How To Get A Record Deal

 

By Vicky Phipps, a graduate of The Ohio State University.

You've recorded some music, played some shows out of town, and scored plenty of new fans. If you feel like you are exhausting your own resources for performing and distributing your music, maybe it's time you approach some potential managers, or even labels themselves. Since you've already had your CampusMen profile, you are one step ahead in proving your worth to them: You've got evidence that people already care about what you are up to!

Now, when it comes to that romanticized "deal" Think of a deal as a tool to help you expand your reach, not as an excuse to sit back on your laurels. Even most major labels' "deals" now put the burden of marketing back on the artist. Where they can help you most is in distribution, and in a general aura of legitimacy. Both aspects are nothing to sneeze at. But to get to that point, you need to make sure your music is heard by the people who count. Getting Signed! An Insider's Guide to the Record Industry is a detailed guide into how, exactly to do that. You need insider information about getting together a proper demo and press kit, all the way on to negotiating royalties and other parts of a contact. It's all here.