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-- Do you guys still submit tracks to labels?
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I send the odd track out and have had a few signed but I fail more than I 'succeed'.

I own a small finance business and had another music related surprise a few weeks back.

A new client contacted me, aged 21. We met and did business. Turns out he is signed to a large label and received a �100k advance. He's no good at mixing and his production skills are very average but he was paid this money (and another lump due shortly)for putting songs together - the melody, lyrics and a basic track version that other producers then assemble into a finished article. He did no networking or online promotion, he was just found and signed, the content did the talking for him.

In summary his content has value.
Creating unique engaging content is for me the holy grail something I am determined to achieve at some point no matter how hard or unlikely.

I used to, and over the years got closer and closer to getting one accepted.

I quit writing electronic music in 2011, but if I was going to start again, I'd go the diy route. Label submission was my way of checking the track's quality and/or compliance to trends.

Looking back, I definitely did not work hard enough to get there. The bar is also way higher now than when I started.

Nah, no big labels release classic trance stuff anymore sadly, so I founded my own label and got a distributor so now I publish my own stuff. Speaking of which, if you're reading this and are a musician that produces oldschool trance and just want to get your stuff up for sale, feel free to message me with demos...if it's good I may put it up on iTunes, Beatport, Amazon etc for you and perhaps even give it a remix.

quote:

Originally posted by sonix If the music is quality, then people will recognize it.

It doesn't matter how good it is if nobody knows it's there.

quote:

Originally posted by sonix Label Worx has a demo and promo service similar to yours. Is that yours? If not, have you tried theirs? Are you two similar? Looking for feedback before I try Label Worx.

I don't know how their demo service works on the back-end. I've only seen the submission form once - about a month ago. There is a lot of things it doesn't do right (in my opinion).

- It doesn't allow submitting multiple tracks (mine does up to 4)
- It doesn't embed into the record label website, thus labels have to direct people off their site for submitting demos. My demo manager embeds seamlessly into any website.
- As far as I'm aware it does not validate if the soundcloud link is correct (mine does)
- Mine embeds into facebook fanpages too.

What label worx does better:
- support for A&R teams (on my to-do list but I'm focusing on other products first).
- commenting ability on promos waveforms. But I don't believe that feature is particularly valuable.

That said, mine will be more expensive, but I consider it better as mine seems easier to use and provides a better user experience. Also a funny note they present it as something revolutionary but I started doing this a year before them , plus there was a service even before mine, but too expensive (40x labelworx price) for pretty much any record label out there.

Also their promobox feature in their promo campaigns is shit. More on that soon .

All services are fine, I just think they've all been created for the labels to push promos to dj's and other people. The promo pages themselves are not optimized for dj's to consume the music in a user-friendly way at all.

Edit: Except for VIP Ultima. Very slow pageloads, crashes often because it is fully flash based. Hogs CPU/battery. Terrible product.

i wont even bother with labels as most of them put it up for public vote on some i mean any idiot can buy votes.

also if you dont sound the same as ever body else you wont get far with alot of labels they like the cookie cutter sound of now and only the people they want seem to make new sounding stuff.

another thing i have noticed is the big increase of pretty boy dj/producers that look more like a boy band member than a dj most dj's i knew look like normal people not pin up stars so if you aint got the look you wont get the spot unless you make a banger as the labels send the dj to every big event they can(looks = girl fans or gay fans if thats there way)good looks means good pr even if the music is the same shit they keep releasing with tiny tweeks.

i dont in any way think my music would be good enough but i also know my old self does not have the boyish good looks to be a p.r. dj.

i bet you make more money ghost writing for people instant cash no worrying about other crap.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler A new client contacted me, aged 21. We met and did business. Turns out he is signed to a large label and received a �100k advance. He's no good at mixing and his production skills are very average but he was paid this money (and another lump due shortly)for putting songs together - the melody, lyrics and a basic track version that other producers then assemble into a finished article. He did no networking or online promotion, he was just found and signed, the content did the talking for him.

