Archive for March, 2009

Why Do So Many Music Careers Fail?

Posted by Music Careers On March - 13 - 2009

OK, Listen up guys, here’s the deal. Pay close attention, soak up every word, and share this with your peers and friends.

The reason that the majority of you will never succeed is simply because you do not take a proactive approach towards your career. In today’s market more than ever, artists and musicians MUST take a proactive approach towards their career.

Publishers and Indie Labels are looking for artists that are also strong marketers, self promoters, and business men. Gone are the days of little Johnny getting noticed buy some fat cat record producer that brings him fame and fortune. Wise up guys, it’s now a business, and to succeed, you must be a proactive businessman.

Heavy hitters are no longer searching for that elusive diamond in the rough; they are mostly targeting developed self promoting artists to joint venture or partner with. You MUST acquire skills in Music Promotion, Publishing, and even possibly establishing yourself as a small indie label. You must begin to approach Major Labels, Indie Labels, and or Music Publishers from a potential partnership approach as opposed to just saying hey check out my demo, give me a contract to sign, and bring me fame and fortune.

You must be able to show anyone in the industry that you are pro actively climbing to the top of the music business with or without their help. Your approach when meeting with any major Label, Indie label, and or Music Publisher should be hey I’m going up, I could use your help, get in with me now, because I’m going there with or without you. If you cant find a publisher to publish you, then by god publish yourself, If you cant find a Independent Music Label to sign you, then by god start your own independent label, and sign your self. Trust me, when you take this approach, and stop depending on others to do for you, and you start showing even a small level of success, Independent labels, and publishers will start suddenly coming out of the woodwork. It is up to you, you can sit on your butt in your bedroom making cool demos of you and or your band all day and handing them out to get shredded by everyone in the music business that gets them, or you can take the pro active approach, get off your butt, and make yourself a success, with or without them.

Get the tools, and knowledge you need to begin developing the skills you need to create a systematic game plan towards success, and Just Do It!

Brent Thomason is a professional music business leader. He owns and operates a Indie Music Label, and a Music Publishing Company, and writes many articles for the aspiring artist.

Article Source: http://blogs.16012005.com

For education on careers in the music industry, check out: www.Music-Career-Guide.com

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How To Pick A Song Demo Service

Posted by Music Careers On March - 6 - 2009

Before using a song demo service to record your original songs, be absolutely certain they are ready to be recorded by making sure you polish them with a rewrite. Also, test your songs out by singing them either  acapella or with an accompanying instrument by yourself and in front of friends, family members, etc.  Taking your gut feeling and your listener’s reactions into account, it’ll be easier to decide if and which of your songs are ready to be recorded.

A song demo is exactly that – a demo!  This is why they are and SHOULD BE far less expensive than a recording for a CD release.  Therefore, what you want to look for instead of a company promising you a “radio-ready” recording with all the bells and whistles, is a company that’ll be able to provide a clean, pro-
sounding recording to give your song the best possible chance.

To find a great song demo service you’ll need to start right in your own hometown!  Take the time to contact and visit studios performing these services in your area, ask to hear examples of their work, and try to establish some type of rapport or relationship with them so they can take you more seriously and
not see you as JUST ANOTHER CUSTOMER.

There are many studios offering excellent demo services but you have to do much initial legwork to find one that works for your songwriting goals.  This involves comparing several companies before making a decision. If you don’t have any companies offering these services in your vicinity, then as a last resort
you may have to consider an online demo service, but you should proceed with caution.

Demo services are very competitively priced these days and many offer flat rates with optional costs such as background singers, extra instruments, etc.  Starting rates vary from as low as approximately $100.00 to $800.00 per song, and you generally get what you pay for!  Recording is not cheap, and if you’re not a music producer or an arranger, remember, these companies try to provide all of these services as inexpensively as possible in one package!

Beware, there are companies out there that give legitimate ones a bad name by drawing you in and charging you extra with each visit to cover what they say are their increasing recording costs.  Songwriters and other musicians have found themselves in a bad situation where they’ve literally spent hundreds with no decent product to show for it.  Negotiate a flat fee with a demo service, get it in writing, and stick to it!

Also, when you do find a demo service you want to try,it’s wise to commit to only ONE RECORDING AT A TIME. Remember, this is a business, and demo companies need your business, so some will try to make you commit to more than one recording because it benefits them!

Keep total control by recording only one song at a time until its completion-this way, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your first recording, you can pick up and go elsewhere and you will not have needlessly wasted money on other songs.

Of course, the best possible scenario when recording your songs would be to do it yourself in your own home studio.  Recording setups have become increasingly more inexpensive and if you’re planning on chasing a professional songwriting career, it would be wise to try your hand at production even if it means being able to record only a piano or guitar/vocal of your songs.  By choosing this route you can actually save yourself the $1500 or so you would have spent on a three song demo, and instead use that to build your own songwriting studio in your own home!

Many amateur and pro songwriters have their own little home studio setup with some of the equipment or similar items shown on this page:
http://www.songwriteradvisor.com/build-your-studio.html

The only drawback to having your own studio is it takes few months to really learn your equipment and make effective recordings.  But in the end, it can be the best investment you’ll ever make in your songwriting career-you’ll never have to pay for a song demo service ever again!

Article Source: http://songwriteradvisor.com

For education on careers in the music industry, check out: www.Music-Career-Guide.com

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