The best way to get in contact with a record label?

[Joemamma]

Okay, I have a demo that's almost done.
And I'll be trying to get it out to some record labels to see if anyone is interested in putting out my music.

What's the best way to do this?

I could just send a package with a cd and some info about the music out to a bunch of different record labels and hope that some one hears it and likes it...
Do they even listen to all the demos being sent in?

Would it be better to show up at the label personally with a disc in your hands?
I would think it is, but it's kinda hard when you live far away from the labels you wanna work with...

Should I email them a link to a website/myspace page?

What's the best and most professional way?
Is there another way?

Originally Posted by Joemamma

Okay, I have a demo that's almost done.
And I'll be trying to get it out to some record labels to see if anyone is interested in putting out my music.

What's the best way to do this?

I could just send a package with a cd and some info about the music out to a bunch of different record labels and hope that some one hears it and likes it...
Do they even listen to all the demos being sent in?

Would it be better to show up at the label personally with a disc in your hands?
I would think it is, but it's kinda hard when you live far away from the labels you wanna work with...

Should I email them a link to a website/myspace page?

What's the best and most professional way?
Is there another way?

You should soundscan 5k a week and have a bunch of BDS adds.

That my friend will get you in touch with them.

[Stitch333]

have Clive Davis as your uncle

[C Heat]

www.taxi.com

[Apex]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

You should soundscan 5k a week and have a bunch of BDS adds.

That my friend will get you in touch with them.

How long would you have to sustain that kind of movement? Till they come callin or they let you walk in their office? BDS?

I read the best way is to say **** sellin CD's, make a demo and use your money to hire a well established ent. lawyer. That's what will at least get it heard by the right people at majors, but, just like anything in this biz, there are no guarantees.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Checkmate Muzik

lol if u can do 10K-20K, they will be lookin for you.

don't take this the wrong cus i'm just wondering...how many units have you sold?

[DeathGripProd.]

Dont mean to highjack the thread but I think this question applies here.

I was just checking out taxi.com and it looks pretty promising has anyone used it? I would hate to spend all that cash for nothing... Any experiences with using taximusic?


Poppa

[C Heat]

Originally Posted by DeathGripProd.

Dont mean to highjack the thread but I think this question applies here.

I was just checking out taxi.com and it looks pretty promising has anyone used it? I would hate to spend all that cash for nothing... Any experiences with using taximusic?


Poppa

Any TAXI success stories out there? ad nauseam

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by Checkmate Muzik

lol if u can do 10K-20K, they will be lookin for you.

But at that point the 50% net of each unit you are making independant will have you laffing your ass off when a label tries to give you 6 points a unit for a 'record deal'...

Originally Posted by Apex

How long would you have to sustain that kind of movement? Till they come callin or they let you walk in their office? BDS?

I read the best way is to say **** sellin CD's, make a demo and use your money to hire a well established ent. lawyer. That's what will at least get it heard by the right people at majors, but, just like anything in this biz, there are no guarantees.

Well honestly its impossible for any of us to say "If you sold xxxx you'd have a deal".

But hypothetically if you are scanning 5k a week and you are from bum**** no where and you don't know ANYONE in the music biz. If you called every major/mini major label and said. "Hey I'm calling because I just sold 5000 units of my record and I really don't know how to push it to the next level, because I only know how to get a buzz going, I'd like to know if you could direct me to someone who can help me. You may not get much response but someone will take your information and attempt to varify it.

IF you don't hear back and you call next week and say, "My record has sold 10k. It's doing 5k a week and I don't know how to push it to the next level. I tried calling your company last week in hope that you could assist me or give me direction to someone who could assist me, but I have not heard anything, could you please help me blah blah blah.

Then the 3rd week you call all of them saying My record has sold 15k and I've been calling for the past 2 weeks " the rest of your spiel".

YOU won't have a problem making relationships in the music biz. Someone WILL call you back. Be sure to specifically state to the person you are talking to each tmie "I'd like to know your name and position so that I can keep a record of who I spoke with.'

Each time you call the following week, ask to speak to that person. "Even if it's just a receptionist or someone who couldnt say yes to a record if it would save their mama from being eaten by Jaws and Godzilla, they will get tired of you asking them and begin to direct you to someone else. Make sure you get the new persons info and state that you spoke with the last person for xx amount of weeks, every week."

By the 3rd week you should be being referred to at least the VP's . Your story will be checked. And if you have really done 5k a week, your record has a story and SOMEONE somewhere actually likes it.

Don't do anything silly like constantly change your phone number, and you'll have all of the attention you desire from them.


