I need help

Started by Somasu, Jun 30, 2017, in Creative Add to Reading List

  1. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jun 30, 2017
    I'm signed oi a "label" but I am starting to get some real concerns about this.

    When I signed I was told I had to pay £2000+ to record an EP before they can help me with promotion. I essentially signed a "artist development" deal. I started saving up and then finally recorded the EP.

    Before I signed they told me that gigging is involved and everything. And they said they had a lot of faith in my potential etc. We had a plan and schedule to release a single by the end of June 2017 but everything has been f----- up. They now told me my single won't be release until September! Even though we agreed on how things should go back in March.

    Since recording this EP - they haven't called me for any face-to-face meetings, they haven't been involved with helping to spread my name across, I haven't even been mentioned in this twitter, facebook, website etc.

    They haven't even bothered to help me find shows - the LEAST they could do no matter how small - instead they are asking me to do it myself. There's literally been ZERO involvement. Is this normal?
     
    #1
    0 0
    Mar 28, 2024
  2. Ordinary Joel
    Posts: 28,743
    Likes: 70,629
    Joined: Mar 23, 2015
    Location: South Australia

    Ordinary Joel Found a new way to flow

    Jun 30, 2017
    @CreativeSXN the boy needs help.
     
    #2
    2
    K18 El Duderino and Charlton01 like this.
    2
    K18 El Duderino and Charlton01 like this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  3. Lucy
    Posts: 28,738
    Likes: 62,054
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014

    Lucy #1

    Jun 30, 2017
    this "deal" was it a paper contract, or verbal? if it was a signed document, please post a pic of the dpcument here.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  4. Charlton01
    Posts: 145
    Likes: 194
    Joined: Aug 10, 2015

    Jun 30, 2017
    yeah what did you sign for if anything? also did you already pay em that 2k?
     
    #4
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  5. Boos
    Posts: 11,372
    Likes: 19,059
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011

    Boos Nova Nation

    Jun 30, 2017
    Imagine signing a deal in 2017, let alone a deal with some no name people
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  6. Translucent
    Posts: 2,547
    Likes: 2,873
    Joined: Mar 15, 2015

    Translucent Loose Cannon

    Jul 1, 2017
    Sounds like you got ripped off
     
    #6
    6
    Legitimate, YaBoyTr, lasiiik and 3 others like this.
    6
    Legitimate, YaBoyTr, lasiiik and 3 others like this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  7. Ricky
    Posts: 39,430
    Likes: 101,608
    Joined: Jul 15, 2015

    Ricky Hip-Hop CEO ™

    Jul 1, 2017
     
    #7
    2
    Translucent and Ordinary Joel like this.
    2
    Translucent and Ordinary Joel like this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  8. Cyreides
    Posts: 16,525
    Likes: 25,474
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    Cyreides gfy

    Jul 1, 2017
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  9. YaBoyTr
    Posts: 2,234
    Likes: 2,653
    Joined: Mar 21, 2011

    Jul 1, 2017
     
    #9
    2
    Translucent and Ordinary Joel like this.
    2
    Translucent and Ordinary Joel like this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  10. LLLMMMMFFFFFAAAAAAOOOOOO
    Posts: 7,986
    Likes: 6,893
    Joined: Jun 13, 2016

    LLLMMMMFFFFFAAAAAAOOOOOO humans are just recycled star dust

    Jul 1, 2017
    Imagine signing to suits in 2017
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  11. LLLMMMMFFFFFAAAAAAOOOOOO
    Posts: 7,986
    Likes: 6,893
    Joined: Jun 13, 2016

    LLLMMMMFFFFFAAAAAAOOOOOO humans are just recycled star dust

    Jul 1, 2017
    Whatchu gonna do next? Release your music for sale? :lmaooo:
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  12. 1999
    Posts: 16,157
    Likes: 33,318
    Joined: Dec 15, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    U got finessed
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  13. K9l
    Posts: 2,063
    Likes: 3,632
    Joined: Dec 14, 2015

    K9l Colder than a polar bear's toenails

    Jul 1, 2017
    Why would u not research this label before they do u like this
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  14. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    Yeah it has paper. Here's the abrdiged version of the contract:


    Our label services and publishing administration are initial platforms where we can develop our management clients' careers.

    We don't sign bands to our label/publishing. We look for third party deals. This proposal outlines what we should do and why so that our actions support your stated aim: to one day make a living from your music and to have recording and publishing deals in place. It's about artist development: developing your musical and visual output, profile and presence and live work to a level where a grassroots buzz starts to happen. This is our focus. The point is not mass exposure, big gigs or sales. They will come as a consequence of artist development having got you the necessary deals.


