|
 What
Do You Know
About Getting
Signed and Working With a
Record
Label?
by Christopher Knab,
Copyright 2007.
All Rights
Reserved
Back to The Academy
A
True/False and Multiple Choice
Test
(all
questions based on material
found in the book Music
Is Your Business )
NOTE:
If you want the answers
to this test: EMAIL: Chris@Knab.com
This
Test is Copyrighted 2008 by
Christopher Knab and Bartley
F. Day
1. The
Demo packages you send to A&R
Reps should contain exactly
the same information that you
would send to a club owner.
2. A&R
Reps will listen to a demo as
long as it keeps their attention.
3. A&R
Reps participate in developing
the marketing plans for their
acts.
4. A&R
Reps must study the current
marketplace for musical trends
on a regular basis.
5.
Cover letters are generic.
You send the same exact
letter with the same content
in it to all recipients.
6.
The first paragraph of a
Bio should contain background
information on the artist.
7.
An A&R Rep can help
arrange the recording for an
act they have signed to their
label.
8. A&R
Reps get paid by the artist
from a percentage of their royalty
rate.
9. An
A&R Rep can assist in finding
the right songs for an act to
record.
10. When
you register your copyrighted
songs you are giving any potential
licensees the rights to use
your material for free.
11. The
4 key areas or 'Fronts' used
to develop an artist's career
are: Product Development, Promotion,
Publicity, and Performance.
12. When
designing graphic/packaging
materials for demo recordings
or CD releases it is important
to remember that your cover
art can help emphasize the music
style you have..
13. After
an act has been signed, the
A&R department at most many
major labels provide the information
to be included on a CD and on
all promotional materials.
14. Shopping
for a record deal in this new
digital music-business era is
still the best way to get your
music known and recognized.
15. If
an artist/band insists on recording
and shopping for a record deal
they should include at least
7 or 8 songs on the demo recording.
16. The
best way to get a contract with
a major label is to party with
the stars of the music scene.
17. Designing
stationary with an act's name
and Logo design, and contact
information is an effective
tool for presenting a professional
impression to any gatekeeper
in the music industry.
18. It
is always a positive thing for
an act to be involved in a "bidding
war".
19. Because
more and more artists and bands
are building their own careers
by running their music careers
as a business, more acts are
getting better deals whenever
they occur.
20. '8x10
Black and White glossies' are
standard practice for press
kit photographs.
21. When
a photograph is sent with a
Demo package, it is important
to include contact information
either on the front or back
of the photo.
22. MySpace.com
and other social networking
sites are a waste of time for
bands/artists these days.
23.
It doesn't matter who takes
the photographs for your demo
kits. Any person with a digital
camera can do the job professionally
these days.
24. The
first sentence of a cover letter
should introduce yourself, and
the reason for the cover letter.
25. "Just
because you CAN record, doesn't
mean you should".
26. A
controlled composition clause
is a clause in a recording contract
that deals with the fact that
only 75% of mechanical royalties
due to a songwriter and publisher
of the songs contained on a
recording will be paid by a
record label.
27. A
bio differs from a fact sheet
in that the bio can elaborate
on a certain fact or anecdotes
about the artist, but a fact
sheet must simply list those
facts or anecdotes.
28. In
writing a fact sheet, all the
key information from the Bio
should be in it.
29. To
have 'ears' in the music business
means you are the type of person
who hears and spreads a lot
of rumors.
30. When
hiring a music business professional
to shop for a deal, the issue
of whether or not a payment
up-front is due, is a negotiable
point.
31.
These days it doesn't matter
if a person can spell or write
a coherent sentence, because
in the music business all that
matters is the music.
32. In
a bidding war, it often happens
that the labels bidding for
the services of a certain act
want the act solely because
other labels are interested
in them.
33. Sending
unsolicited demos to the major
labels is an ineffective method
of shopping for a record deal.
34. Using
quotes from music industry professionals
in a bio can be less powerful
than describing the music on
your own.
