Finding the right record label deal for your band in some sense might end up being as complicated and miraculous as splitting the dead sea.
In many cases what some might think to be the right record label deal for them might also turn out to be the biggest downfall of their career.
Additionally, some who read this article might not really even be at a stage where there is a record label looking at signing them so why even read on?
This article and the principle that follow actually cuts across all facets of the music business and isn’t just related to finding the right record deal for your band.
The Story Of Two Teachers
Sometimes the easiest way to communicate an idea is by way of an analogy. Let’s say you’re a student in a class and there are two teachers about to give over the same lesson but in two different ways.
One teacher reads the education manual, understands what needs to be taught and gives it over without any love, feeling or effort - however she got the job done and taught the students.
On the flipside there is another teacher who takes the manual, thinks about it, applies her own ideas, thinks of ways to enhance the learning experience and then gives the class over.
Which teacher is going to get a better result from the students? Additionally, which teacher are the students going to jive with better and connect themselves to more?
Clearly the one who actually takes a serious interest in the information at hand and who actually cares about the welfare of the students to inspire them will have a much better chance in getting her students to learn and succeed.
Surround Yourself With Passionate People
The analogy above holds true with discovering who you need to be working with in this business. Again, this goes beyond finding the right record label deal for your band.
Making sure you find people who are like the second teacher, who get your music, they share the vision, they want to achieve the vision and they wish to invest their energy above and beyond what the standard curriculum is - these are the types of people you need to be surrounding yourself with.
Any A&R guy you wish to work with after signing a record label deal must possess these qualities of teacher number two. They must be able to show you and prove that they are like teacher number two before you sign that piece of paper.
For any bands that are yet to receive interest from labels, now you also know what type of people you should be looking to surround yourselves by.
Let’s face it one of the unfortunate truths of the music industry is that it is known to sometimes attract the more colorful creatures of the world - liars, cheats, immoral people who don’t always think or behave like teacher number one or two.
Next time you speak with people whether they are agents, producers, publicists or A&R guys, ask yourself what type of teacher or mentor or colleague you think they will be or could possibly become.
These people are great at making you think they will be like teacher two but they tend to turn out like teacher number one or sometimes even worse. Obviously if there is a ground swell on the band and things are going well you’ll receive more support on all fronts automatically.
As a young up and coming artist or band you should be thinking long and hard about the types of people you are surrounded by and who you think will drive you to become better and more successful at your art and career.
This idea is really fueled on both fronts, the whole idea is that your partners at the label or at the agency should really be so enthusiastic and excited about working with you that it actually elevates your vision and performance as a professional outfit - and vice versa.
That is ultimately the success and dynamics of a great partnership.
Getting back to our headline and topic of finding the right record deal, it should start to become a little easier and clearer to figure out in terms of who you should be working with and trying to surround yourselves by. Obviously, you cannot discount the actual terms or a deal that has been put forward on the table, however taking a good long hard look at the parties involved and the work ethic and general passion that they share are also key factors to consider when making an overall decision - and most importantly which record label deal is best for your band.
Tags: Music Recording, The Music Industry
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