Artists still want a record deal

I saw this survey the other day that set out that 75% of aspiring artists still want to sign a record deal.

And I was confused!

Despite the fact that I know many artists don't yet understand the sea change that the music industry is going through, I thought that the majority knew things weren't all rosy in the record labels.

So, when I received an email from Taxi that set out why many artists felt this way, I thought I should share their reasoning as it's a dose of realism for those of us who belive that DIY is the answer!

This is some of the Taxi email:

Recently, a very credible survey of 1,800 musicians showed that surprisingly, 75 % of the bands and artists who responded would like to be signed to a Major Record Label. In an era when "Major Label" is practically a dirty word, there's a simple reason that 3 out of 4 musicians would like to be signed to Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., etc.

You already know the answer, don't you?

The Internet's "playing field"--although level--has not proved to be the magic bullet most musicians thought it would be.

Yes, the opportunities are abundant and equally available to every musician on the planet. But capitalizing on those opportunities takes laser-like focus, a rock solid business plan, twelve-to-eighteen hour workdays, substantial amounts of cash, professional marketing skills, and the relentless dedication it takes to launch any successful entrepreneurial business venture.

A successful career in the music business is a business, after all. Oh, I know, it should be enough that you've worked hard to become a great songwriter or artist. You've done your part, haven't you?

And if you hit a label's radar and got signed, they put up the money, the marketing machine, the tour support and everything else necessary to break you as an artist. And that's why 75% of you reading this would still like to be signed to a major label--mustering the money, marketing skills, and the business chops is really, really hard to do on your own, especially if you're holding down a job and paying your bills.

You can read Billboard's view here.

What I'm always banging on about still remains true though - whether you want to build a career as a DIY musician or want to get signed, you still need to build the fanbase and create the buzz that takes you to the next level - whether that is the elusive deal or the forward thinking self-sufficiency!