    Short Term Goals With systematic and sustained work over the next year, you will make the transition from being one of many hopefuls to being a contender in the radar of tastemakers and decision makers. We should be talking to proper third party labels and publishers about deals by this time next year. If third parties aren't interested, we have to accept that not everyone breaks quickly. We just have to keep the faith and soldier on. Either way, the long term goal is for your career enough income for you to feed, clothe and shelter yourselves, with us as your producers and managers, with you signed to significant third party recording and publishing deals. Timeline Q1 (the first quarter) March - May, is for developing your material. We will listen to your songs and develop them with you. We want to identify and record three singles. Q2, June - August, is the first release/gigging/marketing cycle during which we launch the first single, along with appropriate marketing, gigging and promotion actions, the purpose of which is to put you and your music in front of as many people as possible as often as possible. Q3, September - November, is the second release/gigging/marketing cycle. Q4, January - March, is the third cycle. This timeline is for guidance, on that assumption we start now. Irrespective of when we start, a similar set of coherent milestones for the year ahead and a systematic way to achieve them are just nuts and bolts. It's the stuff that follows that's harder to do and which dictates the success of this plan.

    Stuff To Work Out Every successful artist ever ticks these boxes: 1) great songs, 2) great recordings of those songs, 3) great live show, 4) great image and 5) great story to tell.


    We make music (producers/studio) and take it to market (label/publishing) using our infrastructure to do everything that needs to be done, while overseeing our artists' careers as their managers. Our management commission is 20% of everything you earn from your music. We offer label services deals, whereby an artist bring us a record, which they own, and we license from them, providing the distribution, marketing and promotion as mutually agreed between the artist and the label. We provide the in house cost of marketing and promoting singles. In a label services deal an artist can either pay up front for the PR/marketing services the label provides, thereby purchasing the PR services from the label, or, the label can advance the money against future sales, recoupable from artist royalties. We can do both. When a band/record is out in the marketplace generating income, we offer publishing administration deals. Publishing income pertains, mainly, to the income a songwriter gets whenever his song is performed publicly, for example, on radio, tv or at a venue. As a publishing company we are also active in pushing music towards tv shows, ads, movies and games. The publisher is responsible for any marketing and promo costs, which are recoupable from artist royalties. We pay to our artists a royalty of 75% of everything that comes in from both licensing and publishing. Our studios / producers charge £450 + VAT per day. We can't pay your recording costs, but we can support you with finance plans (lend you money on long interest free payment periods) to make the recordings affordable to you and, on the other hand, possible for us as a business. Budgeting for what you need to do is a big part of your business plan. Basic Overview Of Money Flow in Music An artist earns money from an audience who buys records, gig tickets, merchandise etc. A label, publishing company, promoter and agency helps an artist connect with their audience. They get a fee and/or a cut for services rendered and, after deducting costs, give the rest to the artist. That's gross revenue out of which an artist deducts expenses, including cost of merch, producer / recording studios, videos, cost of travel to gigs etc. Out of what's left a manager gets management commission. A manager doesn't earn until an artist does.
     
    #14
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  15. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    I did and they have other artists on it and they seemed like they were doing okay. I met them in person and they have a legit history (the owners of the label) being in legit bands. But now I am starting to question everything especially the fact they haven't done very much.
     
    #15
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  16. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    Most of it but not all.
     
    #16
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  17. 1999
    Posts: 16,157
    Likes: 33,318
    Joined: Dec 15, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    What's the name of the label
     
    #17
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  18. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    PM'd
     
    #18
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024
  19. Lucy
    Posts: 28,738
    Likes: 62,054
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014

    Lucy #1

    Jul 1, 2017
    part i underlined is the main issue. this sorta s--- has been going on for years, not just in the music jndustry.

    basically they sell you a dream, talk up everything they can give you/do for you, then when you pay them
    "oh d---, we are terribly sorry but our investors/third party business partner/some other technicality did not like it we can no longer help you"

    not only that, but the fact they state their studio recording prices along with (you must pay this yourself) makes me beleive they are no-namers looking to get paid a wage for their average production/average recording equipment.

    also, you said above you havent paid the full $2k or whatever, technically that would mean you are in breavh of contract for not fulfilling your end. Now you can argue they aren't fulfilling their end of the contract, but the contract itself is worded very open-ended and from a legal stanpoint they are pretty much offering you lessons on the music industry and upcoming artists/how to become an artist, but it doesn't seem to directly state anywhere that they will actually a lot of the things stated, just that they can.

    your best option from here is contact them and see where they are at/what they are planning todo moving forward/ask what they need from you etc. it may not be a scam but it looks a little dodgy to say the least.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  20. Somasu
    Posts: 102
    Likes: 81
    Joined: Oct 13, 2016

    Jul 1, 2017
    I have until September/October to pay the full 2K - I have already paid 80% of it already.

    I think you're right - they seem to care more about money than they do anything else. Their equipment were okay but it wasn't anything amazing.

    I think I'm just pissed because I thought this would be a good idea for me to get connects, small live shows, and promote my music. But they haven't done anything to make me feel like they care about me as an artist.
     
    #20
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 28, 2024