This page contains two sections, General Topics & Specific NLTR Topics. For artists that already have a basic knowledge of the music industry, feel free to skip the first section. For new artists that haven't really put much thought into the business side of things please take the time to learn, if you don't chances are good that you will get ripped off. This page is just a quick rundown of the biz, there are many websites that really go into depth about the music business. We are constantly adding them to our list of links, so check'em out.

We hope you find this information helpful, if you have any further questions please feel free to contact us.

What do Record Labels look for?

Labels look for artists that they believe they can make money with. The type of artist varies label to label, but the basic idea remains. To be noticed by a label, you must look and act like a professional. You need to stand out. We have provided a section below that lists the specifics of what we look for.

Major Labels vs Indie Labels

A major labels main interest is to produce recordings that will sell millions of copies. If you want to be a Rock Star, then your ultimate goal is to be signed to a Major Label where you will have the opportunity to receive world wide recognition for your music.

What are the downsides to a Major? A major label takes a much larger percentage of the income generated from an artist's work, this is justified because they need to spend a far greater amount on the creation and promotion of an album because there goal is to sell millions of copies. So, an artist needs to sell millions of copies of an album to accrue the amount that could be generated from thousands of copies sold through an indie label.

Another disadvantage of Major labels is that they tend to want music that sounds like music they have already successfully sold, it is much more difficult for an artist to get picked up by a Major if they don't sound like the groups on MTV. It's hard to take a risk on a new sound when millions of dollars are at stake. This is where the indies come into play...

Indie Labels are more likely to allow artists a chance to express their creative ideas because they do not need to sell millions of albums to make a profit. Indie's test the water.

Indie's usually develop a "niche" or staple sound, if you are looking for a record deal use this to your advantage. Listen to the groups that are under labels you are interested in, does your sound fit theirs? Don't be a clone, but don't send a press kit to a Hardcore Punk label if you sound like a Pop star from the 80's.

The main disadvantage of an Indie is it's resources. Major's have exclusive national distribution at their fingertips and a lot more money to play with for promotion and recording. Luckily, we live in a time where the internet makes national distribution realistic for Indie labels, but effective national promotional campaigns are still too costly for most Indie's.

Advances

An advance is money paid up front for your album. This advance, along with the other expenses of creating the album, will be recouped by the label before you start to see royalties. So... if your album doesn't sell enough copies to return the labels investment, you will not see any additional cash flow for your efforts.

No Left Turn Records does not give cash advances to new artists. Instead, we provide our artists with merchandise to sell at their shows and we give artists a much higher percentage of royalties. We believe this is better for our artists in the long run.

Contracts

We highly recommend taking your time when signing a contract to a record label, or any contract for that matter. People get screwed when they rush, if someone is pressuring you to sign something then they are most likely trying to hide something from you. We highly recommend getting a lawyer to look over a contract before you commit. Don't say you can't afford one, there are affordable lawyers out there. You might even be able to get a freebie every now and again.

The more you have to offer the more likely you'll get the contract you are looking for. If you are a new artist don't expect a label to pay for everything. If you do, you may want to reconsider your expectations and spend some time researching common practices for music deals. If you come knocking on a label's door with a fully produced album ready for manufacturing, the chances of you a good deal have just went up a couple notches.

The more you can offer, the more likely a label would be willing to work with you.

What we look for in an artist

The main characteristics we look for in an artist are...

We look for artists that show respect to other musicians, work hard to accomplish their goals, get up when they fall, have intense stage presence, original song writing abilities that capture an audience, and do not let their egos blind them from reality!

We really appreciate artists who watch the other bands perform at a gig, this shows respect and at one time it used to be common practice.

We see so many artists self-implode because they think they are better than everyone. The only direction for someone that feels like they are the best is down.

We look for creative non-pop sounding artists, who usually end up fitting into the Indie/Rock genre. Don't get discouraged if you do not feel you fit into this category, we look for a feeling more than a specific sound. We are very open minded. If you want our advice, feel free to send us a press kit or sell your CD at baymusicscene.com. The worst that can happen is we give you a few ideas or maybe even refer you to another label that may work better with you.

Submitting a Press Kit

So you've got what it takes to get signed, but you can't seem to get a break. The first thing you should do is take a look at your Press Kit. Your Press Kit is your business portfolio, music is your business! Your kit should represent you in a professional and organized way. Honestly, we don't look at 75% of the Press Kits that come through our door. Why? It's not because we don't enjoy looking through countless numbers of press kits; it's because we don't have time to look through every single press kit. We glance at them, but if they look unorganized they are going straight to our outdoor filing cabinet.

We recommend creating a few different press kits which are optimized for the purpose they will serve - record labels, media, & clubs.

This is what we look for in a press kit...

For a club press kit, you can be a little more relaxed, but it is still very important to keep you kit organized. We recommend including an equipment list for club press kits as well, especially if you have an unusual lineup of instruments.

General Topics:

Create a Professional Image

Major Labels vs. Indie Labels

Advances

Contracts

Specific NLTR Topics:

What we look for in an artist

Submitting a Press Kit