You have signed your contact, you understand all terms, clauses, obligations and stipulations in your contract, and are now ready to being working with your label. What should you expect? What exactly is the label going to do for you? How will they assist you in both your music creation and promotion? Depending on the nature of your deal, the language in your contract, and whether you have signed with a record label, a production company or a publishing company, the expectations you should have will vary.
Let’s begin with the type of deal every artist undoubtably knows about and is striving for from the time they record and release their first song, the major label record deal. For the sake of this article I am only going to focus on a general record deal (in this instance a 360 because as a new artist, this is probably the deal you will initially sign) and disregard the vast amount of other types of major label record deals you can sign. (if you would like more information on the other types of record deals you can sign and what is involved in them, read a previous article I wrote, “Understanding your Contract,” which outlines every type of deal you can sign)
Once you have completed contract negotiations and have signed with a major label (I will discuss production and publishing companies later in this article) it is time to get to work on your first project. Now, let’s assume that you don’t need a ton of artist development (mostly because if you did the major label wouldn’t be signing you yet and if you were to sign a deal it would be either the production or publishing company) so you are going to begin creating your first project under your newly signed to label. Thinking now that you are signed the label will do everything for you is the wrong mindset to have and in most cases will cause you to fail even before you have started. Even though you are signed to the label, you still have to put in the same amount of work (sometimes more) than you did to get this deal in the first place. The difference is, now instead of working to get the record deal you are working to keep the record deal. The label will assist you, but you still have to produce or one of two things will happen to you. One, you will get dropped, (meaning you are no longer signed or associated with that label) which is bad but sometimes can be a blessing in disguise compared the alternative. Or two, you can be shelved, meaning you are no longer a priority on the label (although you are still signed too and contractually obligated to that label) and they will get around to working with you when they feel like it.
It is now the job of the label (more so the A&R that signed you) to assign a team to work with you and put you in the best positions possible to succeed. The A&R that signed you to the label will be responsible for your day to day interactions and daily workings. (along with your manager if you have one, if not sometimes the A&R will act as your manager, or a manager from the label will be assigned to you, although in this case they will be your defacto manager, while also working with other artists signed to the label) What this means is the A&R will set up all of your studio sessions (dates, times and locations) ensure that the correct people are in those studio sessions (setting you up with the correct collaborations of writers and producers for you as an artist and the sound you have and the label wants to cultivate for you) keeping you on a schedule to get the album done, (while staying on budget) giving you the best input in your creation process (it is still your responsibility to create the best songs, and when it comes to constructing the album you will be able to choose what songs in what order appear on the album before you turn it into your label, but the A&R will help guide you in the right direction for you to stay within your brand, image and stay current) schedule promotional and press events (radio interviews, meet and greets, club walkthroughs, etc.) and basically be your right hand man (or woman) when it comes to your career. The A&R that found you and signed you is going to be your lifeline in the music industry, as long as you are signed to their label. It is their job to be the middle man between you and the label to make sure you have what you need, when you need it and to keep you on track and on task, to create the best product and become the best and most successful artist you can.
Aside from the A&R, a main reason you have signed with the label (at least I think would be a main reason) is the major label machine that you now have access too. A marketing team, a social media marketing team, distribution, graphics, managers, touring, scheduling, branding, images, finances, events, promotion, and much more that the label team can offer and/or has access to that you as an individual artist didn’t have before. (or at least not on this large of a scale, as I have discussed in pervious articles how independently you can gain access to all of these things) The extraordinary amount of resources and finances the label can offer you as an artist is exactly what enticed you to sign with them in the first place. Use them. A story I hear a lot from artists that have signed with major labels (both still in deals and ones that have either got dropped or got out of their deals) is that the label wasn’t helping them the way the artist thought they should. The first thing I say is, “What exactly did you expect?” “What kind of expectations did you have of the label going into signing your deal?” I have heard stories that certain artists don’t get the same attention as other artists because when it came to the team at the label responsible for working with that specific artist, the team at the label simply didn’t know or didn’t like the artist they were supposed to be working with. Like it or not, people want to be needed, want to feel appreciated, and want to feel like they matter. Like it or not, the team that works at the label and is responsible for your career, are just normal everyday people, they just happen to be working at a major record label. Be sure as an artist to interact and be personable with the label team, especially the ones responsible for the different aspects of your career. For example, an artist I used to work with, their manager every time we went to the label office had some sort of, “Gift,” for the office people at the label. He knew what each of them liked, and the people directly responsible for his artist always received something when we were coming to the office. (food, cupcakes, intimate small gifts) Not saying that this will always work, (or that you have to do this every time you go to the label office, especially if the artist just isn’t a likable person, and let’s face it some artists have the fame go straight to their head) but being personable and interacting with the office workers at the label does go a long way. Just like the team around you, or the friends you have had for years, they will do more for you simply because they like you. Where as people that you have associated with that may or nay not be too fond of you will take longer to or not complete what you ask of them at all. I saw some of these same office workers put up with a lot more from the artist and manager than they should have simply because, as they would say, “They liked the artist and her manager.” These are the people directly responsible for making your career, if you are on their bad side, what is enticing them to work hard for you, when they have a list of other artists that they know better and like more that they are doing the same job for. Getting back to the original point, the team at the label is there to help you. They will help with your marketing, (both generally as an artist, and for each release you have) help with your social media marketing, (making sure everything is on brand, in image and looks concise) help with branding and image so people know who you are, what you are, and what to expect from you as an artist, help with distribution of your records, (ensuring they get on time to the right places with no issues) and finally help guide you as an artist through your career. (through the guide of your A&R and manager) It is in the labels best interest that you succeed. If they thought or wanted you to fail, they wouldn’t have signed you in the first place. They are, however, in the music business, which means that their sole purpose of signing you is to make money off of you as an entity of their business. If you as their business entity aren’t making money or is causing more hassle and/or trouble then you are worth (business wise) just like any other business, you can recalled and shut down.
