To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to sit down with the Major Lable A&R executives, and with good reason – those guys are replaced every few months as the labels downsize! On the contrary, this panel had some top guys ( Max Gousse-Sr. VP A&R Island/Def Jam, Raj Jadeja-Director A&R Atlantic, Jeff Blue-A&R Consultant/Producer Jive and Michael Howe-VP A&R Downtown Records) who have weathered the storm for many years, so I took the time to head down to the Musicians Institute and listen. If I were to sum of up the experience, it’s that NOTHING HAS TRULY CHANGED WITH THE MAJOR LABELS. It’s the same broken record…same broken business model…same everything but now with even less time to develop a band, less money to put into marketing, less people on the team to support you, etc. There is no doubt that these guys jobs are tough but they work super hard 24/7 to find that next breaking band with very limited time and resources. Yet, so many people would still rather take their chances on a major label than get creative and find a way to do it themselves. It’s a catch-22 and I know it is a very tough situation; easier said than done for sure! So I’m sure you all have many questions so I will do my best to answer some of the key questions:
1) What is the best way to reach the MAJOR label executives?
Major label executives are not out going to see bands period! They literally only trust high profiled lawyers, producers, agents and other key folks in the industry; that’s the same business philosophy they have had for 50+ years and look at where they are at now!! A friend recently told me – If i was a label – I would fire everyone of these A&R guys and hire me some 15-16 year old kids who are much more in tune with what’s popular!! I’m not in their shoes to say anything, but i would imagine its a very tough job to be true to that artist while also making money for your company – ie. the label.
2) How do I find these top lawyers, agents and other key people?
There are numerous sources out there including the A&R registry, pollstar online, etc. Granted, these things cost money – but business is all about investing! Here at Out of Step, we do our best to know who is on top of their game to best help you… but with technology ever-changing the music landscape, the opportunity is now for each and everyone of you to do your own thing!
3) What are major labels looking for these days?
They are looking for “believe-ability” – that you aren’t faking this and would die for this opportunity. They are looking for hard working people. Like most things in life, it’s those that work smarter and harder than the next guy; it’s not about talent necessarily. They don’t care if you write your own songs – plenty of top songwriters will write your songs for you and top producers who will produce it. Again, these top guys cost about $50-100,000 per song minimum. So, the question that comes from these answers then is – how the hell do stay creative and not become a puppet? Only you can answer that… Labels are also doing some 360 deals these days, 1 song signings and making a lot of their money in the publishing. Towards that end, it’s the publishing that seems to save a lot of bands. Positive news is that bands seem to be getting a 2nd chance if the 1st record doesn’t flop…but the days of 3 or 4 or 5 tries is in the past. SAD!
If submitting to Out of Step for management, it is likely, we will have to develop you to get you “right” for that one shot with the majors, if that’s the route you want to go.
thanks,
Geoff Koboldt
Photo with Raj from Atlantic Records
