Starts at around 1:15.

Should artists sign to major record labels? I understand that they can help start out, but they leave you in a huge amount of debt. They take so much off you and so much off your profits. Is it really worth signing a major deal?

As an young inspiring artist myself, it's a scary thought and situation, however, it's one I am very unaware off, and I do not know the details. Is it the record label which books the media spots, radio etc..? Also, with streaming now becoming the norm for the music industry, does that effect how an artist is paid as they are not bought sales?

Discuss..

It depends on what you want. You can independently release music and be a fairly successful musician. By successful, I mean that you can build a fan base, raise some money, and maybe perform a few small tours. Don't expect to be the next big thing from that, though. It doesn't truly work like that.

Didn't Meghan Trainor say her first paycheck arrived in April 2015? That's scary indeed.

Well her first paycheck from her record sales. The label was paying her advances beforehand. I believe you get the money like 8 months after or something like that.

I think if you're careful with your deal, labels are a good thing and can make you a big artist.

If you want your music to pay your rent, then yea. Everyone knows that if you get signed to a major label you're their bitch and will be that until your contract expires or you start making a lot of money.

I believe so, because of how big her songs were, it does seem weird to think she was earning no money until around a year later...

L.A/Epic/LaFace was always shady when it came to paying their artists, that Meghan situation doesn't surprise me

That's why you do it Cupcakke-style

New artists need label... but they should only negotiate a 2 or 3 album deal

Omg that's so scary

Tbh, I think a big change has to happen in the music industry.
Labels seems to be a very old fashioned way to handle music, and also contracts for that matter. Ofcourse as business (see: label) you want to secure your product (see: artist) and sign something for a certain amount of albums/years/periods.

Labels these days have such big rosters, not only the 60 that appear on the websites, but also various artists that have been just signed and not gotten a proper launch yet.

It would be more logical if artists could sign on for a project (read: album) basis and get a certain budget, instead of a deal for a certain amount of coins. Since that would also push labels to focus solely on an era and to make something an succes.

There are also loads of artists in debt, while being signed to a major label, because they had to take the risk to move to LA or whatever and being put on the backburner by their labels because the poster child act of the record label needed the yearly budget for their campagne.

In a time where most money is being made during touring than actually releasing music, the whole business should get a shake up and trying to adapt the current trends and changes, rather than trying to fit the old fashioned ways into a new standard.

I remember so well that labels weren't able to hndle illegal downloading, and even at one point started to leak demo's and actual singles to read the reaction online, to decide whether the reception would be positive to a certain new sound. While on the other side not being able to find innovative ways to handle illegal downloading and also on the other side still going on with regional exclusivity like bonustracks etc.

I am pretty positive that streaming is the first big step to the industry getting an eventual collapse that will cause a total rebuild of the things we are used to now.

Leshurr's story is another good example.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...t-feeling-that



Refused Atlantic Records and their deal to start a feud with Nicki Minaj. Won MOBOs Best Female. Now with Sony/RCA.

I guess Azealia stole that idea now.

I think it's quite fair. Labels book you gigs, once you established your name and brand for awhile, bc y'know, your face is the one gp sees whenever you're out for a promo, you may leave the label. Or once you established your name, ask the label to change the system because if they don't, you won't sign another contract, so they'll probably change the system because they can't lose a big artist like you.

Actually, a big label can shelve your career. If they have the option, they can make sure your success fades away until you fullfil your contract, so that you are too old for another label to be signed with or to never reach the same heights like you used to have before.

In the meantime, they invest in other, new artists they find promising with the money you made for them.

Especially 360deals can become a nightmare for new artists.

I am really looking forward to that day when all artists can release more or less independently or with with minimal support by a label.

The best thing you can do is have your own recording studio, master the skills of producing yourself, minimize costs for videos and make sure you get the money from touring.

Thanks for a detailed, informative post.

I just saw the video and was very disturbed to know if that was the reality. Me and my group have wanted to sign a label, but this has put us off. We're 15/16 and this just looks awful.

We are currently producing at home and we have booked a studio so should be releasing early next year. It's just hard as we haven't got a big budget, and it seems labels help that.

In this day and age with streaming and all that, it's better off remaining independent. You can sign to a label if you want but you will need a DAMN GOOD LAWYER to be right beside you when reading that contract before signing it. Making sure there are no loopholes or sabotage.

Signing to labels has it's advantages and disadvantages. But the disadvantages kind of seem to outweigh the advantages.

Some disadvantages I could think of:

1. You won't get creative freedom right off the bat unless you are a big artist and can bring in money from the kind of music you want to do.

2. Your album may get shelved over and over if it doesn't expectations of the label or if the singles underperform.

3. Like others have said, some labels don't care about you. They'll sign you only just to leave you on their roster to prevent anyone else from signing you even if you have potential. All the good tracks/demos that get sent from songwriters/producers for you will get given to bigger artists on the label instead.

4. You won't make much money from your music as the labels have to take their own cut first.

5. Labels might not market you right and/or instead try to turn you into this "next (insert bigger artist)".




There is something called a contract. You can't just leave a contract once you become well-known unless you have a lot of money to buy yourself out of the contract.

Jared Leto shot a document about it with his band and it was really interesting, ya'll should watch it

to get radio airplay and big streaming, you need label.
some people think this streaming era will change the game and give more power to artists, but it's not.
label control the streaming too. lol

i would never in a million years touch a major label, they are disgusting companies who only care about numbers

if you want to get played on the radio then yes. I dont think theres any act ATRL twinks have ever heard of that has not signed this record deals.