As I have stated numerous times in previous articles, and as everyone in the music industry has seen, major labels are no longer in the business of artist development. You as an artist have to be developed to a certain point before a major label will even look at you, or consider you in any way, shape or form. Very rarely now (probably not at all any more, unless you are what is considered an industry plant) will any artist be developed by the label. If you still have to be developed or are still in the development stages, the label will pass on you and sign a similar artist that doesn’t have to be developed. Be self sustaining so the label can simply push you forward and doesn’t have to worry about holding your hand. It is the labels job to take you to the next level, they don’t call it the major label machine for nothing. These major labels have an enormous amount of resources at their disposal, that serve the sole purpose of taking an already established artist and making them an international superstar. Expect the label to assist you in ways that benefit them as a label more so than they benefit you as an artist. The A&R that found and signed you to the label is the one that will help you as an artist, and will act as your life line to get from the label what you need to succeed. However, if you don’t have an A&R (which is rare, but more so means the label is coming to you based off your popularity and will be directly working with your manager, who can also be your A&R, and assigning you an A&R or one of their managers to oversee everything) then you are sort of on your own and are left up to your own resources to make it until you prove your worth to the label.
Now, what happens if you sign to a production or publishing company. If you have read some of my previous articles, you understand that how a record label, a production company and a publishing company operate are all different. What they are looking for, who they work with and their ultimate goals all slightly differ based on the nature of their company. Due to the fact a production and publishing company are similar in the type of artists they work with (excluding the fact that publishing companies are geared more towards producers and writers for the purpose of placing these songs on bigger artists and syncs) I am going to combine these two types of companies for the sake of this article. Before doing so, however, I will say that a publishing company will lean more towards signing a writer and/or music producer before signing an artist, for the simple fact a publishing company is in the business of taking songs created by the writer and producer and shopping them to both major labels and sync houses with the hopes of placing one of those songs on a bigger artist to re-record and put on their upcoming project, or for a sync house to take and use in a television show, movie or video game.
If you as an artist are singing to a publishing or production company, generally this means that you are seen to have potential but still are in need of development. These types of companies sign artists with the goal being to develop the artist into a major act, then shopping them to major labels to get signed by said label. In some cases, (TDE, QC, Dreamville) these production companies act (or are considered) independent labels and the artists that sign with them, get developed and stay signed with these labels. However, in most cases the artist signs with the production company or publishing company because they can develop the artist, then through their major label connections, get the artist signed to a major record label deal.
If you are signing with one of these types of companies expect to get run through the complete gambit of an artist development program. Everything from how to record properly, to songwriting, to song and project sequencing, to vocal coaching, to marketing, social media marketing, videos, photos, graphics, live shows, branding, image, and so many other aspects of what being an artist is, these types of companies are going to build you from the ground up as an artist. This process can take anywhere from as little as six months to a couple of years. Think of Gabby Willson (H.E.R.) when she first came out, she was a 13 year singer who wasn’t fully ready to be an artist. She went into a development program, and reemerged as the a completely different artist, with a different sound and image and is now an international superstar. Her music style improved and changed, her lyrics became more developed and her branding and image were changed (more so because they were trying to hide who she actually was, because she came out as an artist already a few years early, and the lyrics she was doing now were more mature so the label didn’t want the people who knew the 13 year old Gabby Willson to associate that image with her new lyrics) in such a dramatic and captivating way, that many artists have tried in some way, shape or form, to emulate that branding style. SZA was the same way, she was in development with TDE for so long she was contemplating trying to leave the label because they wouldn’t release her music until she was fully ready as an artist. She later stated that once she understood what they were doing and why, she admitted to not truly and fully being mental ready and prepared to come out as an artist. I am personally now working with a few artists who, through the publishing company I work for, have been developing for close to two years, and are just now beginning to release music. Signing with a production and/or publishing company as an artist is a long tumultuous road, and for an artist can sometimes be difficult and aggravating. Trust me, if you are signed with these types of companies they have the best interest of the artist in mind and at heart, and will do everything in their power to ensure the artist succeeds. I would say that if you get sought out by one of these types of companies and they are in talks to sign you, as an artist it is in your best interest to do so, because these companies are not in it to just make a profit off of you, (of course they are a company and a business, but they want to ensure that you succeed because then they succeed as well, unlike a major label who will discard you for another artist exactly like you if you don’t work out to their expectations) they are in it with you for the long haul to see you succeed.
The expectations you as an artist have and need to have when signing and beginning to work with any type of music company needs to be realistic. Just as I spoke about being realistic when negotiating your contract, you need to have a similar mindset once you have signed that contract you spent all that time, effort and money negotiating. Having unrealistic expectations of the company you are signing with, can and will have the same effect as having unrealistic expectations of yourself when negotiating your contract. You will end up doing nothing more than shooting yourself in the foot. It is a cliche, but it is always said that there is someone working harder than you to take your spot. A favorite television line of mine that I still remember and live by to this day, is one from Diddy that he said on “Making the Band” years ago on the season that he formed the group Day26, “There is always someone working harder than you. There is always someone working to take your spot. There is always someone not taking a nap.” Just because you signed a deal doesn’t mean you have made it and the work is. Quite the opposite, the work is just beginning, because now you have to prove to everyone at the label that you are worth keeping on the label, and worth releasing the music they are paying for you to record.
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