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As an entertainment attorney my job is simple \u2013 help musicians. Sometimes helping involves revealing the bitter truth. Some bands want to gauge their industry success based on label partnerships. This is unrealistic.<\/p>\n
As an entertainment attorney my job is simple \u2013 help musicians. Sometimes helping involves revealing the bitter truth. Some bands want to gauge their industry success based on label partnerships. This is unrealistic.<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019re not signed with a label it means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but unfortunately many musicians equate a lack of label backing as failure. Instead of harping on the disappointment, groups need to understand the harsh realty at hand – labels pass for a reason. It\u2019s these reasons which bands must understand, analyze, and apply towards their career advancement. The worst thing to do, yet the most common, is to begin blaming the surrounding cast. \u201cHad our manager only done this\u2026\u2026. Had our booking agent only booked us larger shows, etc\u2026\u201d Wrong. Listen to what the label executives tell you. Love labels or hate the labels, rejected or signed, label executives leak telling information. They are businessmen, they understand the market, and whether you want to progress as an indie or side with the label giants, regardless you are indeed your own \u201cbusiness.\u201d Businesses must make money to survive. Listen to the criticism. For those musicians who haven\u2019t grappled with the label executives, no worries, pay attention to the 5 reasons why you\u2019re not signed to a label. Use the material to progress your own career or even bypass the labels altogether.<\/p>\n
1. There\u2019s Nothing Unique About Your Group
At this point everyone knows music alone doesn\u2019t get you signed. Music is indeed the lowest topic on the totem poll. Labels are looking for a unique hook, a hook which enhances the groups musical element. More so, labels are looking for something which they currently don\u2019t have. Bands need to show they\u2019ve penetrated a niche in the market which labels don\u2019t have access to. Show you\u2019ve got a niche, and labels will recognize you\u2019re the vehicle to take them there. Don\u2019t show a niche and you\u2019ve placed yourself in the same category as the other thousand bands standing outside the label\u2019s office looking to take your head off.<\/p>\n
2. Attitude
Never under estimate the power of a good attitude. Labels are essentially entering into a business relationship with artists and the last thing they want to do is enter into a relationship with a group who feels entitled to being signed or someone who’s arrogant. You won’t find a person in any industry who wants to do business with an asshole. More often than not, bands enter negotiations with this attitude of \u201cwhat could you possible do for me.\u201d Wrong. In their defense they think this is the way business is done. Hard noise negotiations tactics are for the insecure and entertainment wannabes. Rather, have your entertainment attorney negotiate. They negotiate for a living, understand subtle negotiation tactics and know which buttons to hit.
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3. Funds Aren\u2019t Flowing
Contrary to any preconceived notion, labels don\u2019t have money. There is a small percentage of labels who are in the financial position to take on new acts. On top of this daunting nibble of information, there is even a fewer number of legitimate labels. Record labels are everywhere but the numbers means nothing. Musicians should only sign with labels who (a) are legitimate, (b) have money for development, and (c) have distribution in place. Today this is the equivalent to finding a unicorn wearing a diamond saddle who\u2019s sitting in a pot of gold while smoking fountain of youth cigarettes with a leprechaun.<\/p>\n
4. Timing Is Everything
Simply put, some bands don\u2019t get signed based on timing. You may have the right package, the right deliver system, unique music, and a solid niche market but the label says \u201cno\u201d. If the label tells you the timing isn\u2019t right, they are telling you the truth. Cycles in the music business make and break sales. If you aren\u2019t falling in the right cycle in terms of market demand and genre success, hold tight, the cycle will more than likely rotate back in your favor. At this point, stay ahead of the curve and approach the label when the timing is rights.<\/p>\n
5. The Delivery\u2019s Wrong
Bands rarely get themselves signed and A&R is dead and has no pull. Unless a label approaches you, which is a rarity, labels hear about musicians from entertainment attorneys. Entertainment attorneys know how to structure label proposals and better yet, work with label executives on a personal and daily basis. They know which labels have money, which labels are signing, and which ones will bite on particular clients. Like it or not, attorneys can navigate past the gatekeepers and get straight to the decision makers. Rejections are common when bands pitch their products inappropriately. You get one shot. Pitch incorrectly, the door closes. Attorneys know how to pitch, when to pitch it, and where to pitch it. Use them and maximize your chances of getting signed. Not to mention your attorney should be the consistent figurehead who helps you navigate all levels, indie or major. Use them on the front end and allow them to grow with you throughout your career.<\/p>\n
Martin F. Frascogna is an entertainment attorney who specializes in music globalization (ie: expanding fan bases and international markets). He consults with several labels both domestically and internationally in efforts to expand rosters and sponsorships into the appropriate global territories. Martin mainly works with indie level musicians who operate on a shoestring budget. Allowing musicians to budget for legal services as opposed to billing high rates has lead Frascogna to have clients in 11 countries on 6 continents. Feel free to contact – Martin F. Frascogna (<\/em>marty@frascognamusic.com<\/em><\/a>) As an entertainment attorney my job is simple \u2013 help musicians. Sometimes helping involves revealing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-biz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
TWITTER: @FrascognaMusic
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Source: Frascogna, M. “5 Reasons Why You’re Not Signed To A Label”, Music Globalization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"