Why will you be offered a deal?
The motivation to sign you is likely to be a commerical decision. In other words, will you make money for the company that signs you?
Before you suggest that this is nothing short of selling out, remember that many before you have discovered that it is possible to stay true to your musical principles and still have a career. It is highly unlikely that an act that fails to generate any money, for anyone, will still be able to have a career.
Initially you are selling the concept of you and your music to your target market i.e. record labels and/or music publishers. Given that nothing sells like success, the best way to convince others that you will be successful is to be successful.
Is it important to be 'locally' successful?
Build a strong enough local following and the music industry will get to hear about you. Local success can be any one of a number of things which demonstrate that other people like your music. Unfortunately this doesn't mean that if all your friends and family like you, that you have achieved local success. You need to sell well at local venues, get good reviews in local publications, get a large subscriber database for your mailing list and so on.
If you've prepared a demo and manage to sell copies through your website and gigs, then not only do people like what you do but they are also prepared to pay for it.
How important is a (professional) attitude?
Establishing yourself as successful locally demonstrates that you are serious about your music. Displaying professionalism from the outset can prove to be very valuable in the long run. Not only are you gaining an understanding of the industry, you are hoping to work in and earn from but you are also adding value to your product, strengthening your bargaining position and, perhaps, allowing yourself the luxury of not only choosing between deals BUT possibly even choosing whether to do a deal at all.
How can you get noticed?
The industry is largely concentrated in and around London, but that's not to say that its eyes and ears don't spread far and wide around the country. Most of us are familiar with the idea of labels and publishers employing 'scouts' to travel around the UK and find new bands. Something that isn't widely known is that in addition to the scouts, there are many other individuals actively feeding tips back to those looking to make signings. These might be wannabe scouts or venue owners, promoters or local journalists to name a few. If you build a reputation these people will hear about you and possibly even decide to check you out.
An important thing to remember is that these people are unlikely to announce themselves to you at a gig so it's vital you give every performance maximum effort. Take every gig seriously and play as if the person who is gonig to kick-start your musical career is standing in front of you waiting to be impressed, because that may actually be the case.
Member Views
Step Four: The Publishing Team