Tons of artists and musicians have had it drilled into their heads that they have to strive to get to the Holy Grail of music success, 'the record deal'. And true, having a major label or entertainment company back and support you can make a world of difference. But getting past tons of other people to get noticed can take an enormous amount of time and effort, and then when you get there, half the time (or more), the record deal or contract offered to you isn't all you thought it would be. There are about a hundred pages in the contract and the label is keeping most of the money in about every category imaginable, and you've usually signed away your rights to the songs you worked so hard to create. So, often it's like getting a job and starting at the bottom again, even though you're on tour and everything 'looks' like you've 'made it'.
Now to be fair, there are good record deals that are truly good for both parties, but if you want to keep more of your money, keep control of your music, and you can wait a little bit for 'the big time', you might be better served to strike out on your own. And if you do it right, you might not need a label - or if you decide to 'work with' a major label, you'll be in a better position to negotiate terms that are better and more appealing to you. Here are 7 tips to help you succeed as an independent artist or band:
1) Make sure you have great material, songs, etc. All the marketing and hype in the world isn't worth a dime if you don't have something that's catchy and relevant in the music markets you want to be in. To get better songs, study the successful people in your type of music and model yourself after them, attend songwriter nights and constantly work to write / collaborate with successful writers and keep increasing your contacts--statistics show that you're only 3-5 people away from whoever it is you want to talk to -- and someone's going to know that person, it's just a matter of time if you keep meeting people. And make sure you copyright your material with Form PA for songwriting and Form SR for an actual recording you'll be selling so there isn't any question as to who owns what.
2) Play as many acoustic, unplugged shows and open mics as you can, in as many good original music hotspots as possible--this gets you out in front of people to possibly connect with, gets you feedback on new material and helps get your name out there.
3) Join music associations and other related organizations to learn and get experience---you do make connections with many of these that can help you. The ASPA is a great place to start. And compete in any competitions that seem relevant to your style--winning a songwriter competition or some other music contest even ranking highly could open that one door that changes your music career.
4) Keep an ear out for good investors, if you need some help financially. The more you play shows, the more you'll have people come up to you and talk about supporting or working with you, but evaluate them and what they say carefully, and don't sign anything without competent legal advice.
5) Find a way to get really good, professionally produced recordings and pay for radio airplay. Other than having great tunes, the recording needs to be top notch to be able to sell it or get it on radio. With a great recording you can sell CD's and downloads and make some good money. Yes, quality recording and production does cost more, and often that's where an investor can help (even a friend, relative, etc) or a business loan, but it's worth it if you're planning on making music the rest of your life. Then setup every place possible to sell your music, CD Baby, your ASPA profile (with membership) etc and constantly keep people aware of what you're doing / promote yourself on social media.
6) Affiliate yourself with a performing rights organization (PRO) such as BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc. They monitor radio, bars, and just about everywhere else music gets played and they'll make sure you get your royalties.
7) Have a great website presence, with a professional look and feel, easy navigation and a place to buy your music and merchandise. This really helps build credibility and helps investors or industry professionals take a closer look at you when you see a professional website.
From there, keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities, constantly write and produce new material, update your websites, social media, enter contests, collaborate with other successful musicians, and communicate relentlessly--all of this helps create a name that people can say 'yeah I've heard of you', which is important. Any questions, comment below or send us an email at support@theaspa.com
Rex Murphy
The ASPA
The American Songwriters and Performers Association
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