RNB Live Beats – how to get a record deal
To a lot of people trying to become a rapper or singer, getting a record deal with a major label is the ultimate goal. In this R&B Beats and Instrumentals support article I’ll give you truth about record deals in today’s music business and the best way to get one. This article is part of a series on how to become a successful Rapper or Singer.
Major Labels – for a long time they were the biggest gate keepers in the music business. All you needed as a rapper or singer was talent – the label would do the rest and you’d blow up like superstar. If you were lucky enough to get a record deal, you were on the road to riches and fame. But is getting a major label record deal really the best way to go about your music career of today? The answer will surprise you.
Q: I got a hot rap beat or R&B instrumental and made a HIT song/album! How do I get a record deal with a major label?
A: This is a very commonly asked question with music artists. Most rappers and singers think that if they make some music and put it online some major label A&R will find it, sign them and take their career to the next level. All they need is the right person to hear it once and they’ll “get paid and blow up like the world trade.” But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. If getting a major label record deal was hard back in the day then it’s probably 1000 times harder now. With the Internet, MP3s and falling album sales, major label budgets are shrinking. They aren’t spending a lot of money and aren’t willing to take risks on new projects. They want to spend their money on tried and true hits and hit makers. And if you are a lucky one and do land a major record deal, don’t expect the label to help you out with much. All they will do is give you a bunch of cash and make you do all the work yourself anyways! This is bad news for you as an up-and-coming rapper or R&B singer without a serious track record, because you’ll put in all the work and they’ll take all the money.
So what does an artist do? They GRIND! The 21st century music industry is all about the independent artist and doing it yourself. All the tools and resources you need are available to you online to create a VERY successful music career as a rapper, singer, poet, author or any other type of creative artist. Plan your album: Buy your rapping beats and R&B instrumentals online (soundclick beats are fine!); Get a CD of your music produced, recorded, mixed and mastered; manufacture it; get some distribution; promote your music directly to potential fans, radio stations and music magazines; tour and play lots of shows; sell your cds and build your fanbase! This is THE ONLY way to succeed in today’s music business. The game has changed and you need to change with it. This article series is a good place to start! You’re already ahead of thousands of rappers and singers who don’t think about or know this stuff. If you can get 1000 true fans who support you and love your music (1000 is NOT a big number when you look at all the people in the world) you won’t even need a record deal to live off your music career!
And if you really really want a record deal at the end of the day – this is STILL the best way to go about it. Doing it yourself PROVES that your product (your mixed and mastered songs – vocals and rapping beats or R&B instrumentals) is worth investing in. If you have a proven track record and you’ve handled your own music career with some success you are more likely to get a major deal. There’s nothing sexier to a major record label than a successful artist who doesn’t need them – and that’s when YOU can control the terms of your deal. You won’t have to give up all your money to the label, and you’ll still get their support! GRIND IT OUT WITH HARD WORK – and things will happen for you! Hope this helps!
There’s almost too much information out there about the technical aspects of creating music. No matter what sound you’re after, there’s a book or magazine article somewhere that will tell you how to do it. There’s also a gap when it comes to how to earn money from that music once you’ve created it. Unless you’re creating music simply for the fun of it, you’ve probably done a Google search about how sell beats or submit beats to major labels and come up short. I’ll fill that gap right now.
There are three primary income sources that can be pursued as you build your catalog.
1. Direct to artist sales.
This is exactly as it sounds. You connect with artists through networking, marketing, or advertising of some sort and sell or license beats directly. They pay you based on an agreement (hopefully written) and you keep it moving to the next client.
2. Licensing.
This method has you license your music to a third party for use in their work, usually video of some sort. Get your music placed in a TV commercial, film, corporate video, video game, etc, that’s all music placement. Connecting with these opportunities takes either serious networking to develop relationships or you pay for access. With these deals, you can receive a license fee up front ranging from $0 to $100,000 depending on the placement. On top of that, you receive royalties based on the range of the broadcast. Movies pay more than TV generally, networks more than cable and so on.
The payments in this area can be all over the map. The big key is to have your music registered with a performing rights organization like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc because they are the ones who collect and pay royalties. If they don’t know it’s your work in that commercial, they can’t pay you.
3. Major Label Placements.
This is considered the big time for most aspiring producers and songwriters. How you get there is the tricky part. Similar to licensing, you either build your own relationships or pay for access to opportunities with this one. A third option is to build your own buzz and have them come to you. Whatever you do, don’t think you can just send in a demo and hope to be discovered. You can’t. This is the hardest sector to break into, but the potential reward is the greatest. You can see huge paydays from a radio hit and build a celebrity brand that can create income streams beyond music. A number of successful music producers have gone on to create clothing lines and reality TV shows among other ventures to earn far more than they could with music alone.
Payment in this area usually comes in the form of an up front production fee, producers royalty points (if you negotiate them), and songwriters royalties if you take part in the songwriting. An unproven producer with no major label credits can earn $1500 just on the production fee for a low end deal. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been reports of proven hit making producers earning $30,000 – $250,000 from major labels producing major artists. Think Mariah Carey or 50 Cent.