OR you could go the BDS route and have radio success.

Either way, the logic is that majors spend a great deal of money on records every year. Some of them they can't get radio on and some of them, they CANNOT get to do even 5k a week once people start to hear them.

IF you can do so, and actually prove it (soundscan, etc...)

You've done something with hardly any money/budget, that they CANNOT get to happen with big budgets.

YOU will get attention.

(Also if you have actually moved the 15-20k you will have a few hundred grand laying around so you don't have to RUSH to take what majors offer. You have time to negotiate.)

Originally Posted by Stitch333

But at that point the 50% net of each unit you are making independant will have you laffing your ass off when a label tries to give you 6 points a unit for a 'record deal'...

Stitch, I'm curious, when you say 50% net what are you getting from distributors per unit? also what are your expense dollars on a per record basis?


(I know it's all hypothetical, I just like to make sure I understand what's being said behind numbers).

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Stitch, I'm curious, when you say 50% net what are you getting from distributors per unit? also what are your expense dollars on a per record basis?


(I know it's all hypothetical, I just like to make sure I understand what's being said behind numbers).

The term 'net' is a grey area as far as defining terms of independent distribution as each deal will be unique and with everyone and their mother having ProTools and calling themselves an engineer, production costs are next to nothing (there's some dude on this forum with an ad for $20 mastering in his signature). Also, with internet download sales, pressing and distribution costs entirely disappear and up go the profits. In this scenario, the only costs are production which, if you go with kats like the above mentioned dude, will be next to nothing. So the 50% net is actually way under the actual profit margin for independent release.

[Bob Olhsson]

Record labels have almost never signed anybody based on music because any idiot can go out and hire the best producers and songwriters available. They only sign artists who can demonstrate that they have the ability to draw and engage audiences.

All a demo does is help people make a decision about an artist being worth going out to see. A video showing an audience going nuts will probably do you a lot more good than any music recording.

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

Record labels have almost never signed anybody based on music because any idiot can go out and hire the best producers and songwriters available. They only sign artists who can demonstrate that they have the ability to draw and engage audiences.

All a demo does is help people make a decision about an artist being worth going out to see. A video showing an audience going nuts will probably do you a lot more good than any music recording.

Bob would you please frame this and deliver it to Big 3rd?

Though I don't consider record labels to be in any way "God like", they only help those who help themselves. You have to do SOMETHING to show that you are worth signing and marketing. Having a following, having sales, having spins, Having SOMETHING that shows you will have some possibility of success are things that you as a musician/writer/producer/artist have to do before you expect anyone else to show interest in your material.

This has NEVER changed and It NEVER WILL.

[MarkusColeman]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

All a demo does is help people make a decision about an artist being worth going out to see. A video showing an audience going nuts will probably do you a lot more good than any music recording.

this is why I suggest to both rappers and producers to TAPE THEIR PERFORMANCES.
no matter if on stage or in the studio.

I want to rather see a show with 1.000 people in the audience going nuts than being TOLD that "I have performed in front of 5.000 people in a sold out arena".
who cares? if you were the opening act for 50cent or Eminem, you would have performed in front of 20-30.000 people; that doesn't mean, people came to see YOU.

and it's nice to see a video of a producer at work. it's so much easier for those you want to work with to see HOW you work.

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by Checkmate Muzik

when you soundscan something nice, trust me theyll look for you. you gota be hot in yo city where the industry is familiar with ya work. indie game is no joke cause you competing against thousands of other labels and also requires lot of financing.

Exactly..people get it on this thread. I have said this over and over to people who send me demos and they never do this simple thing. PROVE your music is good!

[Sleepytime]

in response to the taxi thing, I haven't been happy with their service. I joined but am getting a refund... Their whole business scheme is kind of bullshit to me since they charge members for submissions. Their screening people are just one more obstacle and I don't think are really in tune with music trends, etc.

I've had much better experiences using Songlink and New On The Charts.

[MarkusColeman]

Originally Posted by Sleepytime

I've had much better experiences using Songlink and New On The Charts.

all you in need of a info database and a decent AnR panel should consider Hitquarters

15$/6 months

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Having a following, having sales, having spins, Having SOMETHING that shows you will have some possibility of success are things that you as a musician/writer/producer/artist have to do before you expect anyone else to show interest in your material.

This has NEVER changed and It NEVER WILL.

