Alternatives to a Record Deal
So much has been said here about getting a record deal. But that is no longer the only option these days for aspiring artists to get their music to the people and be heard by the masses. No record deal does not mean no career in music.

The internet has changed everything, and many artists who have had record deals in the past are now looking towards the internet as a preferred method of selling their music. While an artist may sell 300,000 units, (CD’s) the amount of money spent on their behalf by the record company may exceed the amount brought in by sales.

The artist may only receive a small percentage of CD sales and end up owing the record company millions of dollars, which have to be “recouped” before the artist can begin to see any real dough.

In contrast, an artist who sells only 15,000 of their own CD’s on the internet and at live shows, can likely clear over $100,000 after expenses. Record companies are usually very interested in them after they hear about that. The major expense for the artist however is hiring a music producer and funding their own recording.

But this supports the idea of finding an experienced music producer and doing a great sounding music demo that has the quality of a record. It becomes a viable product that can be sold. The music demo can be released on a per song basis on the internet and more songs can be added as they’re recorded.

A poor sounding music demo is likely to damage your reputation, so keep it in the closet. Better yet, avoid getting stuck with a bad music demo in the first place.


One final note:
It’s important to get a great sounding music demo to help open up some doors and to eventually get a record deal. But be cautious.

After searching around the internet for music producers and recording studios to recommend, we came across many sites that appeared to be...less than honest about their intentions. For example, song contests that resulted in the winner having to spend money to get their song recorded by the company having the contest.

Home studios where the singer was forced to sing in a closet. Claims by so called producers with no music industry credits to back them up. Producers with no solid music industry contacts offering to shop your music demo. And a few more.