Unlike most marriages, where there must have been days turned to weeks, turned to month and sometimes years of courtship, this does not afford you that opportunity to get to know your significant other (Record label) on a personal note except you have done your research. Unfortunately, a couple of these marriages have gone through troubled waters and it seems like the music artists are always on tail said of the coin. There are precautions that can be taken to prevent some of these ruckus and in this episode, our experts share a few tips that you should consider just before you say I do:
- ARE YOU A PERFECT FIT?
This is one fact many artists shy away from but no matter how often we wish the sun turn green, it would not change it from being yellow. Take it or leave it, there is THE record label out there for you and you would only see this if you are sincere with yourself and do your research on the record label. Ask yourself honest questions; do our work ethics align? Are there other acts in the label that would be given preference over me? if yes, how long am I willing to wait for me to be given the same level of support others are given? Sorry for reminding you but this type of marriage is often a polygamous one and there would always be preference; sometimes chosen on a fair scale, other times, there is bias. How much of the heat can you take?
- NEVER SIGN A RECORD DEAL ON YOUR OWN:
Yeah, just like most wedding ceremony (religious, traditional or legal) would require witnesses at the ceremony, make sure you have someone (an experienced person in the music industry) who has a deep knowledge of how the music industry works with you while signing a record deal. Many times, people tend to sign without thinking deeply about what it will be in the future and only look at the present, thereby shooting themselves in the foot. Take someone who is not biased, who might see the errors you do not see.
- ASK FOR A DETAILED PLAN:
Remember your ex telling you she was leaving you because she did not see a future with you or when you left him because you did not think he had plans for you in the future? Also, do not be shy to ask the label to show you a detailed plan they have for you. Do not be shy, it does not have to be a plan for the entire tenure of the contract, it could be 3 months which would be updated before the last month runs out. The longer the proposed plan, the higher the chances of errors especially considering the volatility of the music industry.
- READ AND READ AGAIN:
As simple as this may sound, it is often overlooked by a lot of artists especially on their first deal. The anxiety of finally getting that craved recognition in the music industry and an imagined future of having everything sorted probably rushes into artists’ heads that they forget to do the simplest thing which is just to READ through the contract before signing. There is nothing wrong with asking to take the contract back home and reading it away from the frenzy. Also, ensure the copy given to you to take home is what is signed by both parties.
- AN EXPERIENCED MANAGER:
This is the same as the counselling you go for before and even during marriage either from your parents or religious leaders or a marriage counselor. Get yourself an experienced manager, this may reduce your take home cheque but remember it will always pay you at the long run. An experienced manager knows the in’s and out’s of the music industry same as the good and dark side of the industry. He/ she will have good foresight and give you good advice on matters arising because they have been through it before with a former or present client.
- AVOID SIGNING AN INDEFINITE CONTRACT:
This is one of the major mistakes artists make which affects them later on. signing to a record label without specific term (years) can be a huge disadvantage. Most artist think signing is the most important thing not how long. this could mean chaining yourself blindly. If after 2 years, you feel there’s a need to renew your contract, then you can go ahead and do so, which puts you in the safe spot. A lot can happen and go wrong in the spacing of 2 years. The shorter the contract the easier to opt out.
- ASK FOR A COPY OF YOUR CONTRACT:
Make sure you have a copy of your contract after signing. some things could be altered without your knowledge. This gives you the upper hand and you can defend yourself. once you have your contract in your possession, there is little or nothing that can be done to alter your contract from what it was originally. Thereby making you rest assured that your contract is intact and if possible, include a legal backing just to protect you and your image later in future. you could also request for a little time before signing in order to think through.
Unlike most marriages which are prayed for to last forever, this can have a fixed term or last forever depending on you and plan for your career. At the end of the day, a good informed decision by you would help build a good foundation for your new marriage (Record Deal) and make your relationship with your spouse (Record Label) a successful one. There are more pointers to be considered so feel free to contact us at #GustoEntertainment for more guidance and tips on this.Watch out for the next episode which looks at the other side of the coin….