Steps For Becoming A Recording Artist

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First Steps

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The very first step is to decide whether entering the music industry and becoming a professional musician is something you definitely want to pursue. People generally think its an easy task to become a professional recording artist, but in most cases, its not. And as soon as the challenge begins to unveil itself, a huge number of hopefuls quit.

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Many artists who have some degree of talent will do a minimal amount of work, write some songs, think they are great, and develop a false sense of entitlement. They believe that record labels should take notice, sign them to a deal, allow them to record an album with the hottest producers, and put together a world tour. When this doesn't happen, they become disgruntled with the industry a typical situation. The reality is that it takes quite a bit more than talent alone to capture a labels attention. In fact, talent is only a small part of the equation. Tenacity, the ability to handle severe rejection, perseverance, and a good team are what get you to the next level.

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If you can place your sense of entitlement and your I don't need you attitude behind you and build a strong team, your chances of getting a record deal will grow exponentially. Think about it: Even if you are lucky enough to score a deal, it still takes a whole team of established professionals with years of relationships in place (with radio, retail, venues, distribution, and so on) to break your act and you're still not guaranteed commercial success. If you are still interested in pursuing a deal after all this, lets take a look at your single most important asset: your songs.

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Songwriting

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When it comes to getting a deal, there are many factors labels take into consideration: your look, attitude, personality, style of music, fan base, record sales, live shows, that certain intangible X factor, and most importantly, that undeniable hit song. What makes a song a hit? That's the million-dollar question.

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Even when a song has all the makings of a hit, such as a great melody and arrangements, it doesn't mean it will be. Throughout music history, labels have often banked on what they thought was a bona fide hit only to find out the hard way that they were incorrect. Then, on the other hand, many songs that were ignored went on to gain vast commercial success and critical acclaim. The first step in crafting any hit song is to start writing. Although many songs are written via collaboration, in most cases, it is better to have a primary songwriter or a duo that shares the same vision. Quite often, when an entire band tries to create a song from a single riff, the overall direction seems to become diluted. Each member tends to write an arrangement based on personal choices rather than what is best for the song as a whole.

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Why? Most musicians don't have the ability to see the song from a macro point of view they are too preoccupied by the perceptions of their individual parts. Because of this, the writing as a band method can be inhibitive and detrimental to the overall goal of getting a deal and achieving commercial success. That said, when you have written some songs, bring them to rehearsal and present them to the rest of the band.

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Practicing

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It has been said that practice makes perfect, but in reality, that statement is incorrect it should be rewritten to state that perfect practice makes perfect. Perfect practice is a form of rehearsal during which you remain cognizant and analyze what you are playing. For instance, are you delving into bad habits? When rehearsing with the band, are you settling for vocal harmonies that are close enough? Are individual performances a little sloppy? For the improvement of the band, each of these factors should be looked into and scrutinized. At the end of the day, you'll be a better musician and you'll rise to the level of your competition.

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It can be quite difficult to play, listen and analyze each band member's performance and arrangements at the same time especially if you are trying to concentrate on your own performance. Therefore, the best thing you can do is record your practices. You may find that what you thought sounded cool live doesn't necessarily translate well when recorded. It is best to catch this before you get emotionally attached to what is essentially a sub-par performance. Once the band has rehearsed enough and has eight to 10 songs down pat, you're ready for a live show.

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Playing Live

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Playing live is one of the single most important aspects of this process. Not only does it build experience, its exciting, unites the band, hones your skills, develops your confidence, and helps to build a following. When you are ready to book a show, choose some local venues, and find the booking agents name, contact information and preferred method of interaction. Some booking agents have specific call times, while others only like e-mail. Follow the directions carefully; BAs can be temperamental if you don't respect their requests.

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Prior to contacting a BA, make sure you have a good pitch you can get gigs without a demo and press package; its all in the interaction. Be prepared to discuss the sound of the band, where you have played before (if you haven't, make it up), your fan base, compensation, and so on. Before you know it, you'll have your first gig. Prior to your arrival on the night of the gig, make sure you know all the backline details (house equipment), load-in time, sound-check time (if there is one), the name of the club manager, and any other important information.

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Playing live is a great deal of fun, but you should also look at it as a research opportunity. As with practices, live shows should be recorded or videotaped. This will allow you to relive the experience of playing live, it will provide you with a semi-decent recording of your music, and most importantly, it will allow you to critique the show. You will be able to judge which songs worked and which ones didn't, as well as evaluate each member's performance, stage presence, attire, interaction with the audience, and overall response to the set.

When performing live, remember that you are there to put on a complete performance, which includes not only the music, but also your stage presence. Videotaping your shows will enable you to critique these components more objectively when you're no longer caught up in the excitement of the moment or high on endorphins from the gig.

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Before you know it, you'll have built a solid live show, you'll see a difference in the way audience members respond, club management will acknowledge you differently and when its time for that big label showcase, you'll be prepared to blow the A&R reps away! Now that you've played some shows and think you're a rock star with some hits, its time to start thinking about entering a recording studio to lay them down.

