by Tom Hess
Want to get signed to a record label but don't know if any opportunities still exist with all the competition out there?
Know this:
Record labels get contacted by musicians all the time, but most of them make the same common mistakes, don't have anything going for them or ask for a contract without offering anything in return.
Knowing how to do things differently when you contact record labels helps you stand out and get opportunities where others never do.
Most musicians contact record labels right after they finish their first recording/album. Problem is, this is often too early for many musicians and they don't have enough value to offer in return.
When you contact record labels too label you are not likely to hear back from them, and may even make them less likely to respond to you in the future.
Why?
Answer:
Record labels commonly look for the following when evaluating who they want to sign to a contract:
How can you show them you have these things?
You can do this by building things like: a database of your fans online, a local following of die-hard fans, a list of the gigs you’ve played and records of your album/music sales.
Don't worry about having massive achievements at first, just make sure you can showcase positive movement in your music career.
This is what gets contracts with record labels.
Without proof of your value, the door is closed.
Giving proof that you can offer tons of value opens the door and makes you the obvious choice to work with because most musicians only work on their musical skills while neglecting any other aspects of their career.
“Question: Tom Hess, why does it make it harder to get signed to a record label when you contact them too early?”
Answer: When a record label thinks of you as “not ready yet” they will still have this impression into the future regardless of what you have done. Since you made a poor first impression on them, they might see you as too risky to work with.
Here’s what to do:
Make sure you are ready to show proof of your achievements before you contact a record label. Get started right now on building a database of fans who love your music and buy all your merch.
Try to think of many different unique ways you can offer value to a record label. The more value you are able to add, the more likely you can get signed to a record deal rather than get overlooked like so many musicians do.
Note: There is much more you need to learn in order to get your music career going in the right direction early on. Learn more ways to achieve success as a musician in this article about building a music career faster.
Ready to make it in music? Learn how to build a music career.