DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE: RECORD LABELS AREN’T DISAPPEARING. THEIR FUNDS AND RESOURCES, INCLUDING THEIR BACK CATALOGUES AND CURRENT ARTISTS, WILL KEEP THEM ALIVE AND KICKING FOR A LONG WHILE YET. SO, HOW DO YOU SNARE YOURSELF A LABEL?

HOW TO CATCH A RECORD LABEL

Your best tactic is to pull together a team of people who’ll help you secure a deal. That means any mix of a manager, publisher, booking agent and, oh yes, a lawyer. 

The labels need to know they’re going to make money on their investment, so they rarely sign anyone on the strength of a demo. Get your team sorted. As with most businesses, it’s often about who you know, not just what you know (or how good you are).

BIG SHOTS OR INDEPENDENTS?

The big labels definitely have their perks: bigger bucks, powerful marketing and promotions teams and experts across all fields to help you out. Unfortunately, sometimes smaller bands can get lost in big rosters.

There are plenty of strong independent labels around who can also devote more time to young bands, even if they can’t necceserily compete with the resources of a major.

A key thing to remember: no matter what label you’re interested in, be prepared to work that much harder once the deal is made.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A RECORDING CONTRACT

No matter who is offering you a contract, there one thing that you should always do: Get your lawyer to look at it.

CLAUSES TO CHECK

Length of contract
The length of your contract is normally determined by an amount of albums rather than a time period. It might be five or six, with the label having the option to renew or drop you after the first release.

What you have to deliver
Usually, one album, at the least, within a specific time period. Keep in mind that the label isn’t obliged to release what you record unless they consider it to be commercially viable.

Exclusivity
This means your label owns the rights to manufacture, distribute and sell any of your recordings within territories stated in the contract. It extends to ‘re-recording restrictions’, which will stop you from re-recording material they’ve released. And it covers any guest appearances you might make on another artists’ album.

Artist royalties
The thing to remember here is to always fight for the best royalties you can get.

Advances
Advances are a loan: you’ll be paid on the assumption that you’ll make money for the label and pay them back. Your manager will take about 20% (the going rate, basically) and the rest of the advance needs to be split between your living costs, recording, packaging, artwork, income tax and all sorts of random things that just pop up.