How do I make it in the music industry?

Question

I am a singer. I love to sing it is my passion. I just need to know how to start in the industry. How old should I be when I start? Where do I start? What are the big record copanies I should look out for? And other important stuff. Maybe even some websites or books that have tips.

Answer 1

First you may want to make a demo and go out to popular clubs in your city. Hand them your demo and ask them to play a song of yours that you think may get you hot. DJ's are hot people who know hot radio personalities, so they may hand over your demo to those people and get you started in your city. If you have a sexy like song, you can get started in the adult entertainment clubs. You don't have to attend the club, just see if the dancers like the music to dance to and that could get you hot too. It's all about your city representing you. Maybe you can talk to someone who knows someone that is very important and that could get you some where also. You should start when you're at least 17. If you don't have singing lessons, Then get some.

Answer 2

You can start at any age. There is no limit. The best way to start is to gather a following in your local community by performing your songs. The key to success is if you have a passion are there people out there who appreciate what you are doing? Demand is what you always have to look for! If successful you can try to find a sponsor or maybe someone will offer it to you to produce a CD with your songs. You can make CDs today at a very affordable budget and sell them at your concerts. If your audience grows and you get great feedback you can submit your CD to some online stores like CDBABY.com and others. If this proves successful (CDBABY has fantastic tips for beginners on their website) you canalso start looking for local stores that would carry your CD. This process will teach you a lot and you have an independent platform to work from. If you want to continue the indie route you continue step by step building your audience and outlets. First locally and then nationally and eventually internationally. If during this process managers, agents or record companies come to you and offer you support you should find an enetertainment lawyer to look very carefully at their offers.

Answer 3

if you can just be YOU and keep your own unique voice.....not trying to sing like a well known star ,you will become noticed no matter what age ...or where you are,...someone lurking in the crowd that is out scouting for singers that have these unique abilities will confront you and fill you in on all the other clicks you need to be a unique star !!! just make certain this person is genuine ,or they may have a scam up their sleeve and only want your money after they have placed you on a high pedistal....im not going to tell you ..(good luck) because if you can be ...just you !!! you will see that luck has nothing to do with being a lucky star.!!!!!

Answer 4

I'll purchase that for a buck! You do see bands visiting extra and discovering varieties of sales. This in flip is a confident endeavor. However, the atmosphere is thrown in there face normally. I like to shop for on the parties. Otherwise: I seize a pay attention without cost wherein it's unfastened. After all: unfastened is unfastened!

Answer 5

You have to have something that the suits can use. And when I say "use", it's just that. They will use you and toss you aside when they're finished, like an empty potato chip bag. They are worse than lawyers. If you can't keep making them tons of money, you'll be kicked to the curb like an unwanted gerbil.

Answer 6

Money is a key ingredient so is major management with money.

See, money is the key ingredient and you need $150,000 minimum and that won't get you over. Figure on a war chest of $500,000+

Or you need to catch the eye of someone who can get you to someone with signing power.

Only head of A&R, VPs and Prexy have signing power, everyone else just has recomendation power.

To get an idea of how hard it is Glenn Campbell in his HEYDAY took on a young singer-songwriter, produced masters and took them into his label, Capitol and they passed, song after song, year after year. He eventually got them to sign the artist based on one song.

Here's the deal. It's a 10 year exclusive contract and as a singer you are paid as little at $50,000 which is basically minimum wage for 10 years. 40 hours a week at $5.50 an hour. It's fronted to you, they own you, they have the right to drop you, you can't drop them.

They then put $500,000+ into you and you must pay that plus your advance back at a rate of 50 cents per CD billed and paid to the LABEL from the DISTRIBUTOR (they own the DISTRIBUTOR, but it's a separate company) and the DISTRIBUTOR is two years behind in paying and they hold back 25% against returns.

In two years you are making your second album and are now $1 million IN DEBT to the label and you get a BILL in the mail that you don't have to pay, but you have to "clear this" with royalties to see any new money.

You MUST go GOLD to get a second record. You MUST go QUDARUPLE PLATIMUM on FIRST AND SECOND just to come CLOSE to clearing.

The label puts you before 50 markets, who don't have to pick you up (the label sends in a guy with 4 ablums, including yours, he sits with the other labels who each have 4 albums and the radio station has ONE or TWO potential openings to fill from the 200 songs they will hear that day). You need 300 stations to make a hit (they ony pitch you to 50) which means YOU and YOUR Managmenet must pith the other 250-400 stations.

YOU are on your own for TOURS, the LABEL will CO-SIGN provided you sign over your songwriting, publishing and royalties until they recoup all losses, which means your tour goes on to your BILL now.

Tours are small clubs (500 - 1500 seaters) and your band is paid like $500 each a week for 4 shows and you are paid like $250 to $1000 per show BY A PROMOTER IF YOU GET ON A PROMOTER TOUR.

YOU have the OPTION to rent the venue (cost is now like $5 per seat) but YOU don't get BAR, CONCESSIONS or PARKING Money, only TICKET SALES.

A first tour if done sucessfully can makeyou maybe $20,000 for 30-40 weeks work in the US and overseas and IT WILL HELP SELL YOUR ALBUMS

This is why you need that $150,000 to $500,000 budget.

The label also "expects" you to put the $50,000 advance into yourself.

Generally you won't see any money for years.

IF you have two quad platinum albums

IF you get a grammy nomination or Peoepls Choice award

IF you get on magazine covers (you generally have to buy them with a paid PR person)

YOu can then get an attorney, take a vacation to Aruba and wait for the attorney to make the label give you like $1.5 million to shut up and fire the attorney and keep making records.

Now you are an established artist.

Otherwise you are dumped after you first album.

You keep getting bills for being $400,000 in debt to the label. After two years you'll get a $2,000 check from ASCP or BMI for the songs YOU WROTE that got play and this will drop to $500 in the next quarter and $50 the next year.

That will be your show biz career.

Answer 7

you have to not suck