A vinyl record crowdsourced label

I love the idea of this new label/site from the people at Plugola.

I'll let them explain it:

After roughly a year and a half of bootstrapping and slowly building, we are finally able to announce a soft (beta) launch of Hifidelics.What we have here is essentially an online record store built on top of a crowdsourcing platform. Our focus is to release limited edition, creative vinyl records from some of the freshest, up-and-coming talent. When I say ‘creative’ records, I mean something extra special in the packaging or the record itself.

Go and read their post about the idea here.

And, you can check out the Hifidelics site here.

It might be that it's a great place for you to release a record, or it might just inspire you to make an extremely creatively packaged record - these resonate with true fans very well.

 

Why a major label record deal still matters

I'd like you to read the comment by 'Pazuzu' on this Guardian post about why Nerina Pallot still wants a record deal with a major. It's the ninth comment down.

I would reproduce it in it's entirety but I don't have permission so you have to go over there to read it. The follow-ups in the later comments clarify his thoughts.

I'm not that interested in the article itself.

I met Nerina a few times many years ago when she played keys in a band called, if I recall, 'Thumb'. Very nice she was too and clearly talented and if she feels the need for a major deal on the basis of what she says in the article, then it's a perfectly acceptable choice.

But, it's what Pazuzu says that works for me.

When I started our main blog, I thought that to 'make it in music' was to become a lauded, respected, volume-selling mainstream success. That's where the bulk of my experience was at the time and it's what I thought all artists wanted.

As I have written more and become more involved in 'direct to fan' I realise that there are a myriad ways for musicians to 'make it' - be that playing the music you love regardless of whether you find an audience, doing it yourself but looking for a fanbase that can financially sustain your lifestyle (whether that is modest or fantastical), or indeed the pursuit of global GaGa fame, plus a whole other load of perfectly sensible models to fit individual desires and definitions of success.

I then realised that whatever it is you hope to achieve, you should always focus on your art and the skills you have so that the expression of your art can be as complete as you are then able to make it. Practice, effort, improvement and humility will all make that art better.

And, as you improve, everything that we teach and point readers to, should help in the promotion of that art in the most effective way that the music industry and the wider modern world allows. Whether you choose to promote or not is up to you.

But, if you do, the tools and our knowledge will help.

In his comment, Pazuzu says:

I can't figure out if you want to make music or make sales. In these times, people seem to confuse the two, as though commercial success is any marker of artistic worth. If people want to be artists of any kind they should be prepared to toil in obscurity. It's one of those unpleasant truths life throws at us. All of us have seen tear-inducingly talented people performing in obscurity and going nowhere commercially, while mediocrity is lavished at every turn with riches, privilege, and praise. And yet artists flock to major record labels to seek validation through commerce. No artist should ever feel entitled to make a living, much less a fortune, from their art. That is a courtier's mentality. If they do happen to "make it," good for them, but let's not confuse the two distinct and incommensurable things that are artistic worth and commercial value.

I do actually believe that the DIY musicians who use the direct to fan model can now build a career that is financially sustainable and might then go on to global success (which might or might not involve a deal with a major label). But I also believe that talent and persistent pursuit of artistic improvement is the starting point for those DIY musicians.

So, although I love his view of what it is to be an artist, I think we are in a golden age for music where the 'tear-inducingly talented' will only fail to find success (at some level) if they don't use the tools at their disposal, or if they choose not to.

Don't give up on the major label deal if it's what you desire, but don't see it as the be all and end all. Make yourself great and work to build a fanbase using what the 'DIY musician' industry that is beginning to appear wants to teach you. Where that might take you, who knows, but it's better than blindly hoping that you might be good enough for 30 seconds of fame from a copycat produced bit of generic pop bollocks.

Fact!

The main article and Pazuzu's comments are here.

Record deals - the basics

You might well want to learn some of the basics of what's in a record deal before you ever find yourself presented with one.

The major record companies, like it or not, do still have the monopoly on big league marketing and promotion - you can succeed without it, but I know from experience that many artists grab that deal with the devil when it passes by....and some even do well by it!

This post has some great advice and good basic information on what to expect.

Recording contracts are extremely complex and it’s almost impossible to explain all possible provisions a contract might contain in simple terms. If an artist finds his or her self presented with a recording contract the absolutely most important thing to do is to find an attorney with experience in the music business (not a cousin’s friend who closes real estate contracts for a living) to review the agreement and negotiate on their behalf with the record company’s legal department or outside attorney. Recording contracts are written by the record labels and their attorneys and can be structured as less than advantageous for the artist.

