Breaking into the music industry

Posted on 06.1er.2005

4 comment(s)

INDIE CORNER :
Breaking into the music industry.
By : Lennox Murdock

Thank all of you for tuning into my article. Yes it is I Lennox Murdock and I will be bringing all of you aspiring rappers, singers, and producers an insight into this music industry. I will be writing two articles one will be this one and the other will be my breaking into the biz tips. These will be two very informative articles. OK enough about me lets start talking.

Breaking into the music business is a very tough job. This is one of the few professions that you could work your whole life to be successful in and never even really make it unlike if you were to go to med school in which you pay your money you pass your test intern and boom your a doctor music is totally different lets understand why.

Ok, you’re a local artist trying to get into the business you have
Done everything you know to try and get radio play you have a stellar cd you have been doing street promotions and you have fans (yes your sisters friends that think it’s cute that you rap count as fans) but, you still cant get radio play. Here is why first off that stellar cd that you say that you have is ok but is the sound quality ? Did you do it in your basement on an old 4 track and that cardoid microphone and you produced it and engineered it. Did you even bother to have it mastered ? When you sent it to the radio station was it just a cd-r that was burned and you just stuck a label on it ?

These are all reasons why you may not be on the radio but, here are a few others :

POLITICS
Politics run rampant through out the radio stations. Have you ever wondered why you keep on hearing the same things over and over this is the reason. First off, the radio stations are all pretty much owned by the same people COX, CLEAR CHANNEL, and RADIO ONE. These are the major radio stations that dictate what we listen to (unless you are one of those that listen to XM radio or college radio and even then I think that’s CLEAR CHANNEL XM RADIO.)

These stations say what is hot and then you have the music directors that are the key holders they say ok this is our play list then the djs who in all actuality are supposed to break records just play what they say play. Ok well now you are saying some people get on the radio so you must be lying about something Lennox. Well this brings me to my next point PAYOLA yes I said it payola runs rampant. Same local artist can get on radio and others cant I hear this and see this all the time because I am also an artist it really bugs the hell out of me cause I cant radio spots cause of lack of funds (check my article "radio alternatives" coming soon) You may be saying that so and so isn’t as hot as I am but they are on the radio trust me I know it happens here in Alabama but its not cause they are better than you(well it could be) but it sometimes has to do with the fact that they have contacts with a dj that they start of by paying(check my article "paying dues" coming soon) and they establish a tight "friendship" with. I put say "friendship" because if the money stops radio play stops unless the record has gotten so hot that it is always being requested.

FICKLE FANS
Fickle fans are another reason why it is hard to break into the music industry. Today they like Nelly tomorrow they want hammer back go figure. But this is really not there fault again it goes back to the radio if the radio plays it enough they will begin to like it and request it and make it a hit then every song you hear will sound the same and this is what the radio wants for you unto request these songs why ? Good question probably because they the djs are being paid by the record companies to play their music back to payola this music industry something else huh ?

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Yes there is also a lack of knowledge that seems to run rampant on the independent scene. Groups not having managers or there manager is inexperienced. Don’t get me wrong at the Indies level you can manage your own career but this is a business and it must be treated as one so, if you manage your own career then that means you have to get out and network, go find your own gigs and negotiate fees, get your web sit built and your press kit be your publicist and do your own PR, get out and do your own promotions, and not to mention the countless other things that I can’t mention cause it would make this article longer than it already is. These are the reasons why you need a team of people in your corner if you want to take it to the next level even 50 cent had Sha money XL. Basically I am trying to tell you that you need people to help you. You need contacts, they need contacts and if they don’t have contacts then they need to be willing to get out there and bust their hump to make the proper contacts. (Check for my article "your team" coming soon)

We have just gone over a couple of reasons why it seems to be hard for some to get radio play and others so easy. I hope I was able to shed some light on the subject at hand. Politics seems to be the hardest thing for Indies to understand. The fans I think we have that down but we just never look at how our musical taste change and we forget that everyone has different taste. Lastly this lack of knowledge that we as Indies sometimes possess this can be over come very easy my friends with one simple word READ, read all the books that you can and find out all that you can and maybe just maybe some doors will be opened for you. thank you for taking the time to read this article if you have any questions on my subject matter or would like for me to touch upon certain things in the future email me at rudebwoymuzik@yahoo.com thank you this is your indie corner writer saying Knowledge is the key to the Industry.

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