Getting A Record Contract
Created | Updated Apr 12, 2014
Getting a record contract is a very difficult thing to do unless you are a) the son/daughter of Mick Jagger, b) live next door to Dave Gilmore from Pink Floyd (see Kate Bush), c) are going out with the head of Sony Music's daughter, d) are the daughter of the head of Sony Music.
If you do not fall under the four categories above then you're going to find things a lot harder than if you were. I can only offer the following help.
Step 1.
Learn to play an instrument, and learn to play it really well (or develop your vocals as much as possible). This could be any of a large number of instruments (thought I suggest it isn't the Theramin) but you're best placed if it's a contemporary one, e.g. the guitar, drums, keyboards. I mean really, Rick Astley didn't reach his dizzy heights of fame by playing the Cello did he? So ignore whatever your mother and grandmother say about that Clarinet.
Step 2. Write a hit single. Most people think that they can get into the industry any way they can and then have hit singles written for them. Unless you are fantastically good-looking with a great agent, this is not true.
This however is very important - if you have a single that is catchy, with the right beat and that follows the GOLDEN RULES of chart pop, any record company will want it. It's that simple. Look through archives of past number ones, check out all the NOW! THat's what I call music compications. There is no great secret to the music industry, suffice to say that you need a 'breakthrough' single - For example, Creep by Radiohead, Dancing in the moonlight by Toploader - the list is endless. This is also unfortunately the hard bit. The other option you have is to go to a publishing house and buy the rights to use a song but THIS COSTS MONEY that most unsigned wannabies just don't have (plus you then don't get publishing royalties.) How do you find the publishing houses? See step 3.
Writing a hit single, as stated, must follow the GOLDEN RULES. It must be under one minute and thirty seconds long, preferably 3:20. It must follow the structure Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Breakdown Section (mid 8), Double uplifting Chorus and Outro. Seriously - all you rockers out there who think that you can get away with a 10 minutes epic for a chart debut are kidding yourselves. Bohemian Rhapsody only happened once and that was a long time ago with an established act. Third golden rule is that the chorus must be a hook from start to finish and must sppeal to the most basic of the positive human emotions, records about depression and hate will never sell to anything but a minority. Then take out any Guitar solo's, unless you can play like Joe Satriani, and then, make sure it's a really bloody good one. Tip: You're allowed to steal grooves from tracks as the copyright laws are based on 50% of the Melodies and 50% of the lyrical content - no one is going to sue you for nicking a bass rythm. (if in doubt check with your solicitor)
Now relisten to your Now! album - you'll see what I mean.....
Step 3. Get a copy of the Music Week directory. Roughly £30, this can be obtained by calling the Music Week magazine. Absolutely invaluble. Contains independant and major versions of EVERYTHING you will ever need to know in the industry, from radio pluggers, distributers, manufacturers, recording studios, session players, venues, the lot.
Step 4. Record your demo. Remember this though: All those chart songs that you think are crappy are selling. There is a little known saying that is worth remembering "No one ever lost money by underestimating the common person." Meaning in this case that you shouldn't alienate your audiences by thinking that that one catchy cliche'd lick is beneath you. Half of the DJ tracks out there, including Garage, are little more than a drum beat. And we all know drum and bass sells....
Get in there and give it all you have, retaining as much objectivity as you can. Any of you who have been in a studio will know that this is really difficult, but try and step back from it. Leave at least a week, if not more between recording and mixing. If you're using live instruments, 'fixing in the mix' is much more difficult than if you're programming your song, especially if you're not in a digital studio so try and get that right in the recording phase. Once you're mixing, it only takes 5 minutes to do an instrumental mix that's exactly the same as your vocal mix - this can then be used for TV shows, overdubs, adverts etc and will save you loads of that well earned pocket money later. You may never ever use it, but if you don't mix one, you shall have no pie.
Step 5. Cut your CD. SRT are a good bet, and they can be found in the M.W.D. along with everyone else. They will master the recdording for you and offer a package of mastering, pressing and printing for not too much cash. Go for as many as you can afford - you're going to be giving a lot away.
