Layout by CoolChaserARE YOU IN NEED OF A GREAT PROMOTIONS COMPANY???I STARTED THIS COMPANY TO HELP OUT ALL OF THE AWESOME ARTISTS OUT THERE THAT GET OVERLOOKED IN THE INDUSTRY, THERE ARE SO MUCH TALENT OUT THERE THAT NEVER GETS NOTICED BECAUSE NOONE KNOWS ABOUT YOU OR HAS NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC! THATS WHERE I WORK HARD TO GET YOU OUT THERE TO ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY, LABELS, MUSIC COMPANIES, RADIO, FANS, AND MORE!!!!AND EVEN IF YOU HAVE A LABEL, IF ITS NOT A MAJOR LABEL IAM SURE THATS WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING FOR RIGHT???? WELL I CAN GET YOU TO THOSE PEOPLE AND HAVE THEM LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC AND LOOK OVER YOUR PAGE AND BIO!!!! SIGNED OR UNSIGNED I CAN GET YOU HEARD!!!!!1. LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC 2. MAKE BANNERS 3.MAKE EVENTS CALENDARS 4. POST YOUR UPCOMING GIGS 5. CALL RADIO STATIONS AND GET YOU PLAYED ON AS MANY AS I CAN 6. GET YOU SOME GIGS (LOCAL AND TRAVEL) 7. LET THE BIG NAMED LABELS AND PRODUCERS KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC! 8. I WILL DISPLAY YOUR BANNER ON MY PAGE 9.GET YOU INTERNET RADIO INTERVIEWS 10. PUT YOU IN CONTESTS FOR EVEN MORE EXPOSURE! 11. HELP YOU BUILD A LARGE FAN BASE!!!! 12. POTENTIAL REVIEWS IN MAGAZINES 13. EXTRA PLAYS AND TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE AND OR MYSPACE PAGE!ALL I NEED FROM YOU ARE THE FOLLOWING TO GET STARTED!!!1. AN IMPRESSIVE PRESS KIT (CD OR MP3 OF YOUR SONGS) 2. PROMO PIC 3. BIOAND ALSO IF YOU ARE A SONGWRITER, I CAN PROMOTE YOUR SONGS, I HAVE ARTISTS THAT ARE IN NEED OF GOOD COUNTRY SONGS FROM TIME TO TIME SO I KEEP A LIST AND THE LYRICS TO ALL THE SONGS TO PASS ON TO THEM! INCLUDES A SMALL MONTHLY FEE, EMAIL ME FOR MORE DETAILS!MY PRICES START AT 100.00 A MONTH FOR ARTIST PROMOTIONS AND 25.00 FOR SONGWRITER PACKAGES!THE SONGWRITER PROMOTIONS START AT 25.00 A MONTH JUST FOR SUBMISSIONS OF YOUR SONGS TO OTHER ARTISTS. AND THE 50.00 IS FOR THE SAME WITH ADDS AND BANNERS!!!THANKS, MISSONGWRITER PROMOTIONS EMAIL::
[email protected] 10 Things a Musician Must Do to Get a Record Deal Written By Don PassmanTop 10 Lists are a favorite hobby of our society. It’s a fun way to keep up the illusion of the simplicity of things in a complex world. So...why not a Top Ten List on the subject of getting a record deal!? No matter that most musicians have no clue as to what might or might not happen once they get their sacred "deal", everybody wants one, or at least thinks they want one.The following list highlights 10 things to do that sure can’t hurt if you want a recording contract, just remember that there are a million ways to get to any intended destination. From my observations over the years this list of considerations are shared my most successful musicians who truly have what it takes to succeed in this totally unpredictable business of music.1. Make Music That Doesn't SUCK!We live in a time when everybody and their sister can and does make their own music. That doesn’t mean however that your music has what it takes for record labels to invest their money and time developing, promoting, and marketing that music. A&R Reps are always saying, when asked what they are looking for, "We don’t know what we are looking for, but we’ll recognize it when we hear it." What we can read into their comment is that your music must truly stand out in some significant, original, dynamic, and creative way. 95% of the demo tapes out there contain, regurgitated ideas that were ripped off from some other more gifted musicians. Challenge yourself! Talent scouts in this business hear hundreds of "wanna-bees" every week. What is it about your music that makes it stand out from all the rest of what the public has been complaining about as "indistinguishable groups who all sound alike"2. Play Live Often and Don’t Worry About Getting Paid For Every Gig.You can always tell the difference between a musician who is in it for the money, and a musician who is in it for the music. The dedicated musician can’t not play music every chance they get. Money-focused musicians whine about the fact that they can’t get club gigs that pay anything. If you really think that you can make your living solely as a musician in the first three to four years of your career, you are headed for a breakdown and disappointment. Think about it...almost every legendary, gifted musician who has made a mark on our culture has been a musician who struggled long and hard at their craft, and...never gave up. Eat determination for breakfast! Go out there and play on the streets if you have to, play at schools, fairs, festivals, do benefits to help other people and organizations. Offer your services to non- profits, charities, church groups, and any other companies or organizations you can think of. Hang out at clubs, look for jamming possibilities, or start your own jam sessions. Look around your city or town, and