Grammy without a major label. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Anybody know how?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jokerone
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Ok got it.

for my genre (reggae), in order for Billboard to track it, you have to have the album registered with SoundScan prior to release. Easy enough. The rest is up to sales. It would be interesting to know how one gets the BestBuys, Walmarts, etc. of the world to sell your stuff without being a major label. I guess you have to show up on somebody's radar before those stores want to waste shelf space on you?
 
jokerone said:
I guess you have to show up on somebody's radar before.............
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Yeah, that's pretty much the answer for anything in the music biz...not just for Walmart and Best Buy.
Those outlets most likely work with a major distributor that provides ALL their shelf stock, and the distributors most likely get their "lists" from higher up....IOW, I doubt that some guy at Walmart or Best Buy decideds which artists to stock and which not to.

So it's back to the "show up on somebody's radar".
 
Distribution to Wal Mart is handled by
Front Page | Anderson Merchandisers
If you're looking to get you music on iTunes, try
Sell Music Online - Sell worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and More! | CD Baby
(it'll go other places, too)
There's no secret formula. Sometimes it's blind luck, sometimes it's a complete inspiration, sometimes it's a lot of hard work. But getting to the top can come from lots of different angles.
I have a friend that's trying to get there via American Idol. He hates the idea of the show, but you get some great exposure if you have the talent.
 
jokerone said:
Ok got it.

for my genre (reggae), in order for Billboard to track it, you have to have the album registered with SoundScan prior to release. Easy enough. The rest is up to sales. It would be interesting to know how one gets the BestBuys, Walmarts, etc. of the world to sell your stuff without being a major label. I guess you have to show up on somebody's radar before those stores want to waste shelf space on you?
Click to expand...

You'll never get your shit on the shelves at Wal Mart or Best Buy without serious publishing and distribution support from major sources. Being "on a label" isn't necessary for anyone. Distribution is. And even then you have to sign your life away so they can make their cut. And I have to ask, does anyone still buy music at these places? The Wal Marts and Best Buys in my area have significantly shrunk their music sections. It's not 1998 anymore. I think your best bet is getting your shit out there digitally, and that's super easy to do with no backing, and tell all of your friends and family to spread the word.

If you're desperate to sell some physical albums at retail outlets, get your albums made with a bar code and put them up at on consignment at record stores and mall boutiques like Hot Topic and Spencers and silly places like that.
 
Are you asking how they did it without a label because you are opposed to recording for a major label or because you don't have a deal yourself? I ask because aiming to win a Grammy but railing against major labels is fairly contradictory: they're all part of the same broken system. The Grammys are pretty irrelevant nowadays, and have been for well over a decade. They're only relevant to the small group of people who support them: major labels; big-time producers, songwriters, artists, etc.; and all the companies that benefit from the drivel those retards force down the throats of a clueless listening populace, which is the majority of the US market.
 
That being said, I've read a few posts in response to the OP, and they've got the right idea: it's money. You've gotta spend money to make money, and that old adage applies to the music business as well. Do some research on what it takes to get a song on the radio in any major market, and you'll see what I mean. First you have to pay someone to determine the demographic behind your single; the two huge radio corporations need to know which of their stations target which demographics so their advertisers can accurately place their ads, so you'll NEVER get on the radio in a major market without solid demographic info on your single. Then you have to pay a lawyer or a company which specifically reps singles to said radio conglomerates. It just goes on and on.
 
Milli Vanilli won a Grammy...........do I need to continue?
 
Johnny Don't! said:
Are you asking how they did it without a label because you are opposed to recording for a major label or because you don't have a deal yourself? .
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No, I'm not one of those. ;)

I don't see the world as corrupted by evil corporations. I see the world corrupted by individual greed, and corruption which elects like minded corrupt charlatans who tell us what we want to hear and bank on us being too lazy to look at their voting record, which encourages corporations to kickback some of their ill gotten gains to the same parliament of whores that we put in place. In other words if we really wanted the system changed, the 95% reelection percentage would be much lower.

So much for my political soap box.

I was just trying to figure out the mechanics of getting to Grammy status without "The Machine" backing them. I think I figured it out. The Soundscan part is the first thing, and its free. Just like entering the NY Marathon. I believe anybody can sign up. After that, its up to you to produce, and I'm totally cool with that. I just don't like to be shutout before I even start.

thanks.
 