Step 6. Publicity. As much as you can get, in as many different forms. Use radio pluggers where you can, get your disks to club promoters who will send it out for you (for a fee of course), if you have the cash then use a Sales Force to plug to the 'Gallup' record shops where the charts are made. Do as much as you can and attract as much attention to yourself as possible. Make sure you use a company name to front all this, e.g. Joes Bloggs records presents The Liver Birds new single.
Publicising their record is one of the hardest things to do and most people have no idea where to start. Try your local papers, try local radio, try adverts in magazines (rarely useful), try anything. Do anything. (nothing naughty now!)
Popular misconception: Playing the London pub circuit will get you signed if you do it long enough. Uh Uuuurgh! If you were the Rolling Stones you'd have a hard time. The only example i can really think of this is Blur, but if you do some digging, you start to see who they once knew and where their contacts came from....virtually no bands make it this way.
Step 7. Now approach the record companies. This will be made easier if a) you have a publishing deal, b) you have a team of heavyweight lawyers, c) you have been on TV recently, d) there is some kind of public marketing angle they can use, e) you drink with the post-boy in the A&R department, f) you are represented by a smaller record company. You will be rejected many times, but remember the beatles - they were rejected too!
Nothing I can say will make this easy. Even the boy-bands that you seem to get free with every packet of cornflakes these days work bloody hard and get little reward. Just have faith and remember why you're doing it in the first place. Get a good accountant. Remember that you should never sign anything without your lawyers say so. And above all this: You're unsigned and you're broke and you have a good song. This makes you easy prey for any viperous A&R man. Most musicians who are not professional aren't comfortable asking for as much money as they can get for something which has been a hobby for them for years. Change your way of thinking because they will make as much money as they can out of you - the public are a sucker for a good song and their appetite never dies.
You don't need to use the major labels - try the indies out, they're just as good and you'll be higher on their list than a major who's prime interest is sustaining their already-internationally acclaimed artistes. You have less chance of being written off as a tax-loss.
Better still, do it yourself. Find a copy of The Manual (How to get a hit #1 single the easy way) by The Timelords (the KLF)
There's room enough for you all, so stick with it - Music is the source.....
Good luck.
If you do not fall under the four categories above then you're going to find things a lot harder than if you were. I can only offer the following help.
Step 1.
Learn to play an instrument, and learn to play it really well (or develop your vocals as much as possible). This could be any of a large number of instruments (thought I suggest it isn't the Theramin) but you're best placed if it's a contemporary one, e.g. the guitar, drums, keyboards. I mean really, Rick Astley didn't reach his dizzy heights of fame by playing the Cello did he? So ignore whatever your mother and grandmother say about that Clarinet.
Step 2. Write a hit single. Most people think that they can get into the industry any way they can and then have hit singles written for them. Unless you are fantastically good-looking with a great agent, this is not true.
This however is very important - if you have a single that is catchy, with the right beat and that follows the GOLDEN RULES of chart pop, any record company will want it. It's that simple. Look through archives of past number ones, check out all the NOW! THat's what I call music compications. There is no great secret to the music industry, suffice to say that you need a 'breakthrough' single - For example, Creep by Radiohead, Dancing in the moonlight by Toploader - the list is endless. This is also unfortunately the hard bit. The other option you have is to go to a publishing house and buy the rights to use a song but THIS COSTS MONEY that most unsigned wannabies just don't have (plus you then don't get publishing royalties.) How do you find the publishing houses? See step 3.
Writing a hit single, as stated, must follow the GOLDEN RULES. It must be under one minute and thirty seconds long, preferably 3:20. It must follow the structure Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Breakdown Section (mid 8), Double uplifting Chorus and Outro. Seriously - all you rockers out there who think that you can get away with a 10 minutes epic for a chart debut are kidding yourselves. Bohemian Rhapsody only happened once and that was a long time ago with an established act. Third golden rule is that the chorus must be a hook from start to finish and must sppeal to the most basic of the positive human emotions, records about depression and hate will never sell to anything but a minority. Then take out any Guitar solo's, unless you can play like Joe Satriani, and then, make sure it's a really bloody good one. Tip: You're allowed to steal grooves from tracks as the copyright laws are based on 50% of the Melodies and 50% of the lyrical content - no one is going to sue you for nicking a bass rythm. (if in doubt check with your solicitor)
Now relisten to your Now! album - you'll see what I mean.....
