No i cant get you a record deal
Well, actually, hopefully there is one band out there who i've been developing a very long time who i am very confident I can land a deal for. Everybody else, the answer is NO. :-) However, i can mix the hell out of your songs so when you play them for labels they go "wow it sounds like its already a signed artist on the radio". If you dont see the value in that service, hang it up now.
This is going to be a cynical post, but if you look past tonights cynicism, there's actually some really great advice within. I'm actually having a great day today, i dont mean to sound jaded tonight, but this was a big topic of discussion round here today, so i thought i'd write about it.
So, my good friend and Universal recording artist Cuban Link (Album drops August 16) was at the studio today as we were putting the finishing touches on a new reggaeton track. superhot. Anyway. I asked Cuban Link "How many times a day do people ask you if you can either give them a record deal or get them a record deal?". He said "At least ten times a day, every day". And, though he is signed, and incredibly talented, he's not even a big artist yet (yet!). OK, first off, how could Cuban Link give you a record deal? He's an artist, not a label. Second, can you imagine how tired industry people get being constantly hounded by people who don't have their shit together "Can you get me a deal". Listen, if it was that easy to get a deal there would be 100,000 signed artists. I've given alot of this advice before, I'll do it again. Its important. If you do these things, it will at least elevate your chances of becoming a signed artist. Here we go.
1) Spend some serious time developing yourself as an artist before you start approaching industry people. If your on your way up, and you know you've got a ways to go before your REALLY record label material. Keep developing yourself and your talent and hit the labels when you really have your shit together. First impressions are everything.
2) If your a hip hop artist or producer, and you are not trying with every ounce of your strength to get yourself out on the decent mix tapes, just hang it up now. You dont understand the basic principles of BUILDING a career. I tell hip hop producers this all the time when they say "i dont want people to steal my hottest beats and if i put em on a mix tape they will". LOOK..... if you dont have the confidence to know that you can wake up tomorrow and do another hot beat, then please quit now. to quote Kanye "Lock himself in a room doing 5 beats a day for 3 summers..." Do you think he got where he is from hanging on to a couple hot beats? And you rappers. If your not on the mix tapes, who's hearing you? Thats your promotional vehicle, use it.
3) before you approach an industry person, have a great song to play them. Not a good song. a great song. Have it recorded and mixed well. performed well, presented well. (side note: usually the first few songs you write and record are NOT your best, sometimes they are, but see rule #1). I dont know how many people ask me if i can help them and they cant even send me ANYTHING they've done to listen to. No i cant help you. If you cant help yourself first, why should i do all the work for you? Of course the flip side of that are the crackheads who say "I've got a hit but i wont send it to you to listen to because you might steal it, but really, I'm great. Please help me" Honest to God this happens. Look, copyright your stuff, but seriously, if you dont have anything that represents you artistically, dont ask someone for help. Thats rediculous.
4) Build a following. Create a buzz. Promote yourself any way you can. perform live. write. record. If you can't get people interested in your music on your own, why do you think a record company should? I'm not saying you have to develop a fan base of 50,000 people, but come on, get some fans, get some press, create a buzz.
5) PAY ATTENTION...... if you think you can get a record deal by sending out a simple email, with nothing to back it up, (like a website with your music, bio, photos, etc) if you honestly think all its going to take is sending out an email saying "hey, me and my group wanna get signed can you help us". Answer your own question. Its not easy to get a deal. its gonna take more than a little work on your part. Put in the work, put in the time. it takes more than a ramdon email to land a record contract.
6) My personal favorite..... if i had a nickel for every time i heard an artist say "I have major label interest" i swear i'd be rich. Look, major label interest isnt "Bob from Atlantic Records thinks we're great". Major label interest inst "a scout from TVT records came to our show." Yes, your show and about 300 others this year. Major label interest isnt even (necessarily) a meeting with a bigwig at a big label. Thats a whole lot better than the above, but these guys have 3 to 5 meetings a day, 5 days a week, 30 to 50 weeks a year, and A&R people only sign one or two artists a year. Actually, i take that back. A&R people dont typically sign artists, they bring the artist they love to the President and say "can we sign this artist because XYZ", and the president says yes or no. Usually after they've seen the artist perform live and loved the show, heard the artists hit single and loved the song, etc...
