Secure Your Future Record Deal: 3 Steps To Take Right Now

We all want to be the next superstar, show off our unique talents and leave our permanent mark on the music industry, right? Well, good news… it’s very much possible!

However, the harsh reality is that talent has almost nothing to do with becoming successful or maintaining success.

Don’t get discouraged, as reading this series will seriously help you to understand, and even take advantage of this fact; making your chances of success absolutely skyrocket.

Age plays a major role in the connections you will make today, which plays an even bigger role in your overall success rate.

As I’ve previously discussed in this article, the person/artist you are today can, and probably will change drastically over time. If you’ve been doing this for some time now, I’m sure you’ve already noticed many differences between the artist you are today and when you first started.

(If it makes you feel any better, I can guarantee that your favorite singer, artist, or producer was known throughout the industry LONG before you ever even heard of them, and has changed their style numerous times).

With that said, due to these constant style changes and upgrades, if you’re fairly new at this… it’s probably not the ideal time to get, or attempt to get signed right now.

Again, don’t panic.

Just because it’s not exactly the ‘time to get signed,’ it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to get your foot in the door, build long-lasting/valuable relationships in the industry, and get your name known worldwide.

Let’s use one of my favorite artists, Gwen Stefani, for example. Jimmy Iovine (her mentor) spent YEARS not only trying to get her a record deal but preparing and developing her as an artist since she was just 14 years old.

This should prove to you right there that all young/amateur artists or producers, regardless of how naturally talented, need time to grow and find themselves as artists first.

The truth is: when you’re young (before the age of 18, typically), you’re in a prime position to make your dreams come true by making those important connections, making an impact, and putting your name out there.

1. Marketing Yourself As An Artist

If you start educating yourself, developing your craft, and perfecting your talents NOW, you’ll be in a better position than all these other artists who simply put their music online and hope to magically get discovered like Justin Bieber.

Don’t be one of those people who think that they have all the time in the world to get “known,” or believe that their talent alone can carry them to success without having to work and put in the time.

These are the people who never make it and end up giving up well into adulthood when they realize they should have been hustling this whole time (and usually end up hating on the younger generation for making the right moves when they were supposed to).

This is why taking these extremely important steps as early as you possibly can is what will separate you from the rest of the pack and make success much more attainable.

The reason why I say that talent, unfortunately, has nothing to do with whether or not you become successful within the industry is because, sadly, all the labels care about is making money… and lots of it.

Especially in today’s world, the major labels are going bankrupt, so the money no longer comes from physical album sales, but rather the appeal and following of the artists themselves.

This being the reason why you might oftentimes wonder how certain celebrities, who don’t exactly possess the most impressive music-making skills, actually reach ‘superstar’ status… and the answer is simple: they’re marketable, period.

Although they might not be the most talented artist in the world, they branded themselves in a massive, impactful, desirable way – making it possible for the labels to profit off of their various merchandise, streaming views, endorsement deals, and tv/radio appearances.

Knowing that, I must emphasize how vitally important branding yourself truly is in today’s music world.

2. Branding You And Your Music

Your music will always be the foundation of your brand and is what will ultimately get you notoriety, so that must remain on-point and stay appealing.

However, at the end of the day, you may make most of your money from a McDonald’s endorsement deal, by saying ‘I’m loving it,’ instead of from your single/album sales (which may make you penny’s to the dollar, by comparison).

So, whereas perfecting your craft is certainly important, the key to remaining relevant in the music world is spending equal (if not more) time building and pushing your brand.

This includes things like pushing a particular musical-project, getting interviews, performing at shows or concerts, making connections, gaining massive exposure, finding/learning from mentors, making videos, etc.

I know it might seem a little overwhelming, stressful, or exhausting and, let’s face it, it can be… but this is your future and dreams we’re talking about here, if you want it bad enough, you’re going to have to work your butt off for it!

However, I know if you possess the initiative and drive to even read this article right now – you’ll be just fine, because educating yourself on what you need to do is the first, main step in achieving your dreams and being triumphant in this field.

3. Time For The Big Leagues, Even As An Independent

Now, in all honesty, the odds of you being signed by a major label are extremely low, simply because they’re going under due to an inability to adapt to the ‘new industry’. In other words, independent labels are taking over.

This may sound like a horrible thing but, believe me, it’s not. From this moment on, consider yourself signed to… well, yourself. You are, from now on, your very own independent record label, and must operate like it, too.

Meaning, you must create a unique name, a dope logo, business cards, recognizable characteristics (e.g., trends, clothes, hair, style, etc.) –  find your ‘it’ factor, and market the hell out of yourself!

By doing all these things from the start, the industry-heads won’t even have to listen to your music to be blown away, as they’ll already have an idea of who you are, and what you can attract/generate through your marketing skills alone.

That way, even if they’re not so fond of your particular music style or genre, they’ll have their people work with you and further develop you, help you grow as an artist and even purchase a few ‘hits’ if need be.

The whole reason they would not have immediately dismissed you (or find someone with more professional music) was because of your branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial skills alone… so don’t devalue the importance of doing so!

Just remember, the earlier you do this, the better – ideally well before you even turn 18! So, remember, you can make it BIG… but you have to start TODAY.

In our next article, I will go over how to properly make your music easily accessible online, become your own label, and what you’ll need to do in order to blow away the next industry executive you come across… stay tuned!