10 Things New Artists Get Totally Wrong About The Music Business
Today, we speak with Los Angeles based music consultant, strategist and owner of Sonic Villain, Nicholas Christopher, who gives us the top ten reasons some great artists never move beyond the hype.
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10. Major Record Labels Do Not Develop Talent
Most artist getting signed these days are usually developed through production, management or consulting companies that have relationships with label. The labels would rather help support you after you've shown some promise than before. Basically, they help those who can help themselves.
9. Building Your Brand Takes Time and Money
Lots of it! Getting your music in front of millions of music buying fans is not cheap or easy. No matter how many music promo deals you find on Soundcloud, none of them will do the job. You need someone connected enough to get your music on the larger platforms and the ability to financially support it.
8. Getting A Major Label Record Deal Does Not Mean You've Made It Yet
Once you get the deal, that's only the beginning of your commercial recording career. You now must make hit, after hit, after hit and become a critical and commercial success while aligning yourself with the right partners. Make sure you have a strong capable team supporting you.
7. You Need To Pay/ Know The Right People
The legitimate commercial music industry is very small and secretive. If you want to get in make it through all the political b.s., you must know the right people and pay them well to secure your spot.
6. “Download My Mixtape”
5. Play Your Part Only
Are you a songwriter, performer, producer, publicist, marketing, manager, A&R, financier, copywriter, photographer, video director and graphic designer all rolled in one? So many great musicians get distracted by micromanaging everything and trying to be the expert on all aspect of their project. This leads to wasting valuable time and artist end up missing out on great opportunities.
You should only focus on being the master of one of these and find the right people to do the rest. If you can't pay these people, they're going to have to really believe in your project and feel like an important part of the process.
4. Paying To Perform Is Not Answer
I don't know why a lot of new comers insist on paying to open for an established artist when they have zero fan base. Before you can do shows that matters and pays, you must build a solid following. Opening up for a superstar artist won't deliver the results you were hoping for in the long term.
3. I'm A Better Artist Than _____________.
It doesn't matter, this is a business not a charity and better is just matter of how many more people focus on you over the other person. In this game, the popular kid gets all the cake! Go turn on a real radio station right now and listen to what's being played.
2. Investor(s)
After you create some music that displays your viability as an artist, you need to figure out how you're going to fund your way to the top. You'll be competing with talent that's inferior to you but much better funded and connected which will piss you off every time you see them on the billboard charts, magazine covers covers and interviews on Life+Time about breaking down their b.s. lyrics. It's an uphill battle and going to war is not cheap. You must find yourself a well heeled financial partner.
1. “I'm A Pure Artist All About The Music I Don't Care About The Money”.
I truly believe art is a talent that has many forms and should be compensated for the emotional affect it has on the people who experience it. With that said, if you're all about your music and don't care about the money, then you do not need to be involved in music business at all. You don't need a management team, label, album on iTunes or video on VEVO.
You can create and share your music on your terms to the people who are in your personal reach and be happy with that. If you want to be sufficiently compensated for your talent, you must care about the money and how is effects your position in the marketplace.
I meet plenty of super talented musicians that have a hard time separating themselves from the art and figuring out how it will fit in the market. This inability to detach from the work is sometimes their ultimate downfall. You know the type. They know everything, you can't tell them anything, refuses anything remotely close to compromising and still want your help because things are not working out.
**Nicholas Christopher is a music consultant in Los Angeles specializing in strategic artist development along with acquiring publishing and record deals at SonicVillain. You can reach out to him on Instagram or Twitter or reach out to Sonice Villain on Instagram, Twitter, or their website: www.SonicVillain.com