General Music Chat

I took the time to go over an actual record contract,and I was shocked to
see the lies that are hidden within. When you see 12 percent as your
cut,the actual number will be lower. First off deductions are taken,
such as producer points,packaging,recording budget,etc. This is
coming out of your end.You might get something like 9 percent
in reality.This leaves 91 percent for the Record company.

On top of everthing,you don't get paid until the company gets back
the money for the recording.If your CDs aren't moving you could end up
owing money,the record company is nothing more than a loan company.

I find all of this outrageous,without the artist they couldn't exsist.
You're no more than a means to an end,all the glad handing means
nothing,getting paid fairly,and being respected as an artist does.
Nothing will change until we change it.

Don't be a pawn,see you worth,and get a strong lawyer to protect your
interest.Make genuine music,be the artist you know you can be,and
keep yor finger on the books,if you're working with a record company
they sure as hell will.

, art & graphic design....

Box of crayons should suffice. Paper not included.

'Sup Robbie? PHX eh?

Record labels have always sucked the juice out of musicians. They're a business, set up to make a profit for principals and stockholders.
If you're lucky enough to be offered a contract by a label, time to get a good attorney.

Never had a record deal (was in a band about 30 yrs. ago that was close...but both the guitarist and I dropped out when we learned the terms), but have heard/read the horror stories. I was just watching Ray again yesterday, and for a blind, alleged country bumpkin, he had ABC Records by the short ones: 75 percent and ownership of his masters. Also produced all his stuff and had total control over the material--and just about everything else. This was back in ~1962.

Going indie is a great thing for the artist, esp. now that the technology makes it somewhat easier to produce good recordings and get them to market (and cheaper, too). It's always good to hear when someone goes it alone and makes it. I once knew a popular writer who couldn't get his books published, so he went it alone and self-published. It sold like crazy--he was already well known from his newspaper column--and suddenly, the publishing companies came a'callin'. He politely invited them to perform a certain sexual act on themselves.

He politely invited them to perform a certain sexual act on themselves.

I've had record company sex a few times now. It takes 3 or 4 successful albums before you start seeing a penny from the labels. All expenses for the album (real or contrived) will be fronted by the label and then deducted from the artists points (typically between 3% -15%) before there is anything to receive from album sales. IF this were the only revenue stream, there is no way an artist could survive on what they make. Sales used to account for about 15-20% of my gross before digital streaming took over. Now its about 1%.

Here's the way you need to look at the pros and cons:

The con:
A record contract is like buying a house, except when you've paid it off at the end of a 30-year note, ownership reverts back to the bank.


The Pro:
Any business you start is going to require a lot of money up front to establish and then sustain. In a good record deal, you get enough capital to use a seasoned Producer in a modern recording studio. You get the combined efforts of people in the marketing/promotion department. Then they fund a promotional campaign to let people know you exist.

Record companies have the resources, contacts, and infrastructure to make an artist ubiquitous in their chosen genre. The only reason to sign with them is because this increases your public profile to the point of making money through live performance. Almost overnight you'll go from begging for a chance to prove yourself in a dive bar to answering the question, "How much money would it take for you to play in our classy venue?"

Having said that, I bought my way out of a contract in 2009 and have been happily indie ever since (4 new releases since)....but I would sign with a label again if it were a short contract (1 album) with enough funding for decent marketing/promotion. I would do it knowing that I may not see much retail sales money from that album directly (except at concerts), so it would have to open up many new opportunities and audiences to exploit.

The reason there have been so many one-hit wonders is because artists think the label is going to "do it all" for them, and that is simply not the case. They raise your profile and then it's up to you to take advantage of the promotion they've done.

so we should just stay content doing music for fun then..

so we should just stay content doing music for fun then..

you should stay content in any and every situation.


But label or not, the way to stay working as a recording artist is by having a network of venues to play when you record your latest album. You don't need a label for that if you can self-fund it.

so we should just stay content doing music for fun then..

whatever floats yer boat. i do it for fun AND i get fairly compensated for my efforts. it doesn't have to be one or the other.

am i getting rich doing it? nah....but that's not why i got into music.

never told you guys but Jesse was going to pay me gas bill to drive to Ozark, Mo. to play guitar (not bass) after the band the original RUSSELLVILLE members in the audio link I posted dis-banded.. he actually has tried 2 more times to get me to play guitar, but although money might be involved and thus, $$$ compensation, it ain't worth it unless you getting paid $150.00 to$ 200.00 a night or more,, if you ain't making close to that, you might be a glutton for punishment.. hauling gear and such, is for grunts unless the pay is right.. do pizza joints pay well?

the promise of $150.00 to $200.00 a night pay in writing plus per diem for meals etc. was the ONLY and I mean ONLY reason it got me to the audition in the 1st place.. I played in enough bands back in the day to last a lifetime.. like any other job, it is work, and not pleasurable..

message Jesse, on facebook and ask him.. he was going to pay me a gas allowance for travel to rehearsal.. unheard of, unless you be good at what you do..