Why and When Would a Music Act Invest in Artist Services?

Musicians might grumble about why they are not paid fairly for playing live. As a promoter, I’ve barely broken even in my attempts to new act nights with posters, flyers, articles in the press and industry contacts. I don’t complain. (I got my current job out of it though).

It is never worth deluding yourself that you are worth more than you are. Sadly, many great musicians think they are worth much less than they are. Try to gauge your value. The simple way is by listening to all the responses you and your music gets, even if it’s a one-man-and-a-dog audience in a rural village pub. However, that is no excuse with all the websites there for musicians, which provide free or inexpensive ways to get heard.

Here’s a route to market:

• Get heard.
• Take the response. See what you’ve got.
• If any song(s) get a strong response, see how best to record it/them.
• Take any feedback by people you know who love music, producers, journalists, sound engineers, promoters, audience members or venue managers. Have you got a potential hit?
• Get plays on community, student, hospital or regional radio.
• Create a page about yourself/your band/act showing achievements, testimonials, radio play, press mentions, important gigs, CD/merchandise sales.
• Register up to 3 songs on BBC Introducing’s website.

Now, here’s a 4-pronged leap into the music industry:

• Artist services - companies that you can pay to: distribute your song, do your PR, get you on websites for DJs, plug you to radio, get interviews, get producers/DJs to remix your songs, reviews or articles on blogs or in the print press and get feedback for you from all their music industry contacts.
• Producers - choose your studio wisely and present a demo to a producer to give you immediate feedback. These guys are still front line A&R as they can hear the songwriting and consider if they can make it into a definitively recorded, high sound quality, current-sounding hit. (if you’re paying out for studio time, perhaps you’ve either not investigated producers or haven’t written that song yet). 
• Publishers - if you have a strong song, you might get signed to a publisher who can help you exploit your material for royalties via advertising agencies, TV producers or, if you are considering it, established artists to use. Never fear for your career. Who would turn their nose up at a payout for their first songs to finance their approaching career?
• Record companies - these use artist services to do their promotion and PR as they no longer have their position in the market. Some record companies have become artist services, as large advances are now a thing of the past (and didn’t do a lot of good for unknown new acts who got badly recorded, charged for it and buried). A&R people still exist and good ones can still spot an investment opportunity in a bankable new act. If your song is ready for release, call up, solicit your sending, send, wait for feedback, get gigs at venues that attract industry audience, let record companies know you are playing near them.

 In 2004, at the 333 Club in Old Street (6th April) I witnessed an A&R scrum for a band called The Departure.

They had called me for a gig as their demo had received great interest. I could hear the guy’s excitement and booked them (much to the chagrin of my previous employees but now promotion partners - tut). They had an ahead-of-its-time 80s pop-rock sound, reminiscent of Duran Duran (not a fan personally, but I appreciate commercial music). They got signed.

Do you believe in what you do? Or would that be like asking to put a man on the moon. It’s your call.

By Sophie Sweatman

Radio, print and online PR Manager, Matchbox Recordings

http://www.matchboxrecordings.co.uk

Bio: Promoted bands in London between 1995-2004, including at local festivals, across venues including the Laurel Tree, Camden, The Mean Fiddler, King’s Head, Crouch End. Reported on music for a regional London newspaper and was theatre critic for London Newspaper Group 1998-2000. Written for various magazines and newspapers and have extenseive portfolio of published work as journalist and PR person. Recently promoted comedy nights in London, Edinburgh and Cornwall and launched Time Out’s Top Ten entry the Freedom Fridge in 2009. http://www.sophiesweatman.com