Want That Big Record Deal? Options

[RichardK]

We all dream about it. Nailing that gig and afterwards this guy comes up to you and says: “Hi, I represent Universal, I think you guys really have something special. Here’s a bag of money!” And off you go to a big-ass studio in LA, record a platinum album and be on your way to rockstardom. Sure, it’s not a very realistic scenario, but somewhere in the back of our minds, we all secretly hope for it.

I read this really cool article about how the industry works. Despite what we know about countless bands getting screwed over, we still think we need those big companies to make it big. In fact, that’s the reason these companies exist: you take care of the creative side, they take care of the business side, because you don’t know or want to know about these things. Even though all the necessary information is just a google search away.

But still, we want to rely on people who really know the business, so we can focus on what’s most important: the music. Right? And the companies want you to be successful, because it means more money for them. Unfortunately, this is only partly true. Yes, they want you to be successful, but not too successful. Bands like Metallica have a huge fanbase, so they’re in a position to make demands, like bigger royalties. And record companies don’t like that.

Here’s how they work. For example in the Netherlands, the Big Three (Sony, Universal, Warner) will each sign three bands per year, give each one a budget and then continue with the most successful band, dropping the other two immediately, leaving them with a big debt. If you’re in the successful band, expect to be dropped within three years (because they don’t want you to create that big fanbase).

If you want to stay on longer, there’s the 360-deal, where you get a lot of freedom and room to develop your music. But this freedom comes at a price: 360 means all the way. So what you earn from touring and merchandise (the band’s biggest source of income), goes right into their pockets.

This is not a rant against major labels or labels in general, it’s just how they work. It’s just economics for them and it happens to be music. I know this because many of my friends are musicians or work in the business.

What I’m trying to say is: do we really still need labels? A lot of stuff they do for you, you can do yourself. You can make a really decent recording at home, hire a producer to polish and master it and just upload it to iTunes or Spotify. As for promo, artist bio and marketing, same thing. Do it yourself or hire someone to write it for you (still much cheaper than any label). Want gigs? Contact programmers and venues or hire a manager.

It’s a lot of extra work and it might distract from the fun of making music, but if you work together as a band, it’s not that hard at all. We have the interwebz, so all the info is at our fingertips. We all know it’s very hard to make it in music and only very few people do, but we all secretly hope for it. And labels may seem like a shortcut or a great way to focus only on the music. But if you really want to make it, all the extra work is a small price to pay. So, still want that big record deal?

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