I dont know how many times an artist has told me "we have major label interest" and i say "really? who at what label". If your answer is "i dont know the persons name", you do not yet have major label interest. "If your answer is "The VP/President/Director of A&R, etc... at Such and Such label", Congratulations, you have major label interest. However, keep in mind, major label interest is only that...."interest", until you get that offer its only interest.
I could go on for about ten more paragraphs on this subject, but look. you get the idea. This is one of the toughest fields in the world to succeed in. If you want to play the game at the top levels, you need to act like it. Build a buzz, elevate your artistry. Find your place in the marketplace and exploit it. Yes the marketplace, record deals are about selling records. Get your best songs recorded well, and mixed well. That is your resume, your calling card. Your music represents you louder than any words you could ever say. If a label doesnt hear it in the music, honestly, nothing you ever say to them will convince them to sign you. Send them a hit song and they'll be calling you. Good luck, its a jungle out there, and i truly wish you all luck. I just want to see you all elevate yourselves to the highest level you can get to. Now i must go mix CeCe Winans, this is a fun project!
-Ken
This is going to be a cynical post, but if you look past tonights cynicism, there's actually some really great advice within. I'm actually having a great day today, i dont mean to sound jaded tonight, but this was a big topic of discussion round here today, so i thought i'd write about it.
So, my good friend and Universal recording artist Cuban Link (Album drops August 16) was at the studio today as we were putting the finishing touches on a new reggaeton track. superhot. Anyway. I asked Cuban Link "How many times a day do people ask you if you can either give them a record deal or get them a record deal?". He said "At least ten times a day, every day". And, though he is signed, and incredibly talented, he's not even a big artist yet (yet!). OK, first off, how could Cuban Link give you a record deal? He's an artist, not a label. Second, can you imagine how tired industry people get being constantly hounded by people who don't have their shit together "Can you get me a deal". Listen, if it was that easy to get a deal there would be 100,000 signed artists. I've given alot of this advice before, I'll do it again. Its important. If you do these things, it will at least elevate your chances of becoming a signed artist. Here we go.
1) Spend some serious time developing yourself as an artist before you start approaching industry people. If your on your way up, and you know you've got a ways to go before your REALLY record label material. Keep developing yourself and your talent and hit the labels when you really have your shit together. First impressions are everything.
2) If your a hip hop artist or producer, and you are not trying with every ounce of your strength to get yourself out on the decent mix tapes, just hang it up now. You dont understand the basic principles of BUILDING a career. I tell hip hop producers this all the time when they say "i dont want people to steal my hottest beats and if i put em on a mix tape they will". LOOK..... if you dont have the confidence to know that you can wake up tomorrow and do another hot beat, then please quit now. to quote Kanye "Lock himself in a room doing 5 beats a day for 3 summers..." Do you think he got where he is from hanging on to a couple hot beats? And you rappers. If your not on the mix tapes, who's hearing you? Thats your promotional vehicle, use it.
3) before you approach an industry person, have a great song to play them. Not a good song. a great song. Have it recorded and mixed well. performed well, presented well. (side note: usually the first few songs you write and record are NOT your best, sometimes they are, but see rule #1). I dont know how many people ask me if i can help them and they cant even send me ANYTHING they've done to listen to. No i cant help you. If you cant help yourself first, why should i do all the work for you? Of course the flip side of that are the crackheads who say "I've got a hit but i wont send it to you to listen to because you might steal it, but really, I'm great. Please help me" Honest to God this happens. Look, copyright your stuff, but seriously, if you dont have anything that represents you artistically, dont ask someone for help. Thats rediculous.
4) Build a following. Create a buzz. Promote yourself any way you can. perform live. write. record. If you can't get people interested in your music on your own, why do you think a record company should? I'm not saying you have to develop a fan base of 50,000 people, but come on, get some fans, get some press, create a buzz.
