Monday speaks for seriousness. It is that day of the week where everyone is tensed. One has to leave the whole comfort and rest of Sunday aside for a very busy day. In the music industry, the record label handles the business side for a musician. They say the fame of a musician lies in the hands of a record label. Some say when a musician is signed, it is the best thing that could happen to him or her and to some extent this is true. Having said that, I am going to attempt describing a record label.
A record label, is sometimes called a record company. I guess the seriousness and boring touch of “company” has made the second term rather distasteful. A record label is a brand or trade of music recording and music videos. It is a company that owns all these. However, a record label is also a publishing company that does more than producing music. They manage brands and trademarks. They coordinate the production, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos. A record label can also provide exposure on a vast international scale. They will provide funding for top publicists and have influential connections in broadcasting, media and specialist advertising and PR.
All these benefits for getting signed under a record label. So yes, Maybe a record label is the best thing that can happen to a musician.
Here’s how it works; a label enters into an exclusive recording contract with an artist. Label deal or recording contract. It is called different things, but it is a legally binding agreement between the artist and label. Under the deal, the label is to pay for everything about the production of the music. The making, distributing and marketing the recordings. A record label works like getting a loan. The label invests in your music and development, then you pay them back a set amount from your earnings.
The main deal is to market the artist’s recordings in return for royalties. Royalties are payment made by the record labels to another that the artist who owns the asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. The asset is the music recording or the music video. The payments are in form of a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of that asset or a fixed price per unit sold of an item of such. It literally means that the record labels have strong hold on the music of the artiste. They decide when the music should be released and how it should be publicized. This is one reason why the relationship between a record label and the artiste always end in a bad way. In many cases, the musicians record a lot of songs but the record labels would hoard the release till their contract is almost over. Contracts may extend over short or long durations. They may or may not refer to specific recordings.
The strange thing is that even record labels are looking to sign one who is already doing well in music so that they can make good profit. If you are waiting to be signed under a record label before you put all that idea for your music out, you may never get signed.
As a musician, you are to work like an independent artiste until you catch the eye of a good record label. So, put your music out there before you send that DM or that demo.
Mondays are for taking advises too and I hope you take this one. Stay jiggy people.
