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So You Want To Make It In The Entertainment Business? Here's the Secret...
As a musician, bands have it easier than a solo artist in terms
of cost to make a CD. Other than that, there are little or no
differences. For bands/artists who wish to start the process of
making, distributing, and getting radio airplay by themselves,
believe it or not, you are starting your own record label. Even
if your goal is to land a major recording contract, you will
still need to gather more attention for your music by cutting,
distributing and promoting your own music. You'll have a much
better chance at getting a great record deal with a major label
if you are successful on your own first. You may even find out
that initially you can even be more financially successful on
your own than if you had a record deal.
In my book, The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money ISBN
978-0-9746229-4-1, I discuss how MC Hammer started out by
himself. He knew the bottom line and how much he made working
his record in dance clubs. When a record company approached and
wanted to sign him, he initially said no. Face it, if we were
offered a deal like that or any deal, most of us would be
rendered speechless and simply nod our heads to say "yes." After
all, that's the musician's dream, right? Why did he say no?
Because he knew and understood his business model. MC knew how
much he made on his own, and he knew he could make a lot more
money on his own than they initially offered. Eventually the
record label had to meet him on his terms. They offered him a
much better deal in the end.
So, how do you do what MC Hammer did? Marketing, Marketing,
Marketing - and it's not all dependent on having your own label
or producing your own music. In my book, "The Ultimate Guide to
Music Success" there's a chapter of do's and don'ts for those of
you who aren't interested in creating your own record label and
promoting a CD yourself. It will show you the correct ways to
send a demo and get heard by the A&R staff of major-labels. It
also includes a truck load of fresh contacts, email addresses,
phone numbers and web sites to help you on this journey.
If you are one of the lucky few and have a lot of contacts and a
lot of extra money, your path will be much easier, but still not
guaranteed. If you are like the rest of us, you have a limited
budget, fewer contacts, and even less time to spare. What do you
do?
First you need to spend some money no matter how limited your
funds are. There's no way around that. You must also spend some
time to start your business up and make your CD (a budget guide
is also available in my book).
It's the same with contacts. You have to put yourself out there
and network. You need to spend a lot of very early mornings and
very late nights initially surfing the internet for information
on how to find and meet the people you need to help you on your
path. You will also need to attend various functions and music
gatherings where the music makers meet. Remember - it's a see
and be seen world. Join your local version of the BAMM or WAMI
association. These are local clubs where musicians meet on a
regular basis. Many important local musicians will be members
and might be there to network with. Most every major city will
have some sort of club like this.
The next step is marketing. Collect all of the write-ups on
yourself and your band and put them into a folder. Then based on
those, you'll need to write a one-sheet up and pass it out to
the people you meet at the parties. (A one-sheet is a one page
marketing tool that emphasis the important aspects of your
band/act.) If writing is not your gig, find someone who writes
professional one-sheets or bios on a regular basis.
Once you have those marketing tools in hand, start making
appointments to audition for local clubs. Take every gig that is
offered to you initially, whether you are paid for it or not,
and make sure to get the most press out of that gig. If you do
get paying gigs when you first start out, great! Make sure you
have a contract in your hands that is signed by the person who
will be paying you. In case there is a dispute, and they do
arise, you have a contract spelling out whether or not you were
going to be paid and how much. Although it would be nice if
everyone could work on faith and trust, make sure you get your
contracts written, signed and in place.
Before you sign any contracts, make sure you get a reputable
entertainment attorney to look it over. NEVER sign a contract
before you have followed that step. You could lose the shirt off
your back and much more!
What's next? Work it baby! Work it! This is not the time to be
shy and bashful about your career. You have to grab onto every
single opportunity and use it to your advantage. Unabashed
marketing is what you need to do...so go for it! Just do it! No
is just a word in the dictionary. It may hurt for a minute, but
it's the people that can take the "no" 50 thousand times that
will get the prize in the end.
Something I recommend is to take a few courses at your local
community college on Business Management and Accounting. This
will help you immensely when it comes to watching your money and
the bottom line. Whether you're producing your own label and
watching every penny or whether you've signed with a major
label, you still need good accounting skills or a good
accountant you can trust. With or without an accountant, it's
just good business to look at your books daily. Oprah is
notorious for this and look where she is! No-one will care about
your money or your success like you do. Copyright 2005 Jaci Rae
About the author:
Jaci Rae is the #1 Best Selling author of "Winning Points with
the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time" ISBN 0974622907
and "The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money" ISBN
097462294X as well as the host of the Jaci Rae show. To hear
Jaci's popular show, with some of the top behind the scenes as
well as famous bands go to: www.jacirae.com click on the weekly
show link.
Jaci Rae
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