Now You Know
Each of these three major areas have the potential to earn you enough income to live very comfortably. Work at your craft, learn the details of the music business, and above all, work on your relationships within the business and you’ll be well on your way to selling beats and making money from your music.
R&B Beats – Getting distribution for your music (mixed and mastered vocals on Rap Beats or R&B Instrumentals) is an important step in the music business. In this R&B Beats and Instrumentals support article I’ll show you how to get your music in stores everywhere! This article is part of a series on how to become a successful Rapper or Singer.
So you’ve got actual product – your mixed and mastered songs on the hot rap beats and R&B instrumentals you’ve bought. You know you need to be in stores across the country but a lot of people trying to become a rapper or singer don’t know how to do this.
Q: How do I get my album/mixtape/single in online stores like iTunes, Rhapsody, MP3.com and retail stores like HMV and CDPlus?
A: Selling CDs out the trunk of your car can only go so far. And before you can properly promote your music you need distribution – people need to be able to find and purchase/download your music. But as a rapper or singer you can’t just call up HMV or ITunes and ask them to carry your music. They won’t even take your calls. You need a distributor who already has a relationship with these stores. Distributors are companies that take your music product (your mixed and mastered vocals over rapping beats or r&b instrumentals – your finished songs – either on CD or as an MP3) and put it in retail and online stores for you. There are a few different options available to you as an independent rapper or singer.
If you are not manufacturing a lot of physical CDs and just want digital distribution (MP3 Downloads) a good option for you would be a company called TuneCore. They offer digital distribution to all the major online music stores like ITunes, Rhapsody, Mp3.com and a huge list of others. They charge you $9.99 for a single and $49.99 for a full album. If you want both digital AND physical (CD) distribution to actual retail stores like HMV or CDPlus you want to go with a company called CDBaby. CDBaby offers digital distribution to all the major online stores but can also put your release on catalog in 2,500 different retail stores. This means that people can special order your CD to their favorite music store anywhere in North America. Their prices are very similar (possibly cheaper for albums) to TuneCore. You can also try sites like ReverbNation who have their own distribution system (but I think they’ve just partnered with one of the companies I’ve mentioned earlier).
It can take some time for it to get in stores. They usually say 4 – 6 weeks but I’ve had experiences where it’s taken a lot longer and they don’t contact you or let you know what’s happening until it’s approved. And make sure you keep an eye on it and follow-up. Just because a company is doing this for you doesn’t mean you can forget about it. I’ve also had cases where my music still hasn’t shown up in stores. But once you have your CD in stores where people can find it, you’re ready to get your promotion grind on. Oh one last thing, don’t forget about selling your music DIRECTLY from your own website (www.yourartistname.com). This is huge! All the companies like iTunes take a cut when they sell your CD or songs. But on your own website, you get to keep EVERYTHING! That’s the best type of distribution. Hope this was helpful…
A big part of music promotion is getting radio play. Whether it’s your local radio station or the new online radio stations, the exposure you can get as a rapper or singer from radio is crazy. In this Rap Beats and Instrumentals support article I’ll give you tips on how to get some serious radio play and exposure. This article is part of a series on how to become a successful rapper or singer. You can view all the articles in this series on the author’s page.
Radio aint dead! It’s still a great way for an independent musician to get their music heard by a huge number of people. But with so many musicians, and mainstream radio only catering to a select few “superstars” it’s hard work getting heard. So how does someone trying to become a rapper or singer use radio to gain exposure?
Q: I’ve got a SMASH single! How do I get my music on the radio?
A: Getting on radio can be a hard task and there are entire companies dedicated to what’s called Radio Tracking (getting your music on radio and tracking the spins). But hiring these companies is hella expensive. You CAN do it yourself – but its lots of work. The very FIRST thing you need to do is make sure the rapping beats and r&b beats you chose are HIT radio-style beats. Next make sure your song is properly mixed and mastered. NO radio station in the world will take an unmastered song and add it to rotation. It’s usually a good idea to get some professional physical CDs made in case the stations you send your music to don’t accept digital download links. You’ll also need a good Biography of yourself as an artist or group and some professional photos if you want to do this right. I’ve written other articles on most of those subjects. After this it is time to find radio station’s you’re going to send your music to.
This is important and it may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised what up and coming rappers and singers do – its mad unprofessional. Do some research and find stations that will actually play your music. (As a rapper, don’t send your CD to a country station). Commercial Radio, the main pop/rock/urban stations in your area, are probably not the best place to start because they are very controlled and hard to break into. College radio is great for independent artists though because it is less controlled and more accepting to independent and underground rappers and singers. A good resource is called the “Indie Bible.” It’s a MASSIVE book full of contact info for radio stations and places to send your music. Compile a list of stations and get ready to mail your CDs and email your digital links out to them. (Make sure whenever you can, you find a specific PERSON at the station to send your music to – either a specific DJ or the Music Director.)
Work in steps. Start locally, then go state/province wide, and then work nationally. At each stage make sure you follow-up with whoever you sent your package to two weeks after you send it out. Remember not to be annoying and it’s all good if you get in touch with them to see if they got your music and had a chance to listen. Be kind, polite and real and you can get some serious exposure through radio.