5) PAY ATTENTION...... if you think you can get a record deal by sending out a simple email, with nothing to back it up, (like a website with your music, bio, photos, etc) if you honestly think all its going to take is sending out an email saying "hey, me and my group wanna get signed can you help us". Answer your own question. Its not easy to get a deal. its gonna take more than a little work on your part. Put in the work, put in the time. it takes more than a ramdon email to land a record contract.
6) My personal favorite..... if i had a nickel for every time i heard an artist say "I have major label interest" i swear i'd be rich. Look, major label interest isnt "Bob from Atlantic Records thinks we're great". Major label interest inst "a scout from TVT records came to our show." Yes, your show and about 300 others this year. Major label interest isnt even (necessarily) a meeting with a bigwig at a big label. Thats a whole lot better than the above, but these guys have 3 to 5 meetings a day, 5 days a week, 30 to 50 weeks a year, and A&R people only sign one or two artists a year. Actually, i take that back. A&R people dont typically sign artists, they bring the artist they love to the President and say "can we sign this artist because XYZ", and the president says yes or no. Usually after they've seen the artist perform live and loved the show, heard the artists hit single and loved the song, etc...
I dont know how many times an artist has told me "we have major label interest" and i say "really? who at what label". If your answer is "i dont know the persons name", you do not yet have major label interest. "If your answer is "The VP/President/Director of A&R, etc... at Such and Such label", Congratulations, you have major label interest. However, keep in mind, major label interest is only that...."interest", until you get that offer its only interest.
I could go on for about ten more paragraphs on this subject, but look. you get the idea. This is one of the toughest fields in the world to succeed in. If you want to play the game at the top levels, you need to act like it. Build a buzz, elevate your artistry. Find your place in the marketplace and exploit it. Yes the marketplace, record deals are about selling records. Get your best songs recorded well, and mixed well. That is your resume, your calling card. Your music represents you louder than any words you could ever say. If a label doesnt hear it in the music, honestly, nothing you ever say to them will convince them to sign you. Send them a hit song and they'll be calling you. Good luck, its a jungle out there, and i truly wish you all luck. I just want to see you all elevate yourselves to the highest level you can get to. Now i must go mix CeCe Winans, this is a fun project!
-Ken
posted by Protools Mixing at 2:51 AM
3 Comments:
thanks KEN for the advices,it's true all u said .Really it's a pleasure to read everyday your notes on your blog. good night ken see u later
I would definitely consider my knowledge of the music industry "beginner" at best. Of my primitive knowledge all of this sounds like basic common sense. I know that if I was going to approach someone from a record label, I would have my strongest music up front and ready to go. Most importantly I'd treat it like it is.. A job. The record business is indeed a business. You should approach it with as much professionalism as you would a job in any other part of corporate America.
If I was a VP of a record label, I'd invest my money into the intelligent candidates who are ambitious and intelligent. I'd look for the types who know how to work a professional situation. IE If I had an interview tomorrow with the President of Sony Records, I'd make the effort to wear a suit and tie (maybe even a tuxedo!), I'd conduct myself like I was applying for a job.
And actually Ken, people who are sending you emails inquiring about a record deal need to seriously start reading the blog. Or maybe they should be more intelligent in the first place.
-Tom
Thank you for sharing this precious advice. No, you were not cynical at all, it is a jungle out there... in french Quebec market as much as everywhere else and one of the most difficult career paths. I am currently preparing a "serious" demo destined for radio and, as a calling card to record labels. My "partner in crime" on the project recommended I read your blog on the subject. I'm glad I did. Thank you Ken, your column simply confirmed that we are on the right track in this demo project and in my career as a singer/songwriter: i.e. excellent mixing, presenting a hit song - all hit songs, about the media and fan buzz around you etc.. and all the other steps necessary to lead my songs and my career to its highest levels. Because when we start knocking on those doors, there will no second chance. This reading was time well wasted. Cheers!
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