35. A
good Bio, like a good song,
should always have a hook, or
a specific angle to it.
36. The
best way to get attention to
your music in the beginning
of your career is to give-a-way
a few songs on your website
so that people can hear your
music as mp3 files.
37. Today
there are fewer new releases
coming out each week than anytime
in history.
38. 'Deal
Memos' from record labels are
not legally binding as a recording
contract.
39. The
advances given to an artist
in a recording contract are
exactly like the loans given
by a bank, and must be paid
back, with interest, by the
artist.
40. Getting
your music on TV shows, into
video games, and other licensing
deals can be much more effective
these days than shopping around
for a traditional record contract.
41. The
subject matter of each paragraph
in a bio is written in the following
order:
- History
and band formation info
- Comments
from fans
- Current
summary of activity-what
you are doing now
- Additional
Data and Elaboration, and
- Summary/Closing.
42. It
is easier today than any time
in music history to get a distributor
for your music.
43. An
A&R reps responsibilities
at an indie label are exactly
the same as an A&R job at
a major label.
44. For
new and/or aspiring acts, getting
airplay on commercial radio
is the better way to go, compared
to getting airplay on Internet
stations, or non-commercial
college and public radio stations.
45. If
an artist has not filed for
registration of their copyrighted
songs, it is the job of the
A&R Rep to take care of
that job.
46. Most
Major Labels know what they
are looking for when they audition
new talent.
47. Leaving
out contact information on demo
recordings and CD labels is
a leading reason why many demos
get thrown away in the trash.
48. When
a recording contract is being
negotiated, the only people
directly involved with the legal
negotiations are the label's
attorney and the act's attorney.
49. Putting
a short video of one of your
songs on www.youtube.com is
a waste of times these days.
50. Which
of the following is not the
duty of an A&R Rep at a
major label?
a.
discover talent
b. book
tours for the act
c.
participate in marketing
d.
be a liaison at the label
for the act
51. Which
of the following is not a reason
why demos get rejected?
a.
the music sucks
b. lack
of musicianship
c. poorly
recorded songs
d.
lack of originality
e.
none of the above
52. Which
of the following are not 'gatekeepers'
in the music business?
a.
fans
b. PDs and MDs at
radio stations
c. Buyers
at Distributors
d. Writers
for blogs, magazines and
newspapers
53. In
a bio, concentrating on how
good the music is, is the most
effective thing to say.
54. When
designing a fact sheet, one
of the most important sections
to include is 'Musical Genre
or Style'.
55. What
type of information should not
be included in a bio?
56. The
3rd and 4th paragraph of a bio
should concentrate on the current
activities of the artist.
57. The
'purpose' of a cover letter
is most effectively stated in
the first sentence.
58. Which
of the following is not a good
tip for writing a cover letter?
a.
Tell the reader what you
want
b. addressing an
unknown contact by first
name
c. keep the writing
style natural, positive,
and personal
d. reminding
person of previous contact
or reference
59. In
a quote sheet, which of the
following sources for quotes
should be kept to a minimum?
60. Small
press or internet posted reviews
should never be included in
press clippings.
61. It
is more effective to select
________ of the best press clippings:
62. The
best way to assemble demo kit
materials is:
63. When
in doubt what to send in a demo
kit:
a.
put everything in
b.
presume what their profession
needs
c.
ask the intended recipient
what they want
d. none
of the above
64. A
Major label will have a lot
of people working on a lot of
releases at any given time.
65. Today,
when giving contact info, providing
the media with email info is
essential.
66. A
quote sheet is the same thing
as a press clipping.
67. A
song is considered published
when copies of the song have
been distributed to the public
by sale or by other transfer
of ownership, and/or by rental,
lease, or lending.
68. Legal
proof of copyright ownership
is accomplished by registering
songs with the copyright office
in Washington DC.
69. Mechanical
rights and Performance rights
are different names for the
same source of income for songwriters
and publishers.
