Just how do you get a record deal

VomitHatSteve said:
I completely disagree that this is the worst time ever for music. Is it a really hard time to make money in music? Yes, indisputably.

But the thing is, great music is still being made, and the Internet has made it easier than ever to find that music. If someone has some really good artistic ideas, the barrier for entry for joe schmoe, educated music consumer to get a copy of it is so low.

Yes, this means there is more crap out there, but that also means that there is more good stuff out there, and more importantly, there is more variety of good music out there. There are more niches.
Click to expand...
I think in this discussion the phrase "worst time in music" is referring to the buisiness side of it rather than if there's any good music. There's certainly TONS of great music out there ...... more than ever really.
But yes, the business side is the worst I've ever seen and I've done it full time for 40+ years.
I have friends that have had solid runs of albums including a #1 or two and end up seriously in debt.
And the record companies are in free fall money wise.
You can bet that over the next 10 years a lot of them will cease to exist altogether.

So for making money the answer is playing live but then that runs into the "lame cover band' mindset that players that can't imagine doing covers any other way than exactly like the record think of. :rolleyes: But it's not true ..... you can play covers however you wish. If the people hear the hook line they're good because that's about as deep as most of them listen.
And you CAN do original stuff and get people to like it IF you do a good internet promotion of your stuff and you can do that about as well as a record company if you really put all your time into it.

I really agree with the gerg here ....... look at a lot of the most recent successes ...... Bieber et. al. ...... they basically did it themselves ........ someone liked a youtube vid and they were off and running.
Getting a record deal, for the most part, has to do with how you look more than anything else.
The records companies know they can make almost anyone sound good in the studio ........... they're looking for the next teen heartthrob.
If you're a hot chick or a tween that girls will swoon over then you've got a good chance.
Simply good music? Not so much.
 
I've played live for roughly 20 years now in the 4th largest city in the US. I've never done it as a profession like Lt Boob, I just do it for fun, and I can say that in my city/state/region this is easily the worst time period of live music I've seen. It fucking sucks huge shit right now, and it's been this way for about 6 years. It used to be so easy to get really good gigs as an original band. Venues literally begged for bands to play. If you were a cover band you got your ass laughed at. The tables have completely turned. There are way too many bands, not enough clubs, the club owners have the power, and cover bands are the rage. It's a fucking joke. I'm so glad I was never dumb enough to think this was a lucrative hobby.
 
Lt. Bob said:
But yes, the business side is the worst I've ever seen and I've done it full time for 40+ years.
I have friends that have had solid runs of "ANYTHING" including a #1 or two and end up seriously in debt.
.
Click to expand...

Yeah, unfortunately, this could be said about alot of things right now, Its the new American Dream.
 
Greg_L said:
I'm so glad I was never dumb enough to think this was a lucrative hobby.
Click to expand...
no shit ..... the only reason I make it is because I play multiple instruments and I'm adept at the 'hired gun' thing.
I actually turn down offers to join bands ...... I make more money just hiring out to various bands and I work more that way.

It's also quite helpful to have a wife with a good job. :D
 
Lt. Bob said:
It's also quite helpful to have a wife with a good job. :D
Click to expand...

That's the key. You know I've busted your balls in the past about your gigging, but I know you're a good musician and I believe that you gig hard all the time. But be real, could you maintain your current lifestyle if your wife didn't work? Could you support your family off gigging alone? I suspect not. At least not at the comfort level you're at now. I know that I'd be living in a van down by the river if I had to live off my live performance earnings.
 
Greg_L said:
I've played live for roughly 20 years now in the 4th largest city in the US. I've never done it as a profession like Lt Boob, I just do it for fun, and I can say that in my city/state/region this is easily the worst time period of live music I've seen. It fucking sucks huge shit right now, and it's been this way for about 6 years. It used to be so easy to get really good gigs as an original band. Venues literally begged for bands to play. If you were a cover band you got your ass laughed at. The tables have completely turned. There are way too many bands, not enough clubs, the club owners have the power, and cover bands are the rage. It's a fucking joke. I'm so glad I was never dumb enough to think this was a lucrative hobby.
Click to expand...

I've got about a year left with my job, then who knows what might happen. So I've been considering alternatives and opening a music venue for originals in North Austin or Round Rock is one of them. There isn't many around. I've talked with the prominent booking agent in town and he said there was a big hole in North Austin and he could definitely keep the bar packed. Hooked me up with the bar manager for one of his clubs and she would get the bar started and staff (and me) trained. Then I talked to a bank and they said they don't lend to restaurants and bars because it was their biggest write-off. Hmmm, anyone want to invest?? :D

We definitely need more original music venues....
 