you will see many places and venues where musicians can play. As you establish yourself and more and more people show up at your shows, the paid gigs will increase. Remember... play live, and then after you play live, play live again, that’s what musicians are supposed to do.3. Be a master musician on your instrument.One of the curious developments of the late 70’s was the huge increase in garage bands, punk bands, and "do-it yourselfers", who just picked up an instrument, or started to sing with some friends, and 6 months later recorded a record and began to play live. Some great music, and new directions in music, came out of that situation. But now, 20 odd years later, the novelty of hearing amateurish thrashings has gotten a bit dull. Prior to late 70’s, more often than not, the music that is our heritage was made by musicians who, from the time they took up their instrument, worshipped at the feet of some master bluesman, jazz player, folk legend, songwriter, or whatever. The habit of these inspired musicians was an appetite for perfection. A need to be not just "good enough". but GREAT. Why settle for less. Whatever developing stage you are at, go beyond it, re-commit yourself to your instrument or voice. Take lessons, or better yet, sit yourself down at your CD player and choose a favorite guitar player’s record, and listen closely to what they are playing. then re-play it, and re-play it again. Challenge yourself to go beyond your limitations. Who knows, maybe you will fall into some new territory, wherein you will find yourself, your "sound", and increase your chance to stand out from all the mediocrity that is your competition. Believe it or not, record labels love to hear innovative, accessible new sounds. Actually in their heart of hearts, that is what they are really hoping to hear on every new demo tape, and from every new act they go see at a live venue. You see...in the business of music, when we hear something new, original, and accessible to people, we can then invest in you with more security, believing that if we put our "label brand" on you, with our talents of promotion and marketing coming to the front, then we "have something," and your music becomes our music, and we work together to broaden you audience appeal. It’s kinda like a partnership ...something about "Art and Commerce"...they can work together you know?!4. Protect Your Investment...Copyright your songs.I never cease to be amazed how few artists are willing to spend $25 to copyright their songs. By the way, these folks are often the same folks who complain about not getting paid to perform their unknown music. All I know is that when an inventor comes up with some new product that they think will appeal to a certain type of customer, the first thing they do is file for a patent on their invention. The same reaction to protecting songs should be there for any serious songwriter. If you really intend to work hard and develop your career as a musician who writes your own songs, don’t wait too long to take care of this simple, but essential task. If you really believe in your unique and original music then take the time to learn the basics of copyright protection. From the Internet to the library, there a number of easy ways to learn what it takes to file for copyright protection. Do it now!5. Design simple, but effective promo materials.The topic of designing and writing effective promotional materials; bios, fact sheets, cover letters, quote sheets etc. is a lengthy one to say the least. As far as some tips that can help musicians promote their careers, and contribute to their getting any deal offers, is to make the promo materials as compelling, and informative as possible. This can best be achieved by taking the time to inventory any accomplishments, positive reviews, training and awards, past sales, and live appearance highlights, and organize them into professional written bios etc. Having done that, time also needs to be taken to research who to send the materials to, and to ask each potential recipient what type of information they would like to have sent to them. No "generic" kits should ever be sent out to any gatekeepers in the music business. back to top6. Know The Labels and Publishers You Hope To Be Signed To.If you were applying for a job with a certain company of corporation, wouldn't you take some time to ask questions about their stability as a business, their reputation in the industry, and the executives background and experience? The same is true when shopping for a record deal. Some musicians get so excited when a certain label approaches them with a recording contract, or a publishing company offers to sign them. Being approached for a deal is a compliment and a recognition by a label or publisher that a musician's music is attractive to them. But, to rush ahead without taking the time to learn a few things about them is foolish indeed. How have they done with your particular genre of