Choosing the Right Music Record Labels
Every aspiring artist looking to make it big hopes the day that he sees a cheque with seven figures in his or her hands. In fact, it has pretty much been this way ever since the industry became one of the profitable and glamorous ways to earn money.
Every single year, millions of music artists come knocking on the doors of music companies and record labels in LA. All of them walking with the hope and expectation that they have what it takes to be the next big thing.
A very important part of this journey is played by Record Labels and Music Companies. These businesses sign aspiring and promising musicians, which they feel can become successful. They invest in creating music videos, promoting the artist, and growing the overall brand.
In this resource article, we speak to Benjy Grinberg from Rostrum Records. Apart from giving Wiz Khalifa his first big break, Grinberg has worked and launched some of the highest-paid artists in the industry.
Money or Overall Growth: What is the Music Label Offering?
Different companies approach this whole signing thing very differently. Some are willing to groom your talents and promote you towards complete development. This means-
- Helping you handle and manage social media accounts with real professionals.
- Setting training sessions with experts for voice modulation and better sound outputs.
- Setting up promotions by linking up with shows and events for publicity and awareness.
- Creating a Career Plan that includes a vision even after your singing days are over.
- Financial Support in terms of assigning an advisor to handle your finances responsibly.
These music companies are not only interested in profits and money, but also overall personality development. This is a good sign and can help an artist develop in more ways than one.
Other music companies are more interested in short-term gains and do not want to invest in the artist at all. Depending on which stage you are at, you can select a record company.
Paying Attention to the ‘Deal’ and all the Terms and Conditions
As someone who has never seen this amount of money, you might be in a hurry to sign on the dotted line.
As you are more interested in cashing the cheque, you will miss out on a lot of important terms and conditions that can prove to be detrimental to your interests later on. Even some of the biggest names in the industry have fallen prey to such tactics by music companies.
As someone who has seen this happen more often than once, Benjy Grinberg suggests contacting lawyer up as soon as possible. This will help you understand the finer nuances of all the points that your deal comes with.
As an artist with a lot of potentials, you do not want to be jailed with a contract that can take away your future and end up benefiting the company over the long run.
This is one major reason why going over a contract or any deal with a fine comb is essential. It is critical that you think for the long term rather than making decisions that can compromise the future.
Small Indie Label or Big Corporate: Which is the Better Option?
If you choose to sign up with a small indie label, you can expect both pros and cons. Pros like having independence, autonomy, and not getting exploited agreements and deals. This can help you with the greater creative freedom to do things that you enjoy.
The major cons are mostly related to money and those larger-than-life resources that these companies have. However, taking and availing their resources can suffocate you in a contract that can curb your creative freedom and leave you at the mercy of MBAs and Data Analysts.
Therefore, there are both pros and cons of working with Indie Labels as well as Wall Street-type Record Labels.
The Bottom Line
Signing with the right record labels can make a world of difference to the life of a music artist. There is a reason why the top artists of our times, swear by some names still now. While the industry is like a family, some are well-wishers, and others that are just there for narrow selfish interests.