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Pre-production

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Before recording anything, you need quite a bit of preparation. The more work you put into pre-production, the more time and money you will save. Even major artists go through vast pre-production stages. They'll spend large amounts of time rehearsing on their own, and then with a producer. As a third party, the producer is generally less attached to the individual components or arrangements that make up each song. Therefore, he is able to look objectively at the composition as a whole and help steer the band in a direction that is best for the song.

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The producer ensures that the songs are the best they can be and pulls the best possible performance from each musician. Take your producers advice and make sure your playing is clean and in the pocket. Its one thing to play live, but once the microphones are on and the record button is hit, its like having a microscope examining your entire performance and amplifying every little flaw.

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Recording

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Once you enter the studio, its best to work as efficiently as possible to save time and money. You will either pay by the hour or if your budget allows lock out the studio on a per-day basis. Be advised that most studios charge on an a la carte basis that is, they can tack on extra fees for the engineer, producer, equipment, tapes/CDs, and other ancillary items that add up over the course of a session.

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Your price will more than likely be hourly, so prior to entering the studio, make sure your drumheads and guitar strings are changed and tuned. Set up quickly, and then start laying down the foundation for those future hit songs. Following the basic tracks drums, bass and rhythm guitar, and so on are overdubs layered guitar parts, solos, additional instruments, percussion, and bass if necessary and vocals polished by final mixes and mastering. Congratulations! You now have a studio version of your music. Now what?

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Marketing

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If anyone is ever going to hear the album you spent months preparing, you'll need to craft a good marketing strategy. Think of yourself as a battalion leader who is embarking on a tour to battle all the nonsensical stimuli that infiltrate people on a daily basis.

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When marketing yourself, keep two main components in mind: strategy and collateral. Your strategy is comprised of the overall moves you are going to make and the precise timing of these moves, whereas your collateral consists of all the tangible items you'll use to execute your strategy.

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BUILD BUZZ

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The goal of planning a good strategy is to get your name out there. You want to essentially build buzz or hype around your band a key element to getting a labels attention. There are many ways to build buzz. Get out and play as many live shows as you can, set up a website, hit up the blog and community sites; basically, exhaust every avenue to get your songs and band in front of the public. As you start to build a little momentum, you'll want to employ a street team band ambassadors that are generally friends and fans. On the ground level, street teams are a key component in building buzz, as they'll infiltrate both the street and online avenues and spread the word virally. Once you have a strategy in place and a street team to help spread the word, youll need to create some collateral to help further your presence in the market.

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SET UP A PHOTO SHOOT

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The first piece of collateral you've already taken care of is the recording of your CD. Next, you'll need some photos to visually represent the band. Prior to setting up a photo shoot, decide on a look for yourself and the group. The primary components that will define your look include clothing, accessories, shoes, hair, and makeup. To help generate ideas, flip through your favorite magazines and check out the current fashions. Your look should be fresh and new, but it should also reflect your personality

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When setting up a shoot, find a photographer who best fits your vision and discuss in detail what you wish to do. You should discuss location whether outdoors or in a controlled environment the bands look, the style of music, and whether or not the photographer has a stylist or makeup artist on hand. It is common for photographers to give their advice on style or to ask for a copy of the music and current images of each band member. This enables them to prepare for the shoot. Once you have your photos, you can start working on your press kit.

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PUT TOGETHER A PRESS KIT

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There are many ways to develop a press kit, but the best way is to keep it simple and concise; people don't have the time nor do they really care about a 50-page dissertation on your band. Key elements include a short, yet entertaining, biography, one or two pictures, a CD, contact information, and accomplishments (such as quotes from industry professionals or a great review from a noteworthy publication) placed within a standard pocket folder. To dress up the folder and make it stand out from others, you can print out a creative label to place on it.

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That's all that is necessary. If anyone is sincerely interested in your band, they'll reach out and request more information, but for now, just give them a well-crafted teaser. When organizing the CD track list, always put your strongest song first. Most listeners only give the first song real attention; after that, they'll just scan the first verse and hook of a few other tracks.

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Now that you have a solid press kit, its time to reach out to local radio stations to get your music into rotation.

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GET RADIO PLAY

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Getting radio play can be quite tricky, especially without any relationships in place. Your best approach is to find the stations in your market that play your style of music. Find out who the program directors (PDs) are and call them. College and other independent stations are the best places to start; they are more amenable to playing unsigned music. Larger stations are usually under some corporate policy that disables them from playing unsigned bands.

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Don't be discouraged if it takes many calls to get a PD on the phone. When you do, make sure to have your pitch down you only get one chance with a PD. Hell probably ask about the band, where else you're being spun, what you sound like tell him everything he wants to hear and more. Let him in on your successes, tell him what people are saying about the music, say that you will be getting spins on another station even if its not quite true; basically; do what it takes to get him excited. If all goes well, the conversation will end with the PD asking you to send your press kit for review.

