The Label Game

In the past few weeks, I’ve had more than a few colleagues talk to me about odd experiences in their courtship with record labels.

With fewer record deals to be had, artists (particularly lesser known artists) who choose to go the label route often feel as though they are at the mercy of whichever label they are negotiating with. Many artists now have the notion that, if they want to get a label deal, they have to do what the label tells them to do, and that simply isn’t so.

While it’s important to be malleable when negotiating, keep in mind that  the early stages of label meetings should be like the early stages of dating someone new. The A & R, managers, VPs, President, and any other people you may meet and speak to should be at their best and most polite. If they’re acting aloof and disinterested in you in early talks take that to mean one of two things. 1) They aren’t that interested in you (which they would most likely tell you) or 2) They may sign you but they’ll be indifferent to your music and won’t be all that eager to help you accomplish anything.

An artist with whom I spoke last week was in talks with a label. They thought everything had been worked out and as the discussion of specifics progressed, the label-folk kept changing the terms on how they were defining ‘distribution’ and what they were willing to do to fund recording. That isn’t okay. In fact, it’s a little bit dodgy. This is precisely why I  emphasize the importance of artists having a basic knowledge of how the business stuff works, in addition to having a really good manager and an entertainment attorney who helps with contracts.

Another thing to keep in mind is how often you have to try to chase your label contacts down via phone or email to get things done or get questions answered. I always say this; if you can’t trust them with something as simple as returning a phone call or following through on an email, will you really feel comfortable trusting this label with your career?

Another artist I know had an experience in which an online label wanted him to sign a 360° contract, which he didn’t feel quite right about, and he was left with an overall feeling of something being ‘off.‘ He ended up turning the deal down and I told him that was probably a wise decision. Instincts typically alert us to situations for a reason. If you get a feeling that a person or deal is not what it appears to be, or a downright scam, it’s best to stay as far away from it as possible.

While some artists do still feel that labels offer the most security and stability in an otherwise chaotic business, the beauty of the modern-day music industry is that until you find a label that is truly a perfect fit for your music and your goals, you can remain an independent artist.