Music industry contacts are most useful if you know how to use them correctly. Sadly, many musicians don’t take the time to learn what to do if they make a new contact in the music business. Hard to come by, easy to blow the relationship!
There are hundreds, maybe thousands of website that give out free listings of music industry contacts, along with contact information for the A&R people at record companies, music publishers, and film & TV music supervisors. While it’s great that you can get your hands on that information, there are some critical things to think about before using that information.
First and foremost, unless the list of labels, publishers, and supervisors is updated monthly, chances are that much of the information is old, and therefore useless. Check to make sure the list you want to use is fresh and updated often.
How to Use Music Industry Contacts the Right Way!
The first thing to consider is what you want to do with your music. Most musicians will answer, “I just want to get my music heard.” That’s great, but heard by whom, and for what purpose.
Do you want a record deal? More specifically, do you want to get singed by an Indie Record Label or Major Label? Independent labels are known for having smaller artist rosters, and giving more attention to each artist. They also have much smaller marketing budgets for their artists, and often have to rely on grassroots marketing techniques, and the landscape is unbelievably crowded with songwriters, bands, and artists who are all clamoring for attention from the same music buyers.
Major record labels have more money for marketing and promotion. They also have larger staffs of radio promotion people, field sales reps, and product managers. The downside is that the major labels are well known for dropping artists if their record doesn’t get significant radio airplay in the first few weeks.
You should also look at what genre of music the labels you’re reaching out to are best at marketing. Don’t send your Country demo to a Hip Hop A&R person. Do your homework and find out which A&R people at which labels are the right people to submit your music to.
Film and TV Music Supervisors Are the New “Rock Stars”
Many musicians have given up on the idea of getting a record deal altogether. Instead, they’ve turned their attention to the film and TV music market because it appears to be an easier route to make money with your music. Because there has been a huge increase in the number of people who wan to license their music to TV shows, films, and movie trailers, music supervisors have become the hot ticket.
And while you can get free lists of music supervisors, the same rules apply when submitting your music to them. You need to know who they are, what shows or films they need music for, and what kind of music they need. Do your homework before you reach out to them!
One Chance to Submit Your Music
You may only get one chance to contact a music supervisor, so don’t waste their time with sending them music they don’t need. If they work on a TV show on the CW network, they’ll probably need songs that skew to a younger audience. If the music supervisor you’re contacting mostly works on sports programs, they’re going to need testosterone driven Rock or Hip Hop, not love songs.
If you want to submit Dubstep to a music supervisor, chances are you’ll do well by submitting to supervisors who work on film trailers, because Dubstep works well for the quick cut projects that are common in the Hollywood blockbuster film trailer world.
In any case, it’s key to remember that just like A&R people at record labels, Hollywood’s top music supervisors have very limited time to audition music, and they only want to hear the very best music targeted at their immediate and most pressing needs. Because there are so many free lists of music supervisors, they are getting bombarded with independent songwriters, bands, and artists who want their attention. Those who are best prepared and submit the right kind of music are the few that will get a chance to get their music heard.
The Best Way to Get Your Music Heard…
While free lists of contacts in the music industry are great because they have no cost involved, the truth of the matter is that most people in the music business only want to hear music that comes to them from reputable sources who have already filtered the music before it gets to them. It saves time and trouble, and in today’s world, time is at a premium.
TAXI has been serving record labels, music publishers, and music supervisors for more than twenty years. The reason they come to TAXI to find the best indie artists, songwriters, and composers is because the music we submit to them is always pre-filtered to fit their exact needs at any moment in time.
As a matter of fact, TAXI publishes music Industry Listings that are updated lists of exactly what people in all facets of the music business need every day. Thousands upon thousands of songwriters, artists, and composers have been successful using TAXI. Click here to see their success stories in their own words.
Click here to learn how TAXI can help you target your music submissions better than just using a free list of music industry contacts!
Want to see what record labels, music publishers, and Film and TV music Supervisors need right now? Click here!