Read it here.

 

5 reasons why your band isn't signed

You may well not want to be signed to a label - either you want to stay fiercely independent or a music career isn't why you're making music.

But, it's still the holy grail for many artists.

We repeatedly point out that if a sustainable career as a musician is your goal, you need to be doing the same things whether you want to be signed or want to be a diy artist - make music, promote it, build a fanbase and build a community of fans that will pay to support you. That's what labels want to see these days - that you've done something to start the ball rolling. And, if they don't sign you (or you don't want to be signed) that same foundation is what you build on to take your diy career to whatever level you want.

So, take this article from Music Globalization in that spirit.

As an entertainment attorney my job is simple – help musicians. Sometimes helping involves revealing the bitter truth. Some bands want to gauge their industry success based on label partnerships. This is unrealistic. If you’re not signed with a label it means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but unfortunately many musicians equate a lack of label backing as failure. Instead of harping on the disappointment, groups need to understand the harsh realty at hand - labels pass for a reason. It’s these reasons which bands must understand, analyze, and apply towards their career advancement. The worst thing to do, yet the most common, is to begin blaming the surrounding cast. “Had our manager only done this……. Had our booking agent only booked us larger shows, etc…” Wrong. Listen to what the label executives tell you.

Read the whole post here.

What's broken in A&R?

A&R rightly get a lot of grief from everyone else in the music industry.

All too many simply don't have the talent to do the job and it becomes the parody that the video below pokes fun at (Don't watch if you're easily offended!).

But, there are some good A&R people - who can bring improvement, direction and clarity to an artist's work.

This article on Wired is well worth a read.

A&R scouts, the workers of the music industry entrusted with finding and developing new talent, have come in for much criticism over the past decade. Most people don't know what they do, and those that do, disagree with most of their decisions. Disgruntled, overlooked bands hate them for not signing them, and the record-buying public hate them for feeding them bland, intelligence-insulting music, or incomprehensible hipster nonsense which no-one living outside the E1 postcode will like.

But is the A&R-bashing justified, and, if so, what can be done about it?

Read the piece here.

Oh, and it really is like this:

 

 

Getting a record deal in the modern game

That's if you want to - and for many, that's becoming less of a dream. We're massively pro the DIY musician and know that for many that is now the way that I want to do it.

But, if you're building a fanbase and making a noise, chances are that you'll attract attention and might decide to do the deal with the devil.

The positive spin is that building momentum on your own is the precursor to DIY success or a record deal - so you need to be doing that anyway!

Watch this music industry lawyer giving his verdict on what is required.

Or watch on Youtube here.

How to get a (better) record deal

There's a post on our main blog that adds some background steps on how to get a record deal - you might want to read it as well as these below.

Then there's this great 2 part post from the Live Unsigned Blog.

Part 1 looks at the position you need to be in to get signed - you're best off creating a 'buzz' with DIY musician efforts (although I believe sending in a demo if you're at that stage is still a reasonable use of your time - a long shot for sure, but worth it if that deal is what you're after).

Although it is possible to do really well completely independently some people still want a record deal, some see it as a form of validation. Some artists only want to concentrate on the music and let the label handle the business (although I’d argue that its easier to concentrate on the music if you have control of your own career). Signing to a label isn’t about forgetting about the business side of things – its the start. Labels expect you to work hard promoting your product and can often fail to do the same for you. Its not ever going to be that easy.

Part 2 lists a whole load of things you need to get straight if they offer you that deal!

Make sure you get a music industry lawyer to review anything before you sign it. I know of one indie label that signs a lot of indie acts then just uploads their music to Bandcamp and takes a large percentage of the sales. The bands could do this themselves and make far more money, they gain nothing from the deal. Don’t let this happen to you. If its a bad deal just walk away.

These two posts have a lot of good advice - check them out.

How did they get signed? Free eBook from Audiorokit

I was asked today to take a look at a new site called Audiorokit that aims to connect your music with industry players who are actually looking for specific material, styles or genres.

It's a great idea and a site I'd definitely add to those that you should be aware of and using as a diy musician. It's brand new and needs to get some density to reach its potential, but go and take a look.

Darren who set it up has been around the music biz for a while and is looking to fix a problem of access that all musicians have.

He's also been kind enough to let us give away a free eBook that he's written that tells the story behind how 10 acts (some you know, some you don't) got their break and got noticed. It should inspire you and maybe give you some ideas!

Download - 'So how did they get signed?' here.

