The main reason is that I am fed up with companies offering "managing services" or "label services". It's not right. They are basically conning artists and bands out of hard earned money and deliver nothing tangible at the end of it.
These "services" businesses have cropped up heavily in recent years where people have noticed there is a HUGE gap in the market between unsigned acts and signed acts.
In years gone by you would approach or be approached by a manager/label and they would believe in you and your music so much that they would back you 100% and take you on their roster and pay up front for all costs and would then recoup their expenses by taking a % of sales that they have helped grow. This is how all management should be.
I have lost count of how many bands I know that have fallen hook line and sinker for these companies and it's nothing less than a disgrace.
I'll give you one rare example with a very well known (in the UK) management service:
A band that I had interest working with contacted me after they had been to see this firm, they had been for a meeting and had left ecstatic with the hopes of finally making it. One of the band members (experienced guy who has been on the scene a while) was a bit weary of the deal so he contacted me to see what the industry standard was for the kind of deal they offered.
Here's what shocked me:
- The firm thought the bands music was SO great they 'cleared their entire schedule', 'put a few big projects on hold' and wanted them to come down the next week and record in their in-house London studio...... at £1000 per day for 6 days.
- They told the band "don't worry about booking gigs... we'll do all that for you in amazing places!".. when pressed about where the gigs would be they said they would be in London pubs that literally anyone can get a gig at by filling a form on the websites or just calling up.
- When the band asked when would they start gigging in London they responded with "Well, we've got another band we're booking shows for at the moment so we won't be able to start booking your gigs for another 6 months RED FLAG So.... the band is so good you want them to come down and record (for £6,000 / $10,000) but you can't start booking these guys shows for 6 months?! What?!
- They wanted to do a "6 month test contract" with no official contract just a "handshake" RED FLAG. Ohhhhhh, so you want to do a test contract which actually isn't a contract, sealed with just a handshake, where the band gives you £6,000/$10,000 and it ends just before you start booking the gigs and doing all the work? Riiiiight!
- After booking the gigs the firm wanted a 50/50 deal. Which is more than double the industry standard.
These firms are basically scum and you should avoid them like the plague.
Sure sometimes they can get you decent gigs, BUT, at the end of it you have nothing tangible.
All of the bands I've worked with who have once been a part of these firms ALL say it was the worst part of their musical careers and cost them thousands which could have been better spent in other places.
The most important fact to remember about these services is that YOU can do anything and everything these firms can by yourself! Yes it will be harder but you'll save thousands and you'll progress faster!
If you have any questions or comments on this I'd love to hear your stories/thoughts! Comment below or feel free to email me at getnoticedandsigned@gmail.com
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