Found Around: Sign a Record Deal? Good Question.
Written by Kathryn Cox Posted in: Found Around on August 17, 2010
Do you still need a record deal? Many believe you do, but it's continuously up for debate. To fuel both sides of the argument, Hypebot posted 5 pros and 5 cons to signing with a label. While I went into writing this post relatively neutral, I can't help but lean toward not needing a record label. That isn't to say all record labels are out of touch with their artists and the music they're creating. Many are aware of the times and are doing their best to evolve. Maybe the reasons below will help you decide.
-Kathryn
(HypeBot) 5 Reasons Not To Sign A Record Deal
1. Competition for Attention - Music artists are already forced to compete for the attention and interest of fans; they shouldn't have to compete for that attention within their own record label. Labels divvy up their focus between multiple signed artists. Whereas an artist may be giving 100% to developing their music career, a label can only allocate a fraction.
2. Quantity over Quality - A record label's main concern is the monetary return on their investment, but an artist's main passion is the quality of the music being produced. Conflicting core values between labels and artists unnecessarily inhibit the creativity and uniqueness of the artists' music.
3. Taxation without Representation - Labels take a cut of the money earned by artists for performing tasks that the artists could actually do themselves with the right access to resources and guidance. A growing number of site and services including likeZEBRA.com and others offer recording and promotional tools to get the music directly out to an audience without being an expensive middle man.
4. Out of Touch - Labels have a toxic fixation on record sales. This is an anomaly in today's low record-selling music industry. With the easy access to cheap or free music online, labels are rapidly losing their relevance for turning their focus more towards the importance of live performances. Even major bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails addressed their labels' irrelevance by selling recent albums directly to fans online.
5. Trade-Offs of Contracts - What does an artist really get in return for signing with a label? Lack of creative control? A portion of their own paychecks? Restrictions and inflexible deadlines? Binding obligations to labels leave much to be desired when artists can now rely on themselves to get their music produced, promoted and purchased.
(HypeBot) 5 Reasons That You Still Might Want To Sign A Record Deal
1. Bank - The bigger record labels may not have as much money as they used to, but they probably have a lot more than you do. Money will not solve all your problems or make you a star, but it can be expensive to tour or to stop touring and concentrate on writing and recording, for example.
2. Distribution - Yes, TuneCore, CD Baby and others can put your music for sale online, but you still need a record label and their distribution arm to get your CD's into stores, and while the scales are tipping toward digital, a third to a half of all sales still come from physical goods.
3. Team - You can't do it all yourself; you must build a team. Record labels come with a built in team.
4. Experience - Passion can only take you so far. "Been there, done that" can help avoid a lot of mistakes and focus resources where they are like to do the most good.
5. Relationships - It's not as bad as it used to be; but who you know - or at least get on the phone - sometimes matters. Labels have history and relationships with the media, producers, managers, agents and others that can help you.