 

 

Fan Funded record label officially launches in the UK

We love fan funding - we write about it a lot.

And, in fact, we mentioned this particular innovative model in this post here.

My Major Company is officially launching in the UK this week, although it's been open for business for a few months already.

The two links below to press reports give you the idea so I'll spare you the details ....other than to say that the label's first shot at this in their home territory of France brought about a million selling record. The method of funding from fans to this serious level means that a band has an instant following ready to buy their record plus marketing and promotion resources.

It has more depth than some fan funding methods as it comes with full label support.

Read and watch the pices here on Techcrunch and here on Sky.

And visit My Major Company's site here.

Music piracy is officially over!

Is it?

Wired seem to think so in this article. Maybe the future of music is secure!

And given that they make the case well and that buying music is supporting artists - not just behemoth entertainment companies - maybe it's the right result.

So there’s really no reason not to buy—and surely you understand by now that there are reasons why you should. When you buy instead of bootlegging, you’re paying the band. Most download retailers send about 70 percent of each sale to the record companies that own the music. Artists with 15 percent royalty deals get 15 percent of that 70 percent, or about 10.5 cents per dollar of sales. Those who write their own music and own their own music publishing companies—an increasingly common arrangement—get another 9.1 cents in “mechanical royalties.” Every download sends almost 20 cents straight to the band.

Read the blog piece here.

Artist Development - it's now down to you

Bob Lefsetez telling us that artist development at major labels is dead - and he's pretty much right.

But this article goes further - looking at why you're making music and how you can rely on yourself if your motivation is right.

So if you’re a new act, stay indie.  You’ve got to, in order to be control of your own artistic destiny.  If you can’t change direction on inspiration, chances are you won’t connect for more than a moment, if that.

And indie is about forgetting everybody else and focusing on your fans.  If your fans are burned out on your music, you must make more, even though others have never heard it.

Read it here.

What is a 360 degree record deal?

Although I was a music lawyer - that's how I got my start - these deals didn't come in until I was a manager - but I've still seen my fair share of them.

These are two great posts that look at what the 360 deal is and what it means for artists. If you get signed or are looking to get signed in today's business, this is 99% likely to be the kind of deal you will get. You need to know about it!

The first one is from the great NPR blog via @BuzzSonic.

"Most deals are about 270, maximum, not 360 degrees," he says. "In theory a 360 deal encompasses all revenue that an artist brings in, and hence the name, '360 degrees.' I'm going back and forth between '360' and 'multi-rights.' Usually in my writing I call it 'multi-rights.'"

Read the NPR piece here.

And this very considered article is from Jon Ostrow at Mic Control - altough I couldn't find it again on his blog, so this is from somwhere that it was reposted!

Simply put, a 360 deal is a business relationship between an artist and a music industry company. It doesn’t have to be between record label and artist, as seen in the 2007 360 deal signed between Madonna and promoter Live Nation (Jay-Z signed a similar deal in 2008).

Read Jon's piece here.

Why sign a record deal?

Great post that I again picked up from @BuzzSonic's Twitter stream - follow him if you don't already!

This is an insightful piece on whether it's worth it in this day and age jumping through hoops and working like a dog just to get a record deal, when you can, more than likely, achieve nearly as much with a far better income in the burgeoning world of 'direct to fan'.

I'm not saying that it's right for every artist to eschew the option of getting a record deal, but the beauty of the world we now live in is that you as an artist should be doing everything to build a fanbase and speak directly to an audience - whether you want to go it alone or whether you want that beginning of popularity to propel you to a deal. The work required is basically the same.

In traditional agreements- labels recouped their investment through record sales, leaving band’s earnings to be made from touring, merchandise and sponsorship. Now, 360-degree deals are the norm. Warner won’t sign anyone now unless it’s a 360 deal- a package which is more akin to a management deal, whereby the label will take a cut from any future sponsorship, seeding, use of material, touring and merchandise. And while this may remove the need for an ‘immediate hit’, in real terms it means that bands will earn even less, and have less control over their image, presentation and rights.

Labels traditionally made money from the process in which they were involved – ie/ recording and distributing records. Is it coincidence that now that recorded music sales are significantly declining, they change their business model? What gives them the right to impede on touring, merchandise, sponsorship or the use of music in films or adverts? How does this benefit either the artist or the audience?

Read the piece here.

How to break into the music industry - guaranteed

This is a cynical view of what you need to do to break into the music industry but it masks a horrible truth!

