With the current growth in various digital marketing strategies it has become much easier for an individual to create his presence on social media and get his work out into the world. But the question here is, is this journey actually easier than getting signed by a record label? In this blog we will look into the various challenges faced by a musical artist to get paid for his work as opposed to getting signed by a label.
Following up on a discussion in class regarding this topic , students put forward their views on the topic as well as got an understanding of how mainstream music and record labels differ from the underground scene. With respect to my style of music which leans more towards the underground vibes the marketing strategies differ greatly from how mainstream music works in the main world.
The only similarity that exists between the mainstream and underground lies in the way the label looks for potential in the artist they sign on. On the other hand one of the major differences includes the content present in the work and its potential to capture the audiance and/or make money (Lindvall, 2012).
Being part of a record label as opposed to being an independent artists both have their pros and cons.
An independent Artist does not have to adhere to deadlines nor does he have to restrict his content to please public demands, he has a freedom of expression with respect to his work and he receives a bulk of the money he makes.
While on the other hand if you are signed to a record label you do rise to fame quickly and make a quiet a bit of money but a large fraction of this is made by the label. You have to keep the label updated on your progress, stick to deadlines, restrict your content and make people pleasing music (Mcdonald, n.d.).
In my opinion both have their merits as well as their demerits but being part of a record label myself i have come across different instances which i can relate to with respect to the flow of money. Since the record label has to manage a vast crew it spends its money on maintaining the entity. The label also possesses a powerful digital marketing team which saves the need for the artist to cater himself but if one is deeply involved with his craft the best option would be for him to travel the solo route where he has the freedom to create and infinite array of content. In conclusion, circumstantial situations are more likely to decide the path to be taken by an individual but in the end its up-to the individual itself to select the path he wants to walk down.
However here at Converging Sounds we understand the struggles of an upcoming artist and try to help them out as much by pricing our beats at affordable rates. Click here to hop on to our beat-store. We are also available on YouTube.
References:
1) Lindvall, H. (2012, February 02). Behind the music: What do record labels actually do? You'd be surprised. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/feb/02/behind-music-record-labels.
2) McDonald, H. (n.d.). The Pros and Cons of Signing a Deal With a Major Record Label. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/major-label-record-deals-understanding-the-pros-and- cons-2460377.
3) SAE Creative Institute. (2015, March 09). Week 3: Social Media and Your Career – Self-Directed Practitioners – Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/self-directed-practitioners/week-6-social-media-and-your-career-21ec52b2b003.
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