Greg_L said:
That's the key. You know I've busted your balls in the past about your gigging, but I know you're a good musician and I believe that you gig hard all the time. But be real, could you maintain your current lifestyle if your wife didn't work? Could you support your family off gigging alone? I suspect not. At least not at the comfort level you're at now. I know that I'd be living in a van down by the river if I had to live off my live performance earnings.
Click to expand...
Not a chance and you're right ...... I gig more than almost anyone and there's absolutely no way in hell I could own a home and have health insurance and a running vehicle etc. etc. if wifey didn't have a successful career.
I'd be living in an ghetto apartment and deciding which bills I could pay.

Basically, when I'm working a LOT, I can clear maybe 3 grand a month. By gigging musician standards that's actually pretty damned good.
But really ........ that's not far above poverty level and there's times when i might only make 1500 which is way below poverty.
Plus, I've figured out that, once you factor in driving and set-up time, I often make slightly more than minimum wage. :eek:

I'm music all the time though and couldn't do anything else. I used to say I love music but now I realize it's more of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.



Chili said:
I've got about a year left with my job, then who knows what might happen. So I've been considering alternatives and opening a music venue for originals in North Austin or Round Rock is one of them. There isn't many around. I've talked with the prominent booking agent in town and he said there was a big hole in North Austin and he could definitely keep the bar packed. Hooked me up with the bar manager for one of his clubs and she would get the bar started and staff (and me) trained. Then I talked to a bank and they said they don't lend to restaurants and bars because it was their biggest write-off. Hmmm, anyone want to invest?? :D

We definitely need more original music venues....
Click to expand...
Having been in the biz for a long time I can safely say the LAST thing I'd risk my money on would be a bar/restaurant.
It's very easy to lose your investment.
 
It's surprising to me how many bars/clubs fail. How hard can it be to run a bar or club? If you serve booze, you have a crowd every night. People love to get fucked up. Make it young and hip and you'll likely do well, right? I have to suspect that the owners are just fucking stupid and/or lazy.
 
Chili said:
Pretty sure it was Bergen, though I seem to remember the name started with an "H". Possibly the name of the norwegian naval base there.

My neighbor is from Norway, though he is 100% Korean. lol So much for purity.
Click to expand...

Håkonsvern.

Bergen is a great place, great music scene to.
I use to live there before.
 
Greg_L said:
It's surprising to me how many bars/clubs fail. How hard can it be to run a bar or club? If you serve booze, you have a crowd every night. People love to get fucked up. Make it young and hip and you'll likely do well, right? I have to suspect that the owners are just fucking stupid and/or lazy.
Click to expand...

I think there is a lot of "un-serious" people in the buissness, it sure is over here, some make a shitload of money other struggle and do all sorts of silly stunts.
 
Regarding live venues ect, its not that bad over here, it certainly gets worse the smaller the town is.
People in small towns usually just wanna hear Creedence and the newest lady gaga tune.
But in the biggest citys there is no problem finding a good gig.

And being that my band play prog, it should be hard getting gigs, because its not news that people think its boring music :D
Still we are gigging more and more, and we've actually gotten to the point where we have to say no to jobs and we also get paid quite fairly now.
Not bad for such a small country.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
the legendarily high murder rate (per capita) of Norwegian death and black metal.
Click to expand...

Bands like to kill each and other and eat their dead members and make necklaces from their skulls, right?
Didn't Mayhem put out an E.P with the dead guy on the cover?
 
kidkage said:
Bands like to kill each and other and eat their dead members and make necklaces from their skulls, right?
Didn't Mayhem put out an E.P with the dead guy on the cover?
Click to expand...

Yes, Their vocalist comitted suicide by shotgun and eronymous (guitarist) took photos before calling 911, he was later killed himself by Norways most notorious churchburner. :D
Good times.
 
Greg_L said:
Hopefully rap and black metal can war it out and kill eachother off.
Click to expand...

Varg vs. Lil' Wayne would sell tons of tickets.
Maybe that's the future of the music industry :confused: - death matches... I better go buy a punching bag
 
I don't necessarily hate Rap/Hip Hop...there's some tunes that really are quite creative musically, and the rapping is somewhat discernible and interesting enough beyond the more stereotypical Rap lyrical topics....

...but the thing about Rap/Hip Hop that makes me wonder about it's longevity and popularity, is that so much of it really does sound the same, save for a minor twist in the beats and lyrics.
It's like...they've run out of direction...kinda' like much of the 50's R&R and Do Wop music began to fold back on itself and sound like the same song, over and over.
I'm curious to see how/if Rap/Hip Hop gets past that...or does it just stay forever the same...over and over.... ???
 
Man! If I had to live off only my music earnings, I'd have traded my van by the river for a cardboard box under the overpass years ago.

Good thing I can program computers during the day!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top