How to get through the gates?
As a young musician, I always heard that you had to get your music “solicited” to the major labels.
I never really understood what “solicited” meant, until I worked on the inside. Here’s how it actually looks:
Every day, tons of music is sent to the labels from total strangers. It’s just too much to deal with, so it’s all ignored. All of it.
These companies don’t exist to find new music. Their job is to profit from their existing artists. That’s a huge job, in itself.
When the manager or lawyer or producer of one of their artists comes in for a meeting, he’ll say, “I’m working with this new artist that you need to hear before we head out for lunch.” Then the executive will sit and give it a real listen.
And that’s how you get heard. That’s what “solicited” means.
When you send your music unsolicited to some company, you won’t get a real listen. Their lack of response says, “Sorry. You don’t get it. That’s not the way in.”
Do your research to find those managers, lawyers, agents, and producers that are already in.
Same thing goes for approaching any too-public target, whether it’s a celebrity, or major media outlet, or whatever. Getting “solicited” through an existing contact is the best way to get through the gates.
You have to see it from their point of view. Understand what it’s like to be overwhelmed with new music. All they can handle is the stuff that’s been pre-approved by their trusted contacts.
This is such a great post, I'm surprised there are not comments. Perhaps this just went over their heads? Well said, Derek.
Well Marty, maybe there are no comments because emotions are canceling out.
Yes it exciting to have new knowledge, (Thank you Derek) but it's also a bleak realization that executives, (and corporations) whom people look up to, (restaurants sell the executive sandwich, hotels sell executive service) are in fact unable to be effective, can't cut the mustard, can't do their job of looking at new music.
Of course, life experience teaches us not to look up to any person or occupation, not even Mother Teresa's or (insert occupation and rank of choice) In real life, as Derek points out elsewhere, you have to be persistent.
Writers tell me that the "big five" publishers no longer have slush piles. That's bleak. And as Derek wrote elsewhere, that can discourage you or motivate you.
I respect people, Derek for example, but I merely don't look up too much.
Echoing sentiment here, this is broadly applicable beyond music. That said, it isn't all bleak. This is human nature. It's something we all do inherently.. information from those we know, friends and family, is valued above that from complete strangers. ('Those we know' could also include a reputable brand, etc.) It's the concept behind "social media marketing". And it is fundamental in how we make sense of the world. On one side the trick is actively seeking out the new to not become siloed, and on the other it is finding the overlaps between your silo and target silo(s).
Do you have other articles on what doing your research to find managers/lawyers/agents/producers entails? I'd imagine they don't listen to unsolicited clients either? Where would someone start to find an insider willing to give their music a shot.
This is GOLDEN! Something I learned recently: "Cold emails truly do not work. But there is a way to make any email, even to a complete stranger, warm."
4/4 articles copied by hand.
I'm loving this experiment.
And I'm just getting started.
Thank you Derek!