Hi, my name’s Sam Chappell. I’m a music business executive that’s worked primarily in Christian music for over 30 years. A common question that I often get is “How do I get a record deal, or how do I get signed to a publisher as a writer?” Let me deal with the first one- How do I get a record deal? There is no stated formula on how you get a record deal. How you get a record deal 20 years ago is, in my opinion, different than how you get one today. Today the labels are looking for someone that’s performing out on the road already, and have some kind of a track record that there is a demand for your music. I think you have to create demand with social media, YouTube, and with video. With all these mechanisms you can do so much marketing of your talent as an artist or as a band or as a musician through those means.
A&R people – these are artists and repertoire people. Their job at the record labels is looking for musical talent, great recording artists, but they’re also looking for some kind of a draw that you’ve already established a fan base or you’ve already established some kind of social media following. They will say, “Okay, if this worked in this small region of the country, this may work elsewhere.” You’ve got to create some kind of mechanism where there is a demand for your music and artistry.
Now on the publishing side, which is the songwriter side, it’s a whole different scenario than a recording artist. That is where you write songs – that’s the critical thing. It’s a very difficult process and the best tool is to get somebody to cut your song. You might say, “Well, how do I get somebody to cut my song?”
You write your songs, you demo your songs or have someone demo your songs, and you pitch those songs to as many people as you can – to managers, to music publishers, to A&R people, and to artists themselves. You find any way you can get that song into the hands of an established artist because once they record that song, it creates a demand for you as a songwriter. That to me, getting somebody to exploit songs, is the best mechanism to get your songs showcased. That is how I would begin both on the recording side, and secondly, on the publishing side, and how you get signed.
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