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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It\u2019s what you\u2019ve
\nalways wanted: a record company offers you a deal, someone says they
\ncan make you a star by managing your band, or someone tells you they
\ncan get you the best gigs in town \u2013 or even the best gigs in the
\nworld! But is it too good to be true? Here are some of the questions
\nyou should ask before you sign anything.<\/i><\/p>\n
Have you been
\nsuccessful in the past?<\/b><\/p>\n
Ask them which bands
\nare signed to their label. Usually this information is on the
\ncompany\u2019s website. Based on this information, you might want to
\nlook at the bands\u2019 social media sites to get a sense of how popular
\nthey are.<\/p>\n
Ask them about their
\nmost successful band, and whether their bands get played on the
\nradio. Have they had any success in placing bands in large venues or
\nfestivals? For example, have any of their bands opened for any
\nnational acts? Have their bands\u2019 songs been used on television, in
\nfilms and in adverts? If so, can they provide information on recent
\nplacements?<\/p>\n
What services do you
\nprovide for the band?<\/b><\/p>\n
A record deal might
\nhave been what you\u2019ve dreamed of your whole life, but what does
\nthat actually mean, now that most bands make their money from
\ntouring? Additional questions you might want to ask are:<\/p>\n
What type of distribution
\n\tservices do you provide?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Do you actually perform
\n\trecording services for the band?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
What kind of marketing support
\n\tdo you provide for the band?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Do you provide any kind of
\n\tbooking services?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Do you organize tours for the
\n\tband? If so, what kind of tour could be expected and would you pay
\n\tfor it?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Do you perform band management
\n\tservices?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Do you attempt to license
\n\tbands\u2019 songs for television, film and marketing etc?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Why are you
\ninterested in signing\/representing our band? <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
What makes them think
\nthat you\u2019ll make a good partnership (and, if we\u2019re honest here,
\nwhat\u2019s in it for them)?\n<\/p>\n
A
\nbad answer would be: ‘We are going to make you the next Justin
\nBieber!’<\/p>\n
Another
\nbad answer would be: ‘The first thing we are going to do is take your
\nsongs and combine them with some of our bands songs and put them on a
\ncompilation CD. We think it will be big!’<\/p>\n
A
\ngood answer would be: ‘We listened to every song on your CD, we
\nwatched your videos and we came to your gig last night. We think you
\nwould be a great fit on our label. We love your sound. Your genre is
\ncompatible with the other bands we carry, which can be very helpful
\nas we book venues and mini-tours. We want to work as a partnership
\nwith you. First, we first need to build your awareness and expand
\nyour fan base in the Northwest through medium and large venues,
\nteaming you up with some of our more established bands where you
\nwould be their opening act. We have a strong track record of taking
\nthe bands we sign and getting them to the next level. Here is a list
\nof the bands on our label and their contact details. Check them out.
\nLastly, we do need to get you back in the studio in the next 6-9
\nmonths.’<\/p>\n
What are the terms
\nof the deal, and how will we work together?<\/b><\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t as exciting
\nas rocking out in front of a massive crowd or hearing your song on
\nthe radio \u2013 but you have to work at understanding the small print
\nor you might stay in the small venues! Find out what they expect of
\nyou and your band, and what you can expect from them. Ask to see a
\ncopy of the contract before you sign anything, and make sure you take
\nplenty of time to think about what it says (and ask advice) before
\nyou sign it.<\/p>\n
You also need to find
\nout about more practical, day-to-day matters. For example: Will there
\nbe an A&R rep assigned to the band? Who should you contact at the
\ncompany when you have questions? How are music publishing issues
\ndealt with?<\/p>\n
Ask about the
\ntechnicalities \u2013 who pays for what and what does it mean?<\/b><\/p>\n
The person who pays for
\na recording usually owns the rights to that recording \u2013 so if the
\nrecord company pays for you to use a recording studio, they own the
\nrecording you produce. Make sure you\u2019re clear about who owns these
\nrights. Ask:<\/p>\n
If there is no record label
\n\tinvolved, does the band automatically own the rights to the
\n\trecordings?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Are the rights split evenly
\n\tbetween band members?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
If someone else was paid to
\n\trecord the album, does that person have any rights to the
\n\trecordings?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
What if the third party offers
\n\tto record the album for free?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
What if a producer is involved?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What happens once
\nthe band has signed the deal?<\/b><\/p>\n
Make sure you find out
\nwhat happens if you agree to work with a person or a company. What
\ncosts, if any, should the band expect to incur once they sign with
\nthe person or company? Once you\u2019ve signed, what activity can the
\nband expect to occur in the first 90 days, six months, first year\u2026?<\/p>\n
Getting straight
\nanswers<\/b><\/p>\n
People who are serious
\nabout working with you, and who want the best for you and your music,
\nwon\u2019t be vague or elusive when you ask these kind of questions. If
\npeople aren\u2019t straight with you about financial and business stuff,
\nit\u2019s a serious red flag.\n<\/p>\n
The music business is David What are your It\u2019s what you\u2019ve always wanted: a record company offers you a deal, someone says they can make you a star by managing your band, or someone tells you they can get you the best gigs in town \u2013 or even the best gigs in the world! But is it too good to be true? Here<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[56],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nchanging, and artists are no longer at the mercy of record labels.
\nDigital services like Soundreef<\/a>, which provides music for
\nstores and pays artists a fair royalty for their work, are helping
\nartists to make the most of public performance rights. The old collecting society system<\/a> is changing
\n\u2013 you don\u2019t have to sign bad deals anymore!<\/p>\n
\nWells is the manager of Those Willows, an indie band based in
\nPortland, Oregon. Those Willows, and its former incarnation Sunny
\nSide Up, have had considerable success licensing their songs with
\nSoundreef\u2019s sister company, Beatpick. They were also the first US
\nIndie band to sign with Soundreef. Those Willows band site is:
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thosewillowsmusic<\/a>
\nand their songs can be heard at
\nhttp:\/\/www.beatpick.com\/artists\/ThoseWillows<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nexperiences with record deals, management deals and promoters? Have
\nyou ever been ripped off? What do you wish you\u2019d asked at the time?
\nWe\u2019d love to hear about it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"