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I'm just curious-- with the industry being what it is right now, If you were (or are) a musician, singer, etc.- given the chance, would you ever sign with a major record label? Is the potential exposure worth all the other pitfalls and drawbacks? or does it depend on the circumstances?





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depends on the circumstances, but compared to my crappy office job? definitely! Warner Bros, if you're listening....

Excuse my French but.....HELL NO.

if I could get the kind of contract That Audience pointed out that John Mayer must have. In a second!

Also, Beck had a contract that allowed him to release independent stuff at the same time as his major releases.
[Edited 11/16/06 11:23am]

never again

Yeah, I could get an advance to pay for an awesome music video, and probably radio play.

I've watched enough Behind The Music (Particularly The one about TLC)To know NOT to trust the Majors. I would get legal counsel and have them go over everything i'm being asked to sign. Then I would want it explained to me in a way I could understand. Especially if I were dealing with the likes of P-Diddy, Irv Gotti or Damon Dash. And there is no way in Hades that I would even consider dealing with a Hood Cat like Suge Knight. H*** to Tha NAWWWWW!!

IF everything was 50/ them 50 me and I have all creative control and own all my stuff 100%, then yea

IF.....lol

ThePunisher said:

Definitely a lot of artists get taken advantage of, but if you know better (and they really want you) you might be able to get a good deal from a major.

Only if I can profit from it in the end. And that seems like a very hard thing to do if you're trying to be a serious and challenging artist these days. So until then, indie is the way!

paligap said:

With sites like MySpace, YouTube, Bolt, and even CDBaby, i don't think signing with a major label is necessary anymore. And beside, the 4 major labels may not last another decade.

As long as you have singers/musicians who are more interested in being famous than making good music, major labels will exist. It's naive to think that they won't exist in 10 years. Almost all of the distribution companies are owned by major labels. They can force retailers to not stock or stock limited copies of an indie label's release.

I wouldn't sign with a major. It's hard enough to get signed these days, and the amount of acts that get signed yet have no product actually released is extremely high.

Even Prince still signs with them!

Mong said:

That's because public awareness is a good thing when you're making art.

missmad said:

Yeah if that was the deal I would do it too I'm just gonna go and ask Warner I'm sure they'll be OK with it
[Edited 11/19/06 3:57am]

missmad said:

Exactly what does the record company do 2 EARN 50% of your creative effort?

Mong said:

Regarding retailers stocking product these days, it is the retailer that dictates to the distributor in most cases. The distributor's RETURN POLICY with the retailer is key and can be the deal breaker for retailers stocking product, especially for newer unestablished bands. Retailers want to unload fast and return anything not selling fast. They are not stocking inventory like they were and new Artists might get 45-60 days depending on the retailers deal with distributor. It's also a buy-in on the label/distributors part these days - where product is displayed. Very costly to have product near cash or 8' from the entrance.

The major lables have the money and the influence to put your music in heavy rotation on the Clear Channel radio stations.They can also manufacture and ship masss quantities of your CD to Target and Wal-mart.That's a good thing if you want to be a houshold name.

You just need to make sure the deal you sign with a major lable is to your advantage as an artist.So signing with a major is a great if you know the music business.

larryluvlife said:

.....and 4 that effort every $1.00 u make they make $7-$9.

No. It would kinda defeat the whole purpose of expressing yourself musically. I guess if I'm truely what they're looking for, then yeah, but if I were a professional musician, I highly doubt I'd appeal to the masses enough to be on a huge label. You sure as hell wouldn't hear me on mixed pop/r&b stations along side Fergie.

professional. typing too fast
[Edited 11/17/06 14:16pm]

Graycap23 said:

unfortunately yes. but if someone doesn't have the means or the funds to do it themselves, they have little options if they want to get their music out there. a friend of mine is having that very problem. his band is very talented and ten times better than the shit you hear nowadays. but they dont have the means or the funds to promote and sell their album. of course they have it up on cd baby, etc., but that just isn't enough. i would, unfortunately, have to say if you can get in with a major to get your name and music out there, short term, then that is what you have to do. just make it short term so once you have the recognition and the funds, you can go your own way.

txladykat said:

I hear u. Having been on the other side of the music biz, NO way in hell I'd sign a record deal.

BlaqueKnight said:

True Dat.

BlaqueKnight said:

Universial is a beast power with buying out labels.

AnckSuNamun said:

AMEN to that !!

TonyVanDam said:

Totally. BK got it correct.

NO! (o.k., maybe Verve Records, but other than that. . .)