Finding The Right Lawyer

A logical question is, "How do I get myself one of these lawyers who can open doors for me at record labels?" As in the case of club bookers, managers, booking agents, and labels, you will have a far easier time attracting a lawyer if you have already done some work on your own.

The answer is, you must have developed aspects of your career, beyond just being a talented artist, that will give the lawyer some hope that he will be able to pique the interest of a record company. Good lawyers will not risk damaging their reputation by submitting a demo to a record company if they don't feel that there is some chance that the record company will be interested. The reason that they will not do this, once again, has to do with professional courtesy. Most good lawyers know that A&R people will open a package from a lawyer they don’t know once. If the enclosed demo is appropriately prepared and targeted, the lawyer will be perceived as understanding the process. His future packages will also be opened, business may be referred to him, and a holiday card will likely be forthcoming.

Lawyers also know that the inverse is also true. If, out of professional courtesy, an A&R person opens a package from a lawyer whom they don’t know, and the demo within satisfies few or none of the requirements that it should, then there is little likelihood of future packages from that lawyer being opened. This is why lawyers, like everyone else in the business, are going to be very selective about whom they represent. They know their reputation and ability to generate revenue for themselves is contingent upon the artists with whom they choose to work.

You will have a far easier chance of securing a lawyer to shop your demo if you can present a good package. Once you have your demo package, submit it to lawyers in the same way you submit it to prospective managers, labels, and booking agents. Some lawyers may sign on early in your career and help you develop yourself in order to give you a better chance to get signed. Just don’t expect a lawyer to come in, and simply by his connections, allow you to leapfrog all the steps that artists must go through to get signed. In fact, if a lawyer contends that he can help you skip any of these steps, I would be very leery about him.

Source: Artisthousemusic

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The Importance Of A Good Bio

Written by Crystal Ochemba

As an artist, your bio is your business card to the music community. It helps fans, press, booking agents, managers, and record labels know who you are and what you are all about Because I am sure you are more than your hit single. What are your goals, intentions, who is the person behind the 16 bars?


Key information to include in your bio:
1. Contact information: Make sure that everything associated with your project has your contact information on it. Also make sure that the SAME contact information is on all your material (cds, flyers and other promo items). It’s all about consistency. For example, don’t have your twitter name on your facebook but forget to include it on your bio or your myspace. COORDINATE!

2. Influences: Tell your audience and potential followers what influences you to make the music you create. Use keywords such as like hybrid, myriad, collage, or infused to describe how your unique sound was created from those specific influences.

3. Band Members and important people: Very briefly list who is in your group (if you have one) and other people who play an important role such as your manager, publicist, booking agent, etc. Don’t be afraid to mention any big names that you may have collaboration or do business with because it may provide the cred you need to get a good fanbase.

4. Any Other Relevant Information: Make sure to list past performances, tours, and events in which you had an appearance. Also list any magazines, blogs, or site where you were featured or mentioned.

5. Humor/Individuality: Make sure you personalize the bio and show your personality that fits you (and your group). Make the bio unique.

So when including a bio on your MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and any other social media page, be sure to include important elements. Keep in mind that in most cases this is your bands first impression to make on somebody before they've even heard your music. It is sometimes your only chance to get your music heard and the last thing you want is to mess up any opportunity.

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Good Deal or Bad Deal?

There are a lot of people in the music business who want to help you reach your music goals - even people who make sacrifices themselves to work in music just because they love it. Unfortunately, to find these people, you have to navigate a minefield of people who see your dreams as their personal goldmine. Learn to spot the red flags of a rip off a mile away so you don't end up on the losing end of a bad deal.

1. Red Flag One - Paying for a Deal
A manager, agent or PR company should never ask you to pay a fee upfront to represent you. That doesn't mean these people don't get paid - they do, either according to a set schedule arranged between you or on a per campaign basis, but you should never, ever hand over your money to someone who charges you a fee to "get on their books." If someone says they can "make you a star" if you just write them a big check, run the other way.

