Here are ten good reasons to explore this site and why a lot of bands/artists don't make it!
Number One
They don't have a
plan of action. - Without any career goals or plans to achieve
them, how do you know if you're making any progress? The music business can
be a very tough nut to crack, especially if you have no sense of direction.
Many record companies, music publishers, managers, producers, entertainment
lawyers, and even booking agents won't work with artist's who haven't set
any real career goals. They prefer working with musician's who already have
their career goals clearly established, and are diligently working toward
them on their own.
Number Two
They don't have the tools
needed for success. - The following list contains some of the tools
you'll need throughout your professional music career.
PRESS KIT / PROMO-PACK
- A
demo tape/CD consisting of 3-5 of your BEST songs. (Quality does
matter!)
- An artists' biography. (Detailing
important information about the you; including who you are, what you've done,
what you're doing currently, where you're headed, etc.)
- A song list. (All the song titles you
perform; copies & originals)
- A lyric sheet. (Lyrics to your original
song material included on your demo.)
- A fact sheet. (Outlines the information
in your bio.)
- Artist Photo.
- Write-ups. (Any interesting stories or
reviews written about you which were printed in industry publications or
newspapers, or received radio or television coverage.)
- Special Interest Topics. (Have you ever
been on TV or the radio? Any claim to fame or reasons why you might appeal to a
large audience.)
MAILING
LIST
A very important factor in your success as an
artist is by assembling, maintaining, and properly utilizing a mailing list.
This list consists of names and contact information of your fans, media
contacts, industry insiders, and anyone else who has a general interest
(business or otherwise) in you (the artist). A mailing list can be a tremendous
asset to any artist once they realize how to use it to its maximum potential.
MEDIA TARGET LIST
It's extremely important that you fully utilize
the media to advance your music career. This includes all trade publications,
magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet. A well refined,
talented artist or band that continually self-promotes has by far the best
chance of getting "noticed" and signed with a record label. Have you ever heard
the expression, "out of sight - out of mind?" You need to be the exact opposite
of this! Stay in sight as often as possible and in the minds of as many people
as possible. Saturate the industry and the general public with your act and you
will go places!
Utilize the media with paid advertisements, "FREE"
advertisements, press releases, write-ups & reviews, and radio & television
airtime.
Number Three
They don't have anyone to
guide their careers. - One of the responsibilities of an artist's
personal manager is to help them make wise career decisions. The problem
is that most artists have a very difficult time finding good management, since
most of the experienced and "connected" managers are usually busy with
their current clientele. For this reason, many musicians ask a friend to be
their manager. What usually happens is the friend becomes more of a booking
agent than a personal manager. (It's much easier to book a show than to
guide a musician's career!) Since these "friends" are new to the music
business they sometimes wind up getting in the way rather than helping.
If it's a manager you want, find a manager! If
your friend wants to be helpful they can always take money at the door at shows
when needed, or they could learn to run your light show! Never put the
fate of your career in the hands of someone who has no idea how the music
business works and has no experience dealing with others in the business!
Number Four
They wait to be
discovered. - If you're "waiting to be discovered," I have one
simple question...
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"
That's like saying, "I'm waiting to be
successful!" It doesn't make sense! What musician's really mean when they
say that they're waiting to be discovered is: "I'm stalling due to an
enormous lack of information!"
There's nothing to "wait for" so get going! Demand
discovery, never wait for it!
Number Five
They lack dedication.
- Many artists have performed for over 10 years before landing a record deal!
That's dedication! That's perseverance! That's the kind of tenacity it takes to
succeed in the music business! If you have the dedication to continue through
thick and thin and let nothing stand in your way, it's much more likely that
great things will happen.
Number Six
They simply "don't
know what to do." - Here they are...
"The 3 Secrets to Becoming a
Professional Musician and Landing a Recording Contract!"
- Refine your talent! Practice, Practice,
Practice!
- Educate yourself about the business!
Never assume you know how it works, find out! If
you think you'll figure it out as you go, you're right, you will; but it will be
by stumbling and falling more times than you'll ever care to tell! It's OK to
learn by doing, but don't learn by making one mistake after another. This can be
very time consuming and extremely painful to your ego! Get the facts and learn
the business the right way!
- Promote, Promote, Promote! You may be the
greatest musician or singing sensation that ever walked this planet but without
any promotion nobody will ever know!
Number Seven
They have more reasons
why they can't than why they can! - Too many artists set up invisible
barriers in their minds that prevent them from hitting it big. Don't let a lack
of confidence in your talent or music be what stops you from realizing your
dreams. A healthy ego is a necessity in the music business. (Ego-maniacs aren't
welcome though!)
Number Eight
They don't have a
long-term commitment. - If you cannot honestly see yourself as a
performing artist for more than 6 months to a year, than you're obviously going
through a phase and for the sake of all of us real musician's; we hope
you get over it VERY soon! Being a musician is a lifelong endeavor, not a
passing fad! Musician's that succeed in this industry don't stick their toe in
to test the water; they dive in head first and never look back! Once a
musician, always a musician!
Number Nine
They don't take their act
seriously. - If you treat your music as a hobby, that's all it will
ever be! If you don't take your music seriously, no one else will either! If
your goal is to be a professional musician, you should present yourself and
everything you do in a professional manner!
Number Ten
They have absolutely no
talent! - One of the biggest reasons why it's so hard to break into
the music business is because it's such a saturated industry. Everybody
wants to be a star. What makes it even more difficult is that there are so many
wanna-be musicians out there that they ruin it for musicians who possess real
talent! Record companies are bombarded daily with "crappy" demo tapes and
submission packages that are so far from industry standards that they're
sometimes thrown in the garbage without even being opened! What this means for
the professional musician (blazing with raw talent) is that they have to wait
until the record company's A&R people finish sorting through this enormous pile
of "crap" before they'll ever get a response.