Good gravy, how do I get that deal?

quote:

Originally posted by Storyteller ... Without turning it into a lame sales ploy: I have developed a service that solves the workload or reviewing demos for the most part. I see competitors developing similar products now too (but are inferior ). The labels that use my product respond to pretty much every demo coming in within a week or two. Some consistently reply within 48 hrs.

How does one submit demos to you?

eta: nevermind, I read more closely and see you're not set up yet. Will be waiting with bated breath!

Click the red link in my sig. You can't miss it . The demo submission form is there.

It's not about whether people will dance to their music, it's about marketing and building a brand. Much easier to do that with a pretty face (PVD, Garrix, Lisa Lashes, Sandra Collins, Avicii, Tiesto, Ferry, etc) than with most of us pudgy couch addicts.

people would still buy music but the real money is from shows.

im a man utd supporter(football) and in Pre season Martin Garrix was playing animals at half time i mean wtf is that.

he literly played 3-4 soungs and was done but i bet he and any one else he has involved was paid well.

to do shows if ur not already famous you need to be marketable good looks is the oldest trick in the book used by nearly every pr group about so it stands to reason that they will take pretty boys that will make hearts melt of females/males from 15 to 40 years old.

remember the take that days? or other bo ybands most were dog shit but girls went crazy as they looked good

if you had a record label had a good looking star that can sorta dj and produce why not get tunes made for him so you can make a killing of his tours as thats were 70% of the money is if not more

quote:

Originally posted by deegee It's not about whether people will dance to their music, it's about marketing and building a brand. Much easier to do that with a pretty face (PVD, Garrix, Lisa Lashes, Sandra Collins, Avicii, Tiesto, Ferry, etc) than with most of us pudgy couch addicts.

to true you find most of the new bread well some are ghost written with them just doing the stage work solid sound from good producers and good looks its why we have so many ghost producers now.

and i can bet you garrix would get a gig over a friend of mine who has been a residant at big clubs ministery,cream,amnesia etc cant get the big festival events yet he has been at and worked with some of the best dj's and clubs going.

DJ FUBAR im on about if you want to know.

he has been around a long time before he got big its not the same as garrix releaseing 1 track then he is suddenly doing tommorro land.


i mean who the fk gets them giggs of the back of 1 tune if you watch the in the studio video on you tube he does not seem that competent to have been releasing lesser tracks for a number of years never mind insta signing for a big label and strait into a big festival over dj's that have been around forever released lots of tracks but dont get the same deal.

oh and the mouse head has made him more famous as it stands out

Well, plenty of people have had huge success off a single hit--a few people here are old enough to remember Darude when he first popped up, for example.

The mouse head is a schtick, like Gaga's costumes; it has not much if anything to do with his actual talent (which is considerable). Just there as a useful marketing hook.

Martin gets a gig at Tomorrowland because he sells tickets. I think it just comes down to that.

Well, yes. The more useful question is "why does he sell tickets?"

The answer is twofold:

1) Had a smash breakout hit, which is inextricably tied to
2) Pretty face

If he looked like most of us bedroom producers, his record would be played but he himself would not be famous.

quote:

Originally posted by sonix You mean like Spotify? Many Grammy artists have complained about not making much on those subscription services. If you're talking about a single subscription to a single artist exclusively, then why would people buy so many subscriptions since people like so many artists? What do you mean by not fully explored on YouTube? They have live streams and many YouTubers have gotten millions from their channels.

No, You're thinking way too inside the box, I dont feel like persuading you and giving you examples that have just recently emerged on the net.

Neither Martin Garrix nor Avicci are notably good looking... Calvin Harris is good looking, but honestly... I don't think looks have as much to do with it as you'd think.

Skrillex? deadmau5? Dada Life? Eric Prydz? Hardwell? Tiesto? Nicki Romero? Kill The Noise?

