For decades the major labels were king. There was a narrow pipeline down which content was force fed to hungry music fans. New artists were signed for the most part if they fit creatively into a “tight box”. If New Wave was in, in order to get a deal you had to have a “New Wave” sound. If it was Hair Bands, you were out of luck if you were Techno etc. The machine was well oiled, staffed with soldiers and ready but only to those who fit the mold.
The A&R departments of the labels were the gatekeepers. They held the keys to the castle. I was one of them. My company, A&M Records was one of the best ones not to be dictated to or be confined to what radio was playing at the moment, but still, the fact forever loomed somewhere in a dark corner during staff meetings and signing decisions.
If you were lucky enough to be signed, you could expect tons of creative intervention. You were always reminded that a huge sum of money (which was really an expensive loan that you had to pay back out of future earnings) was about to be spent on you by your label.
Therefore, “they” had the right and the responsibility to make your records “tight” and radio worthy. The search for the elusive “hit single” was conducted with great vigor. For this reason independent music or music that was untampered with and unhomogenized by the labels were always the freshest and most compelling but without the powerful machine behind them, with a few exceptions because they were undenable had no real chance of success except with major labels army who controlled radio airplay to expose their wares.
But today, if you are just starting out you no longer have to fit into that “cookie cutter” mold. You can be as exciting,expressive and fresh as you can imagine and create. You have a whole new “e-frontier” to market your music. THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS.
BUT THE BAD NEWS IS SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE!! Today it’s an even playing field. Now while it is true that you have access to countless numbers of video and audio sites to sell and expose to your songs and sound to new fans , unless you properly develop your music, make it emotional so that it moves people and present it in a professional manner, you will have little chance of breaking out from the thousands of other artists uploading their songs hourly, also looking to make it just like you in the new music business. What to do??
Again, THE GOOD NEWS. Develop yourself…make your records the best they can be. Look for my new site “MUSIC PROS - HOLLYWOOD” (musicproshollywood.com). Here you will find exciting new information,lessons and help to make your music “undeniable”, as well as find solutions taylored exclusively just for you to win big time during this exciting metamorphasis of the new music “e-frontier”.
It will be up shortly and ready . Hope to see you there!!
