Independent Or Major Label? Which One Is Best For You? Pt 2

Yesterday we began discussing the differences between deals with major labels and independent labels. Many solo artists and bands will have to spend some time carefully considering their goals and their priorities in order to make an informed decision on which type of label is best for them. Here are a few other issues to consider when deciding whether you’d like to sign with an independent label or a major label.

Ownership of your music

Ownership is one of the primary determining factors that contribute to a solo artist or band’s decision to sign with a major or independent record label. When signing with a major label, the label generally retains ownership of the masters in exchange for financing the expenses associated with producing the album. Some independent labels however allow artists to maintain ownership of their masters.

Advertising and marketing your music

Independent labels often don’t have very large budgets for advertising and marketing, which means that you’ll need to work diligently to promote your album yourself, outside of the label’s efforts. Lack of advertising and marketing resources can be a huge barrier to revenue when signing to an independent label.

Tracking your record sales

While major labels will send you an accounting statement approximately twice a year to track your record sales, many independent labels allow artists to track sales in real time. This can be extremely helpful for a band that is heavily involved in their marketing and promotional campaign as they can gauge which marketing strategies have the biggest impact, quickly and easily.

In the end, signing with a major label means an opportunity to get your music out to a larger consumer-base, quickly. While signing with an independent label means you’ll probably have to settle for a smaller fan-base initially, with fewer sales, but you’ll maintain more control over your music.

Before you begin submitting your package to any label, make sure you call or email them to make sure that: 1) they accept unsolicited demos; 2) they are interested in your style of music; and 3) that you have the correct mailing address for their A&R department.

Visit www.StarSearchCasting.com and check out our Entertainment Resources section for record labels, distributors, producers, studios and more!

Independent Or Major Label? Which One Is Best For You? Pt I

It's a brand new year and you're ready to grab the attention of a record label and skyrocket your music career to platinum status. You've been working really hard and you've now put together your cover letter, demo CD, bio and an 8x10 photo of yourself in an attractive package. But which record labels should you send your package to?

There are a lot of options and a lot of labels. It's important that you decide what's important to you as an artist before you submit your package to labels. The priorities and goals that you establish for yourself will shape your decision in choosing to go after a deal with a major label or an independent label. Let me explain why

Getting the attention you deserve

As a new artist, it may be important to you to have someone hold your hand through the process to help you get acclimated in the industry. If this is a priority for you, a major label may not be the best way to go. Major labels often have so many artists that not only is it unlikely that you'll get personalized attention, but your project may get pushed to the back burner to focus on more established artists on the label. Independent labels often have smaller artist rosters, which means you get more attention and are less likely to be overshadowed by a more established act.

Distributing your music

If it's always been your dream to buy a copy of your first album at the Virgin Megastore on Sunset Boulevard or in Times Square, then you probably don't want to sign with an indie label. Major labels are more likely to get your music in major stores across the country, which can potentially mean more record sales if marketed properly. Independent labels however have a much smaller sphere of influence when it comes to distribution. Your music will probably end up in smaller stores, scattered throughout the country, or be sold predominantly online.

Royalties

Independent labels are often more flexible, and generous when it comes to royalties. Choosing to sign with an indie label can mean the difference between getting 50% of your royalties as opposed to 10-15%. At a major label, new artists don't have much leverage to negotiate these figures, as generally only 10% of new artists actually generate a profit on a major label. On the flipside, while an independent label may give you a higher percentage of royalties, they also tend to give away a lot of music as a marketing strategy - and as the artist you will not get royalties on these copies.

It may sound like a tricky business, but give it some thought and I'm sure you'll figure out which type of record label best fits your goals and priorities. Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog, when I discuss a few more of the pros and cons of both independent and major record labels. In the meantime, check out some of the record labels we have listed in the Talent Resources section of our site and look at the casting calls we have posted for singers, musicians, & bands at www.EliteCastingNetwork.com.