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Johnny Don't! said:
That being said, I've read a few posts in response to the OP, and they've got the right idea: it's money. You've gotta spend money to make money, and that old adage applies to the music business as well. Do some research on what it takes to get a song on the radio in any major market, and you'll see what I mean. First you have to pay someone to determine the demographic behind your single; the two huge radio corporations need to know which of their stations target which demographics so their advertisers can accurately place their ads, so you'll NEVER get on the radio in a major market without solid demographic info on your single. Then you have to pay a lawyer or a company which specifically reps singles to said radio conglomerates. It just goes on and on.
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I agree. The burden is 100% on me. I guess it just peaked my interest that these guys did it and it didn't happen using the normal process.
 
Greg_L said:
You'll never get your shit on the shelves at Wal Mart or Best Buy without serious publishing and distribution support from major sources. Being "on a label" isn't necessary for anyone. Distribution is. And even then you have to sign your life away so they can make their cut. And I have to ask, does anyone still buy music at these places? The Wal Marts and Best Buys in my area have significantly shrunk their music sections. It's not 1998 anymore. I think your best bet is getting your shit out there digitally, and that's super easy to do with no backing, and tell all of your friends and family to spread the word.

If you're desperate to sell some physical albums at retail outlets, get your albums made with a bar code and put them up at on consignment at record stores and mall boutiques like Hot Topic and Spencers and silly places like that.
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I think your correct. I know the cereal companies battle for bigger boxes using them as "billboards" so they can advertise their crap. I believe a few years ago they came to some agreement with Walmart as to how big the box could be and that Walmart would make an effort to stock more types of things to offset the loss of "billboard" advertising.

I worked for a while at Anheuser-Bush and they made distributors take classes on shelf placement. Its not just stacked up randomly when you see it in the store. They do a lot of background work to determine how best to market their stuff.

So I assume the same type of thought goes into record sales as well.
 
It's amazing how many "Seasoned" musicians / producers / songwriters , don't know or maybe even care about what's selling TODAY. Had a discussion with a producer friend of mine who shared an original song with the lyrical content of a " 4 year old." When I asked him to consider the lyrics of artists' such as Bruno Mars , One Republic , Train etc.. He replied "WHO"? The Grammy's may represent everything that's wrong with music. But I'm sure as shit trying to nab one in some capacity. Like it or not , staying relevant is the only way to be successful on the WORLD stage , and knowing what's out there is to me a no brainer.
 
Sorry for being late.

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan, but I do like them. Or at least their story and dedication. And they seem like decent enough guys. Unlike some other pop stars.

You've got the main points - hard work, building their "brand" blah blah blah - but the one thing that nobody's mentioned yet (at least I don't think they have) is that they paid Warner Bros. to do their promo work and got MASSIVE distribution and promotion through that.
So it's not a typical record deal, it's just... label... backing? The Macklemore and Ryan Lewis success isn't guaranteed but it's something anyone can do (granted they have the money).

EDIT: Here's the original post through Bobby O. Music 3.0 Music Industry Blog: The New World Of Label Services
 
I'm 26, and I hate rap. But I really like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. IMO this is how they became successful. They found a way to make people who don't even like rap enjoy it. I'm not sure where they hit the magic... My favorite things about it are that many of the songs are very anti-consumer, which I like. Wing$, about how the expensive shoes affected his childhood.. and how unimportant the image really is. Thrift shop is the same, my favorite line from that one:

"Limited edition let's do some simple addition $50 for a t-shirt that's just some ignorant bitch sh*t"

Being someone who doesn't get new clothes unless they are given at Christmas, I thought that was hilarious. From what I read, they worked hard on their music, and with the videos turned it viral. I don't know how they got to Grammy status (which I generally think of as all the rich and famous people just boosting their own egos).

Their songs don't tie to a certain image... It's rap that doesn't make you think of street thugs, pimps, huge rims and doing drugs. In other words, it's rap for white people ;)
 
EricIndecisive said:
It's rap that doesn't make you think of street thugs, pimps, huge rims and doing drugs. In other words, it's rap for white people ;)
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Wow and that's a racist comment if I've heard one.

The percentage of white people doing drugs compared to the percentage of white people in jail for doing drugs is so far apart, its ridiculous.

Anyway, /political rant.

I was introduced to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis by one of my drum students. I am very insulated from pop culture, and I don't mind one bit. He wanted to play along to one of their songs, so he brought it in. As I was listening to it and transcribing the drum beat into notation that he could read, I was pretty enthralled by the lyrics. I, too, am not a fan of rap, but I dug the lyrics of that particular song. Can't remember which one it was though.
 
Seafroggys said:
Wow and that's a racist comment if I've heard one.

The percentage of white people doing drugs compared to the percentage of white people in jail for doing drugs is so far apart, its ridiculous.
.
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White people are just better at doing/selling drugs.
 
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