Songwriter Advisor Blog

In Part 1 of this series it was revealed the majority of Major label record executives find it very difficult these days to give an individual performing artist under the age of 24 a chance at record deals.  Notice I said “individual” and that this does not encompass bands, music producers, or songwriters. 

So what can you do if you’re a performing artist over the age of 24 who wants a major label record deal so badly you can taste it?  I’m glad you asked.  The following also works wonders for artists of any age, and puts you in the most favorable position when it comes to record deals.  Be forewarned;  you have to be aggressive but not overbearing, and you have to have the ultimate confidence in your dreams!

Here are the steps you can take:

1.  First, know exactly what genre your music fits into, and make sure the record label has an interest in exploiting that market.  You can research this and find out who’s hot and who’s not through major label websites as well as many other websites, through various periodicals like Billboard Magazine, and by networking and asking people connected to that particular label.  Once you know you have a chance to fill a void through a particular genre or you believe you’re the next greatest thing to Beyonce, record your 3 best songs and package your demo professionally.

2.  Next, you have to develop a working relationship through networking with someone who’s connected to a major label.  This means you should approach managers, entertainment attorneys, A&R reps, or anyone connected to a major label through music industry events, workshops, parties, and other social situations.  This one is extremely important!  No matter how good you are, if you don’t make the personal connection, you have a better chance of winning the Powerball lottery! 

3.  Once you’ve developed a working relationship (you met at Starbucks for coffee, etc.) you start working your way in.  Show your demo to your contact only at this point and let them know what your goals are in an excited, confident manner.

4.  Be careful at this point, too many people in the music industry including your contacts don’t have the heart to tell you they can’t do anything for you for whatever reason (i.e., it’s not good enough, they think their record label won’t like it, etc.).  So trust your gut feeling.  Your sole focus at this point should be to get that one person to believe in you.  If that person does not believe in you, maintain the friendship, but look elsewhere and repeat steps 1 to 3.

5.  Once you have a music industry insider believing in you as a performing artist, it’s time to pitch your demo using the information on this link.  If you’re a songwriter, remind them that you are, and really stress that fact proudly.  For quite a few years now, major labels have preferred self-contained artists because they know they can usually tie in their music publishing deals together with their record deals-yes, meaning more profit for them!  

Major label record deals aren’t easy to achieve but I assure you, they’re well within reach if you take the appropriate steps.

Independent record deals from established companies are no piece of cake either, and if you’ve noticed especially lately, they’re on the rise once again and certainly a fantastic option to successfully get your music out there. 

Now, go out and get those record deals and make us all proud to be your fans!

An excellent way to expand your songwriting horizons is to dabble in music production.  The new breed of songwriters in the music industry definitely is more geared to writing and recording the songs themselves because of the following reasons:

1.  Good music production equipment has sharply decreased in price to the point where it’s conceivable for a songwriter to learn music production and consistently create hits in their homes in certain genres like Dance music.   Many industry pros believe the price of quality recording equipment will keep falling  as the technology gets better.

2.   It rarely makes sense these days to give away (US)1000.00 on a three-song demo when you can invest that money into creating a pretty darn good little home recording studio and eventually record it yourself.

3.   No one has a better idea of how a song should sound than the actual songwriter, and music production gives you the leeway to experiment and get the most out of your song.

Most independent artists are actually recording their CD’s in their home studios to save on costs and because many swear they love the artistic freedom they have that’s impossible to achieve in a “time-is-money,” constricted major studio.  The result is usually a more dynamic CD in terms of performance even though the sound quality is slightly inferior.   Even then, after a CD is mastered, only a highly-trained sound engineer, music producer, or other industry pro can sometimes tell the difference in the slight quality loss. 

Even major label producers and engineers record some tracks in their home studios and they save the more important tracks such as vocals and other live instruments for the studio work.  This cuts down on costs tremendously when you figure they’re recording at (US)250. to 500. an hour!

So why not give it a shot?

Music production is something you can learn rather quickly but it does take some time to master.  At the very least, you can probably start recording quality vocal/piano or guitar tracks in a few days once you apply the right information.