2. Red Flag Two - You Can't Get Any Advice
If someone comes at you with a legal contract but they don't want you to seek an outside opinion about what that contract means for you, be very concerned. Note that if someone arranges for you to talk to their lawyer, that's not impartial advice. Unless you all go to a lawyer together to work out a fair deal, you need your own legal reps. (If the other party doesn't have a lawyer involved and the contracts are very simple, one page docs, you don't have to run out and spend the money on one. If they do have one though, you should,too.)

3. Red Flag Three - Pay to Play
You may not always get paid to play a gig, and you may end up out of pocket after you weigh up your travel costs, but that doesn't mean you should ever pay a promoter for a chance to take the stage. There are exceptions - for example, some bands "buy on" to major stadium/arena tours, in essence paying money for the chance to open for a top selling band. These deals should only ever happen on major tour. You should never pay to play at a club show. Tons of clubs will put you on for free.

4. Red Flag Four - Bad Percentages
There are many people who might get a cut of your earnings for their work for you, but you should never be handing out a larger percentage of your earnings to any one person than you are keeping yourself. Does that management deal give the manager 70% and you 30%? Don't sign.

5. Red Flag five- You Can't Find Your Way Out of the Deal
Options to renew contracts are a normal part of most deals - they are a safety net to prevent someone from putting in all of the hard work and someone else reaping all of the benefits. But if the options give the person you are making the deal with the power to renew your deal again and again AND the option to leave the deal at any time, while you just have to sit back and wait for them to decide, beware.

6. Red Flag Six - It Just Doesn't Make Sense
If someone guarantees you they can take you from playing music in your bedroom to a major label contract in a month, get their lottery numbers, because they are clearly the luckiest person in the world. Having big goals and going for them is important, but in music slow and steady generally wins the race. You want to work with someone who believes you can make it all the way and tries to make it happen, but be wary of the person who thinks they can help you skip steps 1 - 280.

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Seven Tips for Promotion

[1] Pick up the phone
Calling past clients and reminding them of what you have is the single most effective way to generate sales. When you have something new to sell, use your phone to make contact. Making cold calls is another necessity. It can be a difficult task to pick up the handset and punch a stranger's number, but you must break through your fear.

[2] Set up in-person situations
The personal touch really works. No letter, e-mail, or flyer is ever going to take the place of standing face-to-face with someone and making your pitch. You can build rapport, address every objection, and win people over fast when you are in the flesh.

[3] Send a letter/e-mail
Dropping a reminder in the mail or e-mail is a good promotional strategy when approaching past buyers to generate new business. Also, if you carefully refine your possible prospects, dropping a sales letter in the mail can make a good initial contact that you follow up with a cold telephone call.

[4] Network
Building a network of contacts requires that you become part of a scene. Networking allows you to gather useful information and make valuable contacts with people who can help you. Remember that networking is both give and take. You want to help the other person as much as they want to help you. IdOmusic event is a great place to network.

[5] Use word of mouth
If you asked 100 people in the music industry what the best promotion is, 90% would say word of mouth. If you asked that 90% what that meant, only a handful could tell you. The elusive word of mouth promotional strategy implies that you do nothing and people just naturally seek you out. This is, of course, ludicrous. Successful word of mouth needs constant coaxing on your part. First, deliver quality music products and services. Second, make sure you tell everybody about your successes. Remind your clients, fans, relatives, network, and other business peers of all that you have available and encourage them to pass on your information to their friends, relatives, colleagues, and more. Third, get referrals from satisfied clients and pursue them. And fourth, display your contact information prominently on everything you create and make it easy for people to find and get in touch with you.

[6] Create a web site
Today, virtually everyone in the music industry can benefit from a Web site. With most music bought on-line, the Web is the place to be. Set up your Web site as your personal Web community and storefront where everybody comes to get information, learn about you, and to buy from you

[7] Get ruthless
When it comes to promoting your music industry career, you'd better be ruthless. Do whatever it takes to get your message across to people who would buy what you have to sell. Set yourself apart from the rest.

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