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By Renee Grant-Williams
The winds of change are racing through the label-driven recording industry.
Although new avenues of distribution have emerged through social media marketing,
I can't think of a single singer who would turn down a offer from an established
record label. I doubt that the record labels are going to fold up their tents
and slip out of town kicking and screaming anytime soon. So it's still important
to study the traditional paradigm.
You, as an aspiring singer need to find one person in a position of power
who really, really, really believes in your talent. It must be someone who
has powerful contacts and is respected by the music business community. It
doesn't necessarily have to be a manager. A lot of record deals are handled
by entertainment attorneys, as well as producers, managers and agents. You
need to find that one person who believes in you and is totally committed to
furthering your career. Since you will absolutely need to have an attorney
on board eventually to protect your interests let's start there.
If you are just starting your career, you may say, well what do I need a lawyer
for? I don't have any clout; I don't have any hit records; I don't have a hit
song; why do I need a lawyer? In fact, it's probably the time in your career
that you will need a lawyer most. A good music business attorney can be a one-stop
shopping center for information. They aren't managers, but they know the business.
They aren't producers, but they know what it takes to get things produced.
How do you choose your lawyer? Make certain they have expertise in the music
industry and have had successful relationships with the major labels. I highly
recommend interviewing several before making a decision. If you do, as a courtesy,
tell them you are meeting with others also. It helps if they understand you
and love your music. Now you have a fan who can get your team's ball rolling
and keep you out of trouble by protecting you from yourself.
A good music business lawyer is going to be aware of the kinds of rights you
have and what you have to bargain with, as well as what the relative value
of those rights are. By relative value I don't mean simply money. A good music
business attorney will protect your career, your time, your talent, as well
as your freedom of choice. The reality is, you are going to have to give up
some of those things every time you sign a contract that requires you to bargain
away part of your time, talent and, ultimately, your future.
You will need their counsel if you are asked to sign a long term production
contact or long term management contract where time is an important element
on both sides of the ledger. The good lawyer is not always just out to get
you the biggest bang for the buck. They will try to put you in a position where
you can maximize your talent, maximize your time, and maximize your future
opportunities.
And don't discount the power a respected music attorney can wield when it
comes to getting the attention of the record executives. Label executives will
return an attorney's phone call a lot sooner than yours or mine!
Another thing to consider is to start looking for an attorney before you need
one. Many nationally-televised talent shows allow their contestants only a
few days to reach an agreement to compete on their shows. Given such a small
window you do not want to spend precious time searching for and trying to obtain
a productive meeting with a good attorney.
Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that
have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw,
Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith
Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...
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