70. A
song that is used on a soundtrack
for a film or TV show is called
a synchronization.
71. Artist
and bands who establish their
own careers, and demonstrate
a strong fan following are more
likely to be attractive to record
labels in this day and age.
72. You
'trademark' songs and you file
for copyright registration for
your performance name.
73. A
'hook' is that part of a song
that is most memorable.
74. If
you have 'investors' willing
to give you money to record
and market your music, you do
not need to have a written contract
with them.
75. The
business department at a record
label monitors the funds allocated
for the recording budget of
an artist or band.
76. A&R
departments at major labels
do not contact any other departments
at the label because doing so
could cause a lot of problems
for the rep and the artist.
77. One
of the main reasons why so many
artists/bands fail is they believe
their music is so good that
someone will come along and
discover them and make them
a star.
78. Which
of the following is not important
to remember when taking band
photographs?
a.
background objects that
distract attention from
the people in the band
b.
clarity and brightness issues
c.
using a professional photographer
d.
artist or band's image
e.
none of the above is not
important
79.
Photographers do not have
the rights to the photos they
take.
80. The
best way to find a competent
photographer is to look in the
yellow pages.
81. Which
of the following is not one
of the 'myths' that new artists
believe:
a.
people in position of power
are never wrong
b. putting
out your own record and
building your own career
is a good idea
c. a record
deal means success
d.
the best way to make contacts
is to party with the stars
e.
record labels know what
they are looking for
82. The
world of the A&R rep is
very structured, and every rep
is trained and disciplined to
evaluate, search, and discover
talent in the same exact way.
83. Booking
agents and Artist Managers are
easy to get for new bands or
artists.
84.
It costs more money to promote
and market a recording than
it does to record it.
85. Most
attorneys charge their fees
on an hourly basis.
86. As
an artist career develops, a
business manager is brought
on board to handle the money.
87. For
new acts, which of the following
are rarely negotiated when a
recording contract is offered:
a.
ownership of the masters
b.
recoupment issues
c.
term of contract
d. exclusivity
issue
e. recording budgets
88. Traditional
record stores are doing better
than ever in this era of downloadable
music.
89. There
are no governmental regulations
or statutes that affect music
industry contracts.
90. 'Band
Agreements' or 'Partnership
Agreements' are essential for
any band to have if they are
serious about making it in the
music industry.
91. Barcodes
are not necessary when releasing
your own CD.
92.
A music publishing company
is another name for a record
company.
93. ASCAP
and BMI are known as Performance
Rights Organizations.
94. If
you have a MySpace page, you
don't need to bother having
your own website.
95. "Artist
Development" is a term
that means the same as 'Product
Development'.
96. Independent
Labels are more likely to offer
some kind of " profit split"
deals these days.
97. SoundExchange
is the first organization to
represent labels and artists
in negotiating fair licensing
deals in the new digital age.
98. Program
Directors at radio stations
do the same job as a Music Director
at a station might do.
99. Today,
music oriented radio stations
receive between 700-800 new
recordings a week that they
have to listen to and decide
whether to play any of them
or not.
100.
Today, most artists believe
that that the art of recording
music can be separated from
the business of doing music.
NOTE:
If you want the answers to this
test, EMAIL: Chris@Knab.com
The
book 'Music Is Your Business'
is available as a printed book
or a PDF book at the website
of Christopher Knab and FourFront
Media and Music's bookstore:
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/musiciyb.htm
If
you didn't get at least 90%
of these questions right...you
need this book!
Christopher
Knab is available for personal
consultations on how to establish
your music career. You can reach
him by email at: Chris@Knab.com for
more information on his services.
-----
Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He
is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached at 206-282-6116
or by email at: Chris@Knab.com
Chris Knab's book, 'Music Is Your Business'
is available from the Music Biz Academy bookstore.
Visit the FourFront Media and
Music website for more information on the business of music from
Christopher Knab.
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