They're all pretty average looking dudes.

quote:

Originally posted by Seandroid Neither Martin Garrix nor Avicci are notably good looking... Calvin Harris is good looking, but honestly... I don't think looks have as much to do with it as you'd think. Skrillex? deadmau5? Dada Life? Eric Prydz? Hardwell? Tiesto? Nicki Romero? Kill The Noise? They're all pretty average looking dudes.

most of them you list have been around YEARS well before the new gen

and compared to me alot of them are good looking lads haha



im far to ruff looking to be a pretty boy

quote:

Originally posted by Seandroid Neither Martin Garrix nor Avicci are notably good looking... Calvin Harris is good looking, but honestly... I don't think looks have as much to do with it as you'd think. Skrillex? deadmau5? Dada Life? Eric Prydz? Hardwell? Tiesto? Nicki Romero? Kill The Noise? They're all pretty average looking dudes.

Speaking as someone who likes guys, most of them are def above average in looks (Garrix is a cute kid but WAY too young), although Skrillex is having some seriously regrettable hair choices.

It's the older generation of Djs--Oakie, Digweed, Sasha, Jimmy Van Malleghem, Dave Seaman, etc--who aren't so good looking, because they came up the ranks when basically all that mattered was what you caned on the decks. Nowadays, you're just not going to make it big (unless you are a way-the-hell-out-there talent and/or been plugging away so long that you've built a following) without looking pretty, or at least photogenic. Same with, say, TV cooking show hosts. The days of sweaty and frumpy Mario Batali and Julia Child are over--you have to be TV-acceptable now. Sure, there are exceptions in all areas, but if you're looking at what's going to get the big dollars it's pretty much always going to be the 5/10 talent with the 8/10 face and not the other way around.

Is it gross? Yeah. Electronic music is one of those areas where even putting on a live show isn't really about the face--it's about the songs and the flashy lights because everyone's off their tits anyway. But when it comes to promotion, sex sells. Same as it ever was.

quote:

Originally posted by Oakenshield most of them you list have been around YEARS well before the new gen and compared to me alot of them are good looking lads haha im far to ruff looking to be a pretty boy

Was that taken at Radio Shack or something? Kind of a random place to take a picture. lol.

quote:

Originally posted by deegee Speaking as someone who likes guys, most of them are def above average in looks (Garrix is a cute kid but WAY too young), although Skrillex is having some seriously regrettable hair choices. It's the older generation of Djs--Oakie, Digweed, Sasha, Jimmy Van Malleghem, Dave Seaman, etc--who aren't so good looking, because they came up the ranks when basically all that mattered was what you caned on the decks. Nowadays, you're just not going to make it big (unless you are a way-the-hell-out-there talent and/or been plugging away so long that you've built a following) without looking pretty, or at least photogenic. Same with, say, TV cooking show hosts. The days of sweaty and frumpy Mario Batali and Julia Child are over--you have to be TV-acceptable now. Sure, there are exceptions in all areas, but if you're looking at what's going to get the big dollars it's pretty much always going to be the 5/10 talent with the 8/10 face and not the other way around. Is it gross? Yeah. Electronic music is one of those areas where even putting on a live show isn't really about the face--it's about the songs and the flashy lights because everyone's off their tits anyway. But when it comes to promotion, sex sells. Same as it ever was.

I'm also speaking from the same perspective, for what it's worth lol.

I've completely disassociated my face from my music... Maybe that's not really a good idea. I'm not really camera shy or anything, people are just assholes.

Pictures of me have been edited in rather disturbing ways even on this very website lol

it was a shop i worked at as a computer engineer mrs brought me a coffee

Why do you think I originally chose this name...

I long for the days when producers were faceless and never released anything under their real name. Only the music mattered.

quote:

Originally posted by deegee Same with, say, TV cooking show hosts. The days of sweaty and frumpy Mario Batali and Julia Child are over--you have to be TV-acceptable now.

Must me an American thang, in the UK loads of uglies are becoming successful on TV, in music etc.

Just about the most successful TV chefs here are 'The Hairy Bikers' who are a pair of bloaters.

A lot of English people consider 'perfect' looking people to be quite plastic and too deliberate and self regarding. A turn off. Understatement and lack of yearning for attention are far more endearing qualities.
Nothing cooler than a millionaire that looks like a scruff.

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