This is not entirely true. Back in the day I was involved in a rock project that got a major label deal and wound up selling 3+ million copies: MTV, arena tours, the whole 9yards. Before the deal they had played 2 shows in NYC, thats it. The kick off for them was an investor who just so happened to own calvin klein eyewear, paid for their album and gave them money to live for the year and a half they were putting the package together...sometimes it really is all about who you know.

[blaugruen7]

Originally Posted by Checkmate Muzik

NO NEED FOR A MAJOR DEAL WHEN YOU CAN SELL YOUR MUSIC DIRECTLY TO THE CONSUMER ONLINE?

some former studying buddies of mine have major deals with big companies.
the big advantage is, that they get a much better advertisement, placement, contacts, blah,blah,blah.
i believe that it would be a bit harder as a indie person or band to place a song into radio and mtv.

[DeathGripProd.]

Originally Posted by Stitch333

(there's some dude on this forum with an ad for $20 mastering in his signature).

Double GTG

Gotta Get That Guap!

Poppa

Originally Posted by Stitch333

This is not entirely true. Back in the day I was involved in a rock project that got a major label deal and wound up selling 3+ million copies: MTV, arena tours, the whole 9yards. Before the deal they had played 2 shows in NYC, thats it. The kick off for them was an investor who just so happened to own calvin klein eyewear, paid for their album and gave them money to live for the year and a half they were putting the package together...sometimes it really is all about who you know.

Well Yeah But you had already said "be related to Clive"

So I figured that one was a given. If Russel Simmons was my first cousin, I think it's fair to say I'd call him before putting out an indi project.

There are exceptions to every rule.

(Hey I just stated a rule. And if there are no exceptions to EVERY rule, then that is the exception).

[Joemamma]

Thanks for the ideas.
I think getting a manager/promoter who already knows people in the biz might be the way to go for me... It would have to be like a team though, where no one is trying to screw the other...
That way he/she can do the business thing, and I can just focus on the music, without having to deal with all the bs...

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by Joemamma

Thanks for the ideas.
I think getting a manager/promoter who already knows people in the biz might be the way to go for me... It would have to be like a team though, where no one is trying to screw the other...
That way he/she can do the business thing, and I can just focus on the music, without having to deal with all the bs...

werd

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Well Yeah But you had already said "be related to Clive"

So I figured that one was a given. If Russel Simmons was my first cousin, I think it's fair to say I'd call him before putting out an indi project.

There are exceptions to every rule.

(Hey I just stated a rule. And if there are no exceptions to EVERY rule, then that is the exception).

The two comments are kinda similar in that the drummer for the rock band was the cousin of the CEO of Calvin Klein Eyewear, aka: the investor...I shit you not

Personally, my industry connections have come from years of relentless work, networking, honing of skills, patience, perservierence and some times plain dumb luck which is a very different path

I said it before, theres a million ways to get to the same destination...

[Joemamma]

If anyone's interested, you can check out my new demo on my myspage page: http://www.myspace.com/highhouseproductions

Unfortunately, there's no market for this type of music in Denmark where I live! Sucks huh?

[MarkusColeman]

Originally Posted by Joemamma

http://www.myspace.com/highhouseproductions

Unfortunately, there's no market for this type of music in Denmark where I live! Sucks huh?

Myspace is a big market my friend.

Europe as a "country" is a bigger market than the USA.
you have an old and rich culture, loyal fan and hell of a history when it comes to music.

stop complaining, learn, hustle harder.

[daillman]

Originally Posted by Apex

How long would you have to sustain that kind of movement? Till they come callin or they let you walk in their office? BDS?

I read the best way is to say **** sellin CD's, make a demo and use your money to hire a well established ent. lawyer. That's what will at least get it heard by the right people at majors, but, just like anything in this biz, there are no guarantees.

if you can move 5k plus a week phuck a lable you makeing more money on your own and have all the controle.expand your own label and enjoy,being singhned aint all bet and mtv and shit what you think...i know

[filltrate]

Originally Posted by Checkmate Muzik

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. NOTHING EVER COMES FROM IT CAUSE I DONE IT. DO WHAT THESE GUYS TOLD U. IF U CAN AFFORD IT, GET A LAWYER OR SELL UNITS ON YA OWN.

I agree the only way your gonna get the attention of a label is if you 1. know Dr. Dre or 2. are already selling records, promoting yourself and have a good fan base. label people like to also see what you can do live on stage and how people react to your performance. Its all about selfpromotion and also you gotta be dope!

[NesNeedsGear]

Originally Posted by MarkusColeman

....hustle harder.....

now THIS is how you get into the record industry.

end of thread.

[GTR]

Independently sell 5k a week?? Why go for a record deal when you are making 50G a week????