Submitting Music To A&Rs And Other Questions

[definitesupreme]

Alright so i've begun the task of submitting my joints to A&Rs/Labels, etc.

My big question is, how many joints should I include in the beat cd I'm sending... And should I tag these with my name so that they dont get jacked and im left SOL? (at least for my own security)

Also, I've been getting hit up with offers from potential managers. What should I look for in a manager? I always hear a lot of empty promises from folks, so its hard to find someone you can rely on.

[Trumpspade]

I know, well I heard, that sending music with vocal tags is a no-no...... Why don't you just copyright it first?
Keep us updated with your ventures...............

[DesertEase]

you need to copyright your music and then send it out. that way if someone attemps to steal it and you hear it then it's case closed. you should send out an E.P. to a&r's consisting of about 5-6-7 tracks

[definitesupreme]

I was just told from all natural inc (same label as pacifics and one be lo etc ) told me i could do it for insurance purposes... i guess informally?

But i feel you on copyrighting. Is it expensive?

[Trumpspade]

Originally Posted by definitesupreme

I was just told from all natural inc (same label as pacifics and one be lo etc ) told me i could do it for insurance purposes... i guess informally?

But i feel you on copyrighting. Is it expensive?

nah, man.........


www.copyright.gov

You can send them all on one disk as a song, because they charge per copyright.

[mentalattica]

Submit no more than 5 songs. And if your shopping beats, you should get your cd's to artist and managers rather than a&r's. Voice tags on beats being sent to artist are as stated above a no-no. Sometimes an artist doesn't know right away if he/she is gonna use your beat right away, if it has the voice tags most likely if they don't wanna use it right away they won't use it at all. I also peeped u sample a lot, even if you get your shit copyrighted, someone can remake the same beat and cut you out of it all together.

I do believe if your using a sample it has to be cleared to get it copyrighted since it already contains someone elses copyrighted material.

[definitesupreme]

yeah thats what im sayin.

oh well... offers have been goin at me left and right so im just tryin to figure out what the hell to do. lol

thanks yall

[tone_aot]

A ment, how do you send them to artists and managers? I don't know how to contact the big names. In the music powers book, they got alot of contacts but i don't know how to go about using them.

[tone_aot]

Originally Posted by definitesupreme

Alright so i've begun the task of submitting my joints to A&Rs/Labels, etc.

My big question is, how many joints should I include in the beat cd I'm sending...

All they need is one joint. Puff puff pass!! Jus kiddin.

[mentalattica]

Originally Posted by tone_aot

A ment, how do you send them to artists and managers? I don't know how to contact the big names. In the music powers book, they got alot of contacts but i don't know how to go about using them.

To be honest I don't really know...
I've always been a firm believer in being at the right place at the right time and or networking.

For instance down here in New Orleans, the studio I used to record at was where Mystikal, Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton and a few other big names used to record. The engineer produced a lot of Mystikals, Juvenilles and a lot of other local hits so he knew a lot of managers, artist and label owners. He sent one of my CD's off to Jive Records and Def Jam a few years ago (to no avail though..lol). So I would say just networking, find out who knows who and use your talk game from there and no matter who it is never come off cocky, there's already a lot of ego's in the music biz...lol

And as far as being in the right place at the right time, that's just unpredictable. I met Lil Wayne at a restaraunt here in New Orleans, I was just sitting outside the restaraunt smoking and him and some of his boys were waiting for vallet to bring his car around. He was actually decent enough to start a conversation with me about the food there LOL. But I didn't have a CD on me at the time or a website. I met Queen Latifah out of all places at a shooting range down here while she was filming Last Holiday a few years ago. We were the only ones there since it was about to close, I didn't have a legitiment CD then either since it was all scratched up but I gave it to her anyways knowing it would probably skip like hell. (For the record, she looks more like a dude than me without the make-up and hair...lol )

My advice to everyone is KEEP atleas 1 working CD on you at all times, you never know who's gonna be where.

[BillyBo]

"with a napsack packed to the top with tracks / and a dress shirt pressed with a crease in the slacks"... from some of my really old stuff

[BeatsBuY]

Here is what I've learned over the years...

For sending tracks to A&R's for the first time, put 4 of tracks and no more then 5. A&R's get 100's of CDs and they want just the top 4 tracks you got. They will scan through it fast so have your intros to songs short and get to the point fast. No tags on beats and songs! And no snipits...

Do copyright first and ASCAP... Then send it off...

Then when an A&R contacts you they may request more tracks from you to shop. That's when you can put more tracks.

Also, NO normal CD-R! Put a nice clean label with the track titles, name and CONTACT info. Get creative on how you package it. Your demo will need to stick out from the rest. So get a nice package look going on.

And don't feel bad if you don't hear from anyone for a while. I sent a CD to an A&R and heard back from him 3 years later! He said he just got to our CD from a stack to the ceiling...

[Phantom Product]

copywriting is cheap and ascap is free..be prepared to hear some of your best stuff get completley ripped and jacked.You figure these producers who work with major recording artists are always looking for whats hot..when they hear your style they might just roll with it instead of roll with you.As far as artists go..there are alot better oppurtunities working with no name artists trying to come up and having the power over them as maybe a manager/producer. Hip hop producers should always work on starting there own label with there own artists ..and be in search of a production /distribution deal.

Its easy to get AnR to listen.Even some give feed back.Suge Knight wrote back to me at one time!!! Now that is something to talk about.I still got the letter...lol anyways my point is there are alot of people out here doing music.but not alot are handling there business.

Try putting together a mix tape.OR find the best artists that compliments your style that can give you something to push on the streets and to djs.then work on the AnR.Or do with out them.If you really have talent look for others who are in the same boat as you.Just remember if we are all in the same boat as semi pros then that must mean we are out to jack the pros in the speed boats...there is no love..You think 50 cent got found by eminem because he was a cool guy..every one uses everyone..accept it and love it when the money comes...