If the be all and end of all of your aim is to 'get a record deal', then playing to the masses and surfing a wave of musical simplicity that is already being consumed is a great way to go. Record companies (even in this day and age) will look for the next this or the next that rather than stick their necks out and sign something new and different.

However, as we espouse on our blog (Make It In Music), that isn't the way it has to be done and now you can create your own following and thereby your own success outside of the old system.

Still - this is a cracking article that should make you laugh and reflect!

According to Lindsay McDougall (triple j’s “The Doctor”, Frenzal Rhomb) breaking into the music industry is easy, anyone can do it, it just requires one small thing of yourself: the complete surrendering of your soul to the parasitic whims of the dull-eyed masses.

If this irritates your puritan indie sensibilities, fear not, these days there’s enough different types of cookie-cutter genre molds to fit even your most oblique electro-fuzz. You just need to squeeze yourself into one of the following song types:

Read the post here.

Singles no longer shifting albums

Photo by uitdragerij

As the previous post pointed out, some British acts are seeing some serious success in the US with what could be described as UK Hip Hop - or some better description from someone who listens to it, because I don't! - but it seems that it is all singles based and they aren't selling albums.

Why is that?

Hypebot have had a look at some of the reasons - personally I believe it's all part of the sea change that the digital music area has heralded. There will be album artists but not all artists will make albums in the future - they will survive on a stream of singles, radio hits, live appearances (rather than traditional touring as such) and online fanbases.

The old saying goes that for every great man, there is an ever greater woman behind him.  The same has traditionally been true for music - for every hit single, there is an even bigger selling album behind it.

Read what Hyebot think here.

 

Record label vs Indie Release - where the cash at?

Great Graphic courtesy of CrudBump.

The stats tell you all you need to know about the monetary advantage of being a diy musician.

How artists make money from their music

This article looks at an overview of how songwriters and artists make money in the music business - a great musicians resource.

In today's world, there are a variety of ways songwriters and artists make money in the music business. These include, but are not limited to: video games, on-line streaming, traditional radio play, downloads, songs in films, TV shows and commercials, webisodes, ringtones, e-greeting cards, lyrics on t-shirts and jeans, merch bundling and more

Some of these channels generate a lot of money, others very little and some are good for promotional benefit only.

Each subset of the music business has its own set of rules, contracts, licenses, considerations and royalties and differ depending on whether you are a songwriter, an artist, or both.

Here are basics of what you need to know about how to make money as a songwriter and artist in today's world of music.

Read the whole article at Tunecore now.

How music companies discover, develop and promote talent

A reader of our main site mailed me some stuff yesterday including a link that led to this brilliant report on the music business written by the IFPI - a major trade body.

I've just read the whole thing - You need to read it!

One of the biggest myths about the digital age is that artists no longer need record labels. The internet allows them to reach their public directly, the myth goes. Live music and other revenue sources, like merchandising and advertising, will do the rest.Yet the reality is in fact completely different.

A very small minority of artists, mostly well known, established acts, are achieving success through this DIY route – they deserve good luck. But the vast majority are not. The truth is that artists are generally much better served by a record deal. They want the funding and the specialist support that indie and major record labels provide.

I don't agree with that in particular, but I've always said that perfecting your own talent and then building an online fanbase gives you the choice to go it alone or sign to a label or a new-model 'music company'.

What this pdf does though, and why you need to read it, is that it gives you a thorough explanation of how record companies work and what they do to break an artist. Whether you want to get involved in that circus with them or not you can learn a hell of a lot from this 30 pages.

Get the ifpi guide here.

Record labels and traditional media still matter

Whilst we advocate the direct to fan approach for artists, we aren't in the crowd that herald the death of all mainstream media and all the elements of the old school music busines.

The beauty of building your own fanbase through your own efforts and online is that you still have a choice. Labels, in most cases, want to see that you can have a level of success on your own and that is what social networking, blogging, self-releasing and so on does. But, at the point that they come calling you will have the choice to work with them and take advantage of their traditional global set-up and marketing budget and prowess.....or not.

They do have a role....still. But it may not be right for you. And a key part of that role is to act as the 'filter'/

MP3s killed the CD star, and blogs + iPad is supposed to kill magazines and newspapers. But there’s a reason why record labels and traditional media still matter.

The role of record labels, magazines, and other traditional outlets as a distributor is obsolete, yes. Anyone can deliver digital content now. But their roles as editors is more important than ever. And that’s why record labels and traditional media still matter – to be quality filters in an over-saturated world.

Read about the way that traditional media and labels act as filters here.