The reason that professional management can increase your probability of landing a record, contract with a record label is because most artist don’t understand the music industry. Hopefully the manager you select to help you handle your career does understand the music industry.
There are 3 main factors that need to be in place in order to capture the attention of A&R representatives and record executives.
You can greatly increase your chances of getting a record deal if you’re mindful of these 3 main factors.
- The recording quality of your music must be superb. 10 years ago and prior, music was submitted to labels via a CD. This was called a demo tape. That demo could showcase not only your talent, but your attention to detail, which could be over shadowed if the Mixing & Mastering wasn’t keen. However, since the new revolution of aggregated DSP’s— like Distro Kid, Ditto, or Tunecore, a lot of music shows up quickly, and obviously hastily for the world to hear. While your friends and family may not notice the music levels being subpar, professionals, listening to your music, hear it immediately.
- Your social media presence is a must. One of the biggest mistakes that artists make is not allowing the world to know that they exist. Many artists wait until they’re releasing a project before they begin interacting with planet earth. That’s entirely too late to get started with marketing yourself. It’s vital to share a little about yourself regularly via social media. Currently, Instagram is a great place for doing this. It’s not only good marketing but the research shows that it’s incredibly beneficial to make short videos— reels—about your day, your time in the studio, your process for writing a song, your inspiration, or even a quick glimpse of you starting your day with a bowl of cereal, or whatever your breakfast happens to be. The idea is simple, the more people you can begin to interact with, the better chance you have of them listening to your music.
- Think outside of the box. As an executive in the record business I’m constantly looking to hear something different. For example: I’m grateful that we already have people in the industry like Bruno Mars. So there’s no need for you to submit a song to us that sounds just like him. It’s imperative for you to find your own style. You’ve got to determine your own lane. My teammates and I are constantly looking for originals. We want to hear someone that sounds completely different than what we all hear on the radio everyday. Why? Because what we hear on the radio every day already exists! As an artist, it should be your goal to find your spot on the radio, but with a completely different sound.