Step 3. Get a copy of the Music Week directory. Roughly £30, this can be obtained by calling the Music Week magazine. Absolutely invaluble. Contains independant and major versions of EVERYTHING you will ever need to know in the industry, from radio pluggers, distributers, manufacturers, recording studios, session players, venues, the lot.
Step 4. Record your demo. Remember this though: All those chart songs that you think are crappy are selling. There is a little known saying that is worth remembering "No one ever lost money by underestimating the common person." Meaning in this case that you shouldn't alienate your audiences by thinking that that one catchy cliche'd lick is beneath you. Half of the DJ tracks out there, including Garage, are little more than a drum beat. And we all know drum and bass sells....
Get in there and give it all you have, retaining as much objectivity as you can. Any of you who have been in a studio will know that this is really difficult, but try and step back from it. Leave at least a week, if not more between recording and mixing. If you're using live instruments, 'fixing in the mix' is much more difficult than if you're programming your song, especially if you're not in a digital studio so try and get that right in the recording phase. Once you're mixing, it only takes 5 minutes to do an instrumental mix that's exactly the same as your vocal mix - this can then be used for TV shows, overdubs, adverts etc and will save you loads of that well earned pocket money later. You may never ever use it, but if you don't mix one, you shall have no pie.
Step 5. Cut your CD. SRT are a good bet, and they can be found in the M.W.D. along with everyone else. They will master the recdording for you and offer a package of mastering, pressing and printing for not too much cash. Go for as many as you can afford - you're going to be giving a lot away.
Step 6. Publicity. As much as you can get, in as many different forms. Use radio pluggers where you can, get your disks to club promoters who will send it out for you (for a fee of course), if you have the cash then use a Sales Force to plug to the 'Gallup' record shops where the charts are made. Do as much as you can and attract as much attention to yourself as possible. Make sure you use a company name to front all this, e.g. Joes Bloggs records presents The Liver Birds new single.
Publicising their record is one of the hardest things to do and most people have no idea where to start. Try your local papers, try local radio, try adverts in magazines (rarely useful), try anything. Do anything. (nothing naughty now!)
Popular misconception: Playing the London pub circuit will get you signed if you do it long enough. Uh Uuuurgh! If you were the Rolling Stones you'd have a hard time. The only example i can really think of this is Blur, but if you do some digging, you start to see who they once knew and where their contacts came from....virtually no bands make it this way.
Step 7. Now approach the record companies. This will be made easier if a) you have a publishing deal, b) you have a team of heavyweight lawyers, c) you have been on TV recently, d) there is some kind of public marketing angle they can use, e) you drink with the post-boy in the A&R department, f) you are represented by a smaller record company. You will be rejected many times, but remember the beatles - they were rejected too!
Nothing I can say will make this easy. Even the boy-bands that you seem to get free with every packet of cornflakes these days work bloody hard and get little reward. Just have faith and remember why you're doing it in the first place. Get a good accountant. Remember that you should never sign anything without your lawyers say so. And above all this: You're unsigned and you're broke and you have a good song. This makes you easy prey for any viperous A&R man. Most musicians who are not professional aren't comfortable asking for as much money as they can get for something which has been a hobby for them for years. Change your way of thinking because they will make as much money as they can out of you - the public are a sucker for a good song and their appetite never dies.
You don't need to use the major labels - try the indies out, they're just as good and you'll be higher on their list than a major who's prime interest is sustaining their already-internationally acclaimed artistes. You have less chance of being written off as a tax-loss.
Better still, do it yourself. Find a copy of The Manual (How to get a hit #1 single the easy way) by The Timelords (the KLF)
There's room enough for you all, so stick with it - Music is the source.....
Good luck.