music? What specific "points" are they offering you? Who runs the label or publishing company? What is their reputation in the music business? How do you like them as people? These and other questions can be crucial in making an unemotional decision about an arrangement that could make or break your career.7. Have Your Own "Entertainment Law Attorney" To Represent You.The business of getting signed to any deal in the music business has always had, has now, and will always have, the involvement of entertainment law attorneys. No jokes will be inserted here, because any relationship between a musician, a record label, a publisher, a merchandiser etc. will come down to two attorneys hashing out the contract for the musician and the respective companies. It should be pointed out here that when all is said in done with the "courting" process, the musician is never present during the actual negotiations. The musicians attorney and the music company’s attorney meet, talk over the phone, and fax their offers and counter-offers amongst themselves. This fact serves to remind you that choosing a reputable, ethical, well respected attorney with lots of deal making experience within the music industry is an absolute necessity for any serious musician who wishes to fight the good fight in the legal arena.8. Choose A Well Connected and Respected Personal Manager.Self-management is always a valid option in the developing stages of establishing your career as a musician. Much can be learned by taking on the jobs of securing gigs, getting some publicity, planning tours, dealing with personal issues that arise within the band, and schmoozing with A&R Reps and various other label and publishing personnel.However, there comes a time, usually when the daily tasks of doing the business of being a band takes up too much time, and it is at this time that the services of a good manager can be very useful. I have always felt that if any musician or band has worked hard to establish their career, and achieved a modicum of success, they will have a better chance to "attract" the services of a professional, well connected and respected manager. Managers who do this job for a living can only take on clients that generate income. Making money as a personal manager is no easy task, and many upcoming artists forget that if any moneys are to be generated from their music, it can takes years for the flow of that income to be reliably there. So, as a band develops self-management, or gets help from intern/student manager-wannabes, can help pave the road for professional management. Over the years I have heard several horror stories about "managers" that approach upcoming acts and say that for X amount of dollars, they can do such and such for the artist. No... this is not the way legit personal managers work. Well connected and respected personal managers get paid a negotiated fee for their services (get it in writing) for any and all business transactions they are responsible for (15%-25%) over a particular contract period. No musicians should ever pay a fee to a so-called "manager" who will not do any work UNLESS they are paid up front. Flim Flam men and women still abound in this business... be forewarned. One of the most important jobs of a manager is to secure recording and publishing contracts for their clients, this is why it is so essential to choose well connected and well respected managers. The music business is a "relationship" business. Who know who, and who can get to know who, and who did what successfully for who is what this management game is all about. Choose carefully those people who will be representing you in any business dealings.9. Don’t Take Advice From Anyone Unless You Know That They Know What They Are Talking About.At the beginning of this article I stated that there are a million ways to do something, and that these 10 tips were just my comments from years of dealing with the business itself and musicians. Everybody has their own list of Do’s and Don’ts and the only real value they have is that they present you with "opinions" about what to do to get established as a musician.To be quite candid, the best rules in the music business comes from the experience of building your own career; learning from your own interactions with the gatekeepers at labels, the media, management, and booking companies as to what is right or wrong for you. For every Do or Don’t there is an exception to a so-called "rule". As I reflect on the advice I sought out and listened to over the years, the most valid tips came from people who walked the walk, and talked the talk. If you feel that the source you have contacted knows what they are talking about, and has had first hand experience doing what you want to learn about, that is the only feedback that might stand up over time. Choose carefully.10. Musician...Educate Thyself! If you want a record deal, learn what a record deal is, and learn something about the business of music.
