Warning Labels Come With Labels?

Let’s talk about labels.. When should an artist sign with a label, or should they at all? Well, let’s talk about the cons, because there are some pretty significant ones. If you’re going to sign with a label you better be always ready to pay other people, who will be hovering over you waiting on their payday. The label generally fronts some money, as an investment, and like any investment wants to see the return. This is everything from merchandise to your albums sales. Can you imagine people wanting to buy your albums and every album sold you only get a percentage of? Now granted, they get you publicity and out in front of people. Hell, they will make a subpar artist look like a rock star! So if your lyrics are only decent and don’t survive on their own, what happens after they get their investment back? You fall off the face of the earth, known only as a has been that couldn’t cut it. You have a little left from everything, but in the eyes of the public you weren’t good enough to continue with the record label. In a sense, you sell your soul to the devil. And if the devil thinks the juice is worth the squeeze, they’ll make some phone calls for you, which is essentially what you’re signing to their label for. Don’t get me wrong, they put you in all the right places, but the cost of signing is so heavy. When another artist comes along with a few new lyrics and they see money there to be made they are done with you! So what if you don’t sign and stay independent? You sell your albums and your merchandise and keep what you make. You’ve never signed with a label so your fan base is truly your fan base. The only place you can go is up really. So would you rather sit around waiting on a label to create a future for you, which may or may not last, or would you rather have a solid foundation that you can build on? We do live in 2014, and everybody wants everything yesterday. However, my point is if your patient, maybe you will have a chance at leaving a legacy instead of a here today gone tomorrow artist. If you’re serious about making a living in the music business, be cautious on your decisions to sign away everything you work for! Be sure to leave questions/comments on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/countryrapsavingcountrymusic