Achieving Success

"Achieving success in the music business usually means balancing your own needs as a musician against the needs and desires of the public, the operator, the agents, or the records companies, each requiring a different compromise"(Suzanne, Stein, and Niehaus 42). Although compromising is a very tough job, the way to make the best compromise is to put yourself in the shoes of the people you need to compromise with and figure out what they want instead of what you want to give them(42).        In clubs, make "the sale of the club more important than the sale of the band"(44). Do this by advertising the menu, any specialties, or pointing out the waitress and bar people. Let people feel at home in the club, and let the club people know what you’re doing is benefiting them. Most importantly, have a good attitude. Let your audience know that you love them and they will love you(44).        There are many decisions you need to make for studios. Make sure they include an equal balance between artistic considerations(your style of music) and commercial requirements(the style of music that’s on the radio right now)(44). If you go into the studio thinking you can just record your songs and forget what the industry people want, the industry will forget you. Whatever you decide, make sure you do that before going into the studio, "before the clock starts ticking off money"(45).        "By the time you get to the concert level, all major decisions will be handled on a money level"(45). Take into consideration artistic performance and audience appeal. Don’t finance your own concerts. Leave that to the people who "understand the arena and its profit requirements"(45). "The music business is people. Know how the operator wants to make his money and how much he wants to make and you’ll have a much better chance of delivering"(47). Making friends with the owners friends will help you know what he wants. You can also ask the owner yourself. Make sure you get specific answers to your questions(47).        An agent is someone who finds jobs for his/her client and books dates. Don’t worry too much about what the agent wants. He doesn’t hire you, you hire him. They can’t make or break you. An agent with good connections can sell your product but won’t help you develop it(47), and an agent without connections will sell to whoever will buy(47). If you don’t want to hire an agent, you can always book yourself. Booking yourself though, is a tedious job. You have to make a lot of phone calls, advertise your talent in the yellow pages, print posters and flyers, design T-shirts, contact schools, clubs, religious groups, social and business organizations, etc., and negotiate prices. "You want to make as much money as possible, and the client wants to get entertainment at a low price"(Weissman 46). Most musicians don’t want to spend the time and energy booking themselves. "Booking a group is a full time job, if it is done well"(46). Don’t let a buddy or relative book the band. It’s unprofessional and they probably don’t have a lot of business skills. Agents can get you the best deal(48).        If you do hire an agent, there a couple of rules you should follow. "Never try to steal or borrow jobs from an agent"(48). If your agent books you somewhere and someone asks you how much you charge, hand them your agent’s card. Remember, your agent can generally get you a better deal. If the people you are performing for tell you they want you to perform again and ask if they can contact you directly, "do the honorable thing and say ‘no’"(48). If your agent finds out you’ve booked a job directly, they’ll probably never call you again, and may even bad-mouth you with other agents, who probably won’t book you(48).        There are may dishonest people out there. Agents can pull dirty tricks that can rip you off. For example, an agent can ask a group what they want for a particular event, and meet your price. But, while you’re getting the $600 you requested, the agent has sold the group for $1,200, and pocket the rest(49).        Managers will try to advance your career. Their opinion represents the industry’s. Listen to them, but only if you know they are trustworthy(Suzanne, Stein, and Niehaus 48). Managers work on long-term careers, so if you’re trying to stay local, you don’t need a manager. Plus, you probably can’t afford them because they charge 10-50% of your gross wages, so unless you have an act on the road, you don’t need a manger(Weissman 52).        A publicist is someone who makes sure "that anything the artist does or has done gets the attention of the media"(Weissman 36). "The publicist attempts to control any media coverage of the artist to fit the image of the group that the group and its manager are attempting to formulate"(36). Having a publicist is not cheap, but will pay off in the long run(37).        "Major labels want something just like what’s on the radio right now, only slightly different or better. Independent labels want something that will push them into the major leagues"(Suzanne, Stein, and Niehaus 48-49). Most of the time, record companies look for a band that can tour, write their own songs, have professional management, have a hit song, and can write more than one hit song(Weissman 113). Find out about the company by calling the company, talking with secretaries and A&R men, going to the library and doing research on trade papers, or making a friend in the company. "It all boils down to research and salesmanship: know whom you have to impress; know what it takes to impress them; know what you have to offer; then juggle it all"(Suzanne, Stein, and Niehaus 49).        The most important question when signing a recording contract is - Who to sign with? "For most artists, the answer is simple - the record company that’s offering the most money. For some artists, the answer is even easier - the only company offering a contract. Unfortunately, neither of these answers examine the many factors that should be considered before making a decision of such importance"(Recording 1). The artist should consider the distribution ability of a label. If a label can’t provide much distribution, there’s no point signing with the label(1). For example, an independent label with good regional distribution may be enough for some artists, but if the artist’s goal is to be an international pop star, this may be a disadvantage(1).        In most deals with major labels, the artists receives a very small amount of the proceeds. While the artist may think this is unfair, it’s just a "reflection" of the risks taken on by the record company. Releasing an album on a national or international level may cost over a million dollars. "All of that money is at risk if the record does not sell"(1). By taking most of the proceeds, "the record company is trying to maintain a sufficient return on its investment to justify the risk it is taking"(1).        Since it is possible to release a disk by yourself, you have to consider whether it’s worthwhile to pay the record company the share of money you are giving it for its services. The artist can think about this by asking him/herself two simple questions. What am I pay for and am I paying too much for it?(1). For example, let’s say your band received an offer from a "well-established" local label with good, regional distribution, for three records(one now with an option for two more) for 13% of the proceeds. You also get a deal from an A&R rep from Capitol Records. He offers you a deal, but for now, "it would just be a typical demo deal." So, what do you do?(1).        Most of the time, a major label will pay a new act 13%. "You can look at this deal as if you were paying the label 87% of the proceeds to release your disk"(2). But when you pay a major label 87%, you get international distribution, international marketing support, and a large recording budget. Since there’s no way a local label can offer you this, "you’re paying too much for too little"(2).        Unfortunately, the Capitol deal isn’t great either. "The demo deal just means that they’ll pay the costs of recording some number of songs"(2). While this may mean a great recording studio for free, there could be hidden costs. For example, after the demos are done, as part of the deal, Capitol may be able to have the "exclusive right" to sign your band for a period of time. This may leave the band powerless to do anything if another label "shows interest"(2).        When you look at everything, neither choice is a very good choice, but it would be better to sign with the local label, after negotiating for a better rate. But, also make "sure that the Capitol rep gets a copy of the disk"(2).        There are many people who can help you indirectly, so pay attention to these people and don’t disregard their significant contributions(49-50). These people are ex-musicians, who have been in this industry for a long time and are very knowledgeable; people who buy/sell/rent/etc. equipment, whose services you can request when you need it. You can also get good equipment deals, and they can teach you techniques on instruments you would have never thought of(50). Another group of people that may help your career are college students. These are young musicians who may add additional sound to your band without the expense of an additional player or replace other members in emergency situations(51).        A support group is a group of fans. While fans can’t help you develop your career, they are your audience. A loyal audience is important. "Businessmen like to do business with other businessmen, not artists...Music is a business; you are a product; art is something you put on the wall"(52). Although I don’t really like the fact that you’re just a product, that’s just business and that’s just reality. You need someone who believes in you and is willing to put money behind you(52). To gather a support group, find "strong fans who can be relied upon to handle important tasks" that you need help with. In order to buy a support group, you have to be an "exciting prospect." Make sure these people "really want to put you over the top..."(53).