I am going to go out on a limb here, but there is something you need to know. You are not getting a major label record deal, you will not get signed to a major booking agency or management company, you will not be getting a support slot on the tour for that arena band that has influenced your sound, nobody is going to finance a national tour for you and no one is going to publicize your performances to the media. There I said it. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear and it’s possible that these are the only ways in which you have defined “success.” But I can confidently say that the odds are just against you and in actuality the odds of you winning your state lottery are better.
I don’t wish to suggest that some or all of these things might not happen to you. There is always the possibility. But even if you were to get a lucrative record deal or sign to a major agency, you are still not necessarily assured of success. The reason I think it’s important to embrace this idea that you are not getting signed to some stellar deal, is that the results of thinking the opposite can be debilitating to an artist or band. I think it is time we put an end to the cliché about the performer who wastes their entire career playing the same local bars, waiting for that ever elusive recording contract, agent or manager.
In today’s technological landscape all the means of production and distribution that historically were held in the hands of a few execs, are now held in the hands of the many. What this means for you is that there are just no more excuses for being without a CD or a website. There are no more excuses for only performing locally and there are definitely no more excuses for neglecting to adequately publicize all of your performances. The power lies in your hands now more than ever and the realized benefits grow exponentially as you become more adept at managing your own career.
I know you think your band is different from all the rest. I know you think you have something far more marketable or special, and this is the reason you need to become your own agent, manager and publicist first. No one can sell your band like you can. Any agent that adds you to his big roster is just adding another commodity to his inventory to ultimately add to his bottom line. He is not always selling you for the extraordinary talent that you are, he is more often than not selling you so he has an opportunity to make a commission.
But here is more bad news for you: YOU HAVE ZERO VALUE. That’s right technically you are worthless, and agents don’t usually seek out bands that only give them an opportunity to make 15% of NOTHING. The hardest thing for many artists to understand is this idea that a new band in a new market has no value, but if nobody in that market has ever heard of you, then nobody is going to come out to see you. And I don’t know of many original music clubs that make their living selling tickets and liquor that are willing to pay serious dollars for a band playing to an empty room. Similarly most record companies are not clamoring to pick up an act that has no representation or serious experience with touring and performing. However, you are infinitely more valuable to a booking agency, manager or record company if you can prove that you have some momentum in markets other than your own hometown. It doesn’t matter if you are the greatest songwriter in the world or if you show up with an amazing light show complete with Stonehenge stage props. An empty room is a money loser for all parties.
So what’s an independent band to do? I know it sounds hopeless, as if you are destined to waste away in your bedroom for all of eternity. But that is just not the case any more. With a cell phone and a laptop, hell with a calling card and a pad of paper, you hold the power to the greatest distribution channel there is: the road. In my upcoming articles I will lay out a solid plan for you to follow so you can start creating real value, start playing out in new markets and start making your act attractive to agents, record companies and managers. It is not going to be easy. There are no get rich quick schemes here except for maybe winning the lottery. But the biggest lesson I am trying to convey is that you do not live your life waiting for that wining lottery ticket, so why waste your music career waiting for an elusive deal that may never come.
Jay Flanzbaum is a musician, booking agent and web designer. He began his career booking national tours for unproven acts from all across the country. The trials he faced as a boutique agency forced him to seek out better administrative solutions. Onlinegigs is an incredibly powerful tool for musicians, agents, record companies and managers. It will help you automate the administration of booking and promoting your band or bands.
