…and according to the majority of you (54% to be exact), labels need to focus on Artist Development and nurturing artists for the long haul if they want to turn their fortunes around. In second place was the rather novel idea of releasing some good music (22%), third place was focusing on digital distribution (13%), and bringing up the rear was the notion that labels need to hunt down illegal file swappers (6%).

As for me, well, I agree with most of you. If labels signed artists they planned on developing and working with over the long term rather than putting out albums that contain one single and a whole bunch of filler, hoping they can get enough bang from the single to make a quick buck, they might find they can sell more records overall. Even the most dedicated music fan will get tired of handing over their hard earned cash for albums that just phone it in eventually, and they will stop buying.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, when people talk about The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones or any such band that has found fans in generation after generation, they talk about ALBUMS, not singles. These bands that have stood the test of time all had proper artist development behind them. They’re STILL selling records – how many number one artists in recent years can say that even now?

Thanks to everyone who voted! Got more to say? Leave a comment here or take it to the forum.

Article Source: http://musicians.about.com, Written by Heather McDonald

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

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One of the hardest struggles facing an independent label can be cashflow – manufacturing bills invariably come in before any of the money from the sales of the manufactured albums, so how do you pay those bills, let alone get new albums into production? A lifesaver can come in the form of an M&D deal with a distributor. With an M&D deal in place, the distributor foots the bill up front for the manufacturing, so you can keep the releases coming. These kinds of deals are becoming harder and harder to find in the rapidly changing music industry, and they have their pros and cons, but chances are that if you can find one, you should grab it and hold on tight. Find out how these deals work and what you should consider before deciding if a deal like this is right for you.

Definition:

M&D is short for manufacturing and distribution and refers to a kind of deal between a record label and a music distributor. Under an M&D deal, the distributor pays for the manufacturing of the album, and then recoups those costs from sales. These kinds of deals are getting harder and harder to find in the face of falling music sales and increased digital distribution, but from a record label’s perspective, especially an indie label, an M&D deal can be a lifesaver.

Some pros of M&D deals for record labels:

You can press records without any up front expense, meaning when the bank account is a little light, the business does not grind to a halt. Bridging this cashflow gap can be one of the biggest challenges facing a small label.

You pay less for manufacturing.

Because the distributor manufacturers albums in large quantities (on behalf of all the labels with which they have M&D deals), you can cash in on their preferential rates.
Because the distributor has invested in your release, they will be motivated to get it into the stores and make some sales.

Of course, where there are pros, there are cons. Some things that labels should keep in mind about M&D deals:

You don’t get any money at all for your releases until the distributor has recouped the manufacturing costs, which could make your cashflow problem drag on.
If your release schedule is fairly busy, you could end up in serious debt to the distributor, pushing that pay day even further away (especially if each release is not treated as a separate account).
You could end up ceding some control over your releases to your distributor – for instance, they may object to the cost of printing that 16 page color booklet you want or that clear vinyl 10″.

On balance, however, a carefully managed M&D deal can be like striking gold for an independent label.

Written by Heather McDonald

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: http://www.music-career-guide.com

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