, let the suits deal with something so uncool as business. That, is a great pity. To make a living from music, never mind being "successful" in the traditional music industry sense, takes being plugged into the business side and a lot of hard work on all fronts.