Artist Development & Product Development (Part 2)
Product Development: Create and Sell Your Music
Product Development is about preparing your music product for the marketplace, and finding ways to sell it. Product Development issues become much easier to deal with when all the details addressed in Artist Development have been taken care of. Not all artist/acts take the time to deal with these responsibilities. They prefer to rush the songwriting process and move right into the recording studio, in their eagerness to get their music out. That is a big mistake.
The first thing a professional label does after signing an artist/act is to start thinking about the marketing or sales plan for the act. That's right, a good record label executive, perhaps the A&R rep that may sign you, can already envision how your music will be promoted and sold by the time you enter the studio.
Researching the right recording studio, right producer, and engineer become key issues in Product Development. Where will your record be recorded? Who will record it? Both of these questions must be considered quite seriously before you make a final decision.
The choices of what studio to record in and what producer or engineer will be hired to make the record are uppermost in the mind of a label person. Record labels are aware that if a certain sound, for a certain music genre isn't recorded properly, the chances of radio airplay could be hampered. If so, there may be no significant sales of the record. So, production choices are part of the Product Development equation when deciding how to market a new artist/act.
Never cut corners when recording your music. Once the recording is finished, you will have to live with it forever. You never want to say, "I should have done such and such." Find the best studios and recording team you can afford. Music production sounds are changing constantly and it is your responsibility to make sure your records sounds as contemporary as possible.
Up next is mastering. Mastering is not something to be passed over lightly. The mastering engineer can enhance or hurt the recording you made. Choose a mastering engineer who understands your genre of music. This is a must.
Who will manufacture your record? Who will design the artwork for your release? These are two more essential questions. Your finances will most likely determine this, as they probably determined production decisions. Take the time to make a record that sounds and looks like something you would want to buy yourself. Album cover artwork, packaging material design, and printing issues are important because you are creating a product that will be competing for the attention of music fans who have an abundance of music releases to choose from. Is there something about your album cover that will attract a customer to your record?
Once a record has been manufactured and is ready to be sold to the public, Product Development turns its attention to Distribution and Sales Arrangements. Many developing artist/acts forget this in their rush to record their music. But, if you're going to spend thousands of dollars recording your music, don't you think it would be a good idea to find a way to sell it? Well, that is exactly how professional record labels think. They make sure a system is in place to distribute and sell their records to their fans (both in so-called brick-and-mortar music stores, as well as through the many Internet music sellers)
Many artist/acts make the mistake of trying to get some radio airplay, or other media attention, before they've found a way for the public to buy it. Make no such mistake.
Product Development, (after a record has been recorded), focuses on all the business arrangements involved with selling recordings.You will soon learn that the business of distribution, like the business of music retail, is a complex and challenging undertaking. Welcome to the world of major label distribution companies, independent distributors, rackjobbers, mass marketing retailers, mom-and- pop independent record stores, and the evolving world of Internet music sales. (iTunes, eMusic, Rapsody, etc)
How well you plan and execute your Artist and Product Development plans will make or break your chances of making some money with your music, as you go on to promote, publicize, and perform it.
Finally, in today's competitive music business, the responsibility for Artist and Product Development has changed hands. Independent labels and entrepreneurial artists/acts like you have inherited the responsibility of nurturing new talent by fine-tuning their artistic and business development, and slowly growing their careers over several album releases. Developing a music career for the long haul is all about controlling one's own destiny.
Nate Anderson is an Artist Manager and Music Business Consultant for SuperStar Entertainment Group, Inc based in Chicago, Illinois. He is available for private consultations regarding career development and artist representation. He can be reached by email at: managementmoves@gmail.com
Product Development is about preparing your music product for the marketplace, and finding ways to sell it. Product Development issues become much easier to deal with when all the details addressed in Artist Development have been taken care of. Not all artist/acts take the time to deal with these responsibilities. They prefer to rush the songwriting process and move right into the recording studio, in their eagerness to get their music out. That is a big mistake.
The first thing a professional label does after signing an artist/act is to start thinking about the marketing or sales plan for the act. That's right, a good record label executive, perhaps the A&R rep that may sign you, can already envision how your music will be promoted and sold by the time you enter the studio.
Researching the right recording studio, right producer, and engineer become key issues in Product Development. Where will your record be recorded? Who will record it? Both of these questions must be considered quite seriously before you make a final decision.
The choices of what studio to record in and what producer or engineer will be hired to make the record are uppermost in the mind of a label person. Record labels are aware that if a certain sound, for a certain music genre isn't recorded properly, the chances of radio airplay could be hampered. If so, there may be no significant sales of the record. So, production choices are part of the Product Development equation when deciding how to market a new artist/act.
Never cut corners when recording your music. Once the recording is finished, you will have to live with it forever. You never want to say, "I should have done such and such." Find the best studios and recording team you can afford. Music production sounds are changing constantly and it is your responsibility to make sure your records sounds as contemporary as possible.
Up next is mastering. Mastering is not something to be passed over lightly. The mastering engineer can enhance or hurt the recording you made. Choose a mastering engineer who understands your genre of music. This is a must.
Who will manufacture your record? Who will design the artwork for your release? These are two more essential questions. Your finances will most likely determine this, as they probably determined production decisions. Take the time to make a record that sounds and looks like something you would want to buy yourself. Album cover artwork, packaging material design, and printing issues are important because you are creating a product that will be competing for the attention of music fans who have an abundance of music releases to choose from. Is there something about your album cover that will attract a customer to your record?
Once a record has been manufactured and is ready to be sold to the public, Product Development turns its attention to Distribution and Sales Arrangements. Many developing artist/acts forget this in their rush to record their music. But, if you're going to spend thousands of dollars recording your music, don't you think it would be a good idea to find a way to sell it? Well, that is exactly how professional record labels think. They make sure a system is in place to distribute and sell their records to their fans (both in so-called brick-and-mortar music stores, as well as through the many Internet music sellers)
Many artist/acts make the mistake of trying to get some radio airplay, or other media attention, before they've found a way for the public to buy it. Make no such mistake.
Product Development, (after a record has been recorded), focuses on all the business arrangements involved with selling recordings.You will soon learn that the business of distribution, like the business of music retail, is a complex and challenging undertaking. Welcome to the world of major label distribution companies, independent distributors, rackjobbers, mass marketing retailers, mom-and- pop independent record stores, and the evolving world of Internet music sales. (iTunes, eMusic, Rapsody, etc)
How well you plan and execute your Artist and Product Development plans will make or break your chances of making some money with your music, as you go on to promote, publicize, and perform it.
Finally, in today's competitive music business, the responsibility for Artist and Product Development has changed hands. Independent labels and entrepreneurial artists/acts like you have inherited the responsibility of nurturing new talent by fine-tuning their artistic and business development, and slowly growing their careers over several album releases. Developing a music career for the long haul is all about controlling one's own destiny.
Nate Anderson is an Artist Manager and Music Business Consultant for SuperStar Entertainment Group, Inc based in Chicago, Illinois. He is available for private consultations regarding career development and artist representation. He can be reached by email at: managementmoves@gmail.com
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