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Send your kit with a CD that only contains the single and a B-side. If you did a great job of convincing the PD and he loves your music, you might just find yourself on the radio for a test spin. Once your song has been played, get all your friends and fans to call the station feverishly to request to hear it again you just might find yourself in regular rotation. The same approach should also be applied to digital stations, although many digital PDs prefer e-mail correspondence with links to MP3s. While pushing your CD, another valuable piece of collateral to have on hand is a music video to depict your band in action.

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How to go about making a video and distributing your music

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MAKE A MUSIC VIDEO

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With the proliferation of videos on the internet, its a good idea to create one of your own. You should use the same approach as the photo shoot. First, study current videos and pay close attention to camera angles, lighting, scenery, and props. Before shooting the video, have a conversation with the director to discuss your vision, story boards and shot list. The more prepared you are going into the shoot, the more efficient the shoot will be and the happier you'll be with the end result.

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Now that your strategy is in place and you have some good collateral to promote the band, you need to establish a method of distributing your music.

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Independent Distribution

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In this day and age, technology and the internet are allowing more and more bands to distribute their own music.

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When you are ready to sell your music, the first thing you should do is acquire a Universal Product Code (UPC). The UPC is a barcode that uniquely identifies your product. Setting up a barcode can initially be expensive, but there are many online resellers who have registered with the GS1 US Organization and will give you a reasonable price.

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Placing a barcode on your product enables you to register with Nielsen SoundScan, the company that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Record labels review SoundScan on a weekly basis not only to see how their own bands are selling compared to the competition, but also to find out what other unknown bands are popping up.

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When selling CDs at your shows, be sure to create sales documentation for the venue manager to sign. The documentation should include the venue name, the date of the show and the amount of merchandise you sold that evening. This documentation can be sent to SoundScan to be included in their weekly tallies. When you are starting out, you should leverage every possible method to boost sales figures especially since record labels are watching.

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To sell CDs in stores, you must speak with each stores manager. Some music stores accept consignment, while others do not. Start out by asking if you can place a CD or two in the rack and periodically check back to see if they have sold. If they have, ask to increase your allotment to five CDs, and if they continue to sell, continue to replenish.

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Other than selling CDs at your shows and in local stores on consignment, you can sell your single, album or EP worldwide via the internet. More and more online services are becoming available to bands who wish to sell their products. Research your options and place your music on as many websites as possible, but keep in mind that it may take a few months for a site to post your music for sale.

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Choosing management and meeting record labels are the last steps before the big leagues

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Legal Representation and Management

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When it comes to choosing legal representation and management, there are many factors to take into consideration. First and foremost, do you actually need representation yet? Have you exhausted all your resources and do you feel that a manager or lawyer could help you get to the next level? If the answer is yes, then its time to start looking. Start by asking around, do some research online and order an industry book (Billboard publishes an industry directory).

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Research the history of the company, which artists it represents, what it has accomplished in the past, and whether or not it has the capacity to take on new clients. In addition, ask who will directly represent you (you don't want to end up with the summer intern), discuss compensation, and most importantly, find out where you fit in the company's list of priorities.

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Depending on the status of your career, it may be better to choose a lesser-known agency in which you'll be top priority, as opposed to signing with a big name and being overshadowed by an A-list clientele. The central functions of your agency are to take care of your business affairs (although you should also manage them yourself) and to align you with connectors that will elevate your career; these include record labels.

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Record Labels

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The best way to understand labels is to not even try. Their main function is to find talent and sell products. Quite often, they are not exactly sure what they are looking for until they see it. The best way to get labels excited is to present what they deem to be an already-working model. In a perfect world, a working model constitutes an artist or band with a completed full-length album, robust sales, songs on the radio, and unparalleled buzz on the street.

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Unfortunately, for most bands, this isn't the case, so you'll likely have to impress them in other ways. The most effective option is to meet with an A&R executive; a scheduled meeting set up by your agency would be best. Avoid sending packages, as most labels do not accept unsolicited mail. In the event that you get a meeting, be prepared. You have one shot to impress! Like you would rehearse for a live show, rehearse for the meeting. Think about what you'll wear, as well as all the questions you could possibly be asked and how you'll answer them. In the meeting, they'll probably listen to a couple of songs. If they like what they see and hear, you may be asked to perform live on the spot. If you kill it, you could end up walking out with a record deal an hour later it's happened before.

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The Next Big Thing

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Its not easy to become a recording artist and land a record deal, but if you believe in yourself and put in the hard work, your dream could become a reality.

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ALSO , REMEMBER MATV - M.A. MODELS CAN PROVIDE MODELS - PHOTO SHOOTS - MUSIC VIDEOS - EPK PRESS KITS - GRAPHICS & DESIGN FOR ALBUM COVERS ASWELL AS MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS!!!