The Music Business is a gamble

Once again the bottom line is money. Business ventures are designed to make money plain and simple. A&R’s must look for new ways to make money in the music business all the time in order to keep their careers alive. There are producers and music supervisors who are searching for the perfect song for the perfect scene to make a looming production deadline. If your music is good chances are there is an A&R Representative looking for it right now. If you have a quality product that people want to buy - then you might be on to something. Advertising and putting it out there to the consumer is where the money making potential exists. Getting your “small scale” operation noticed by the right people in the industry is the key. These people have the power and resources to make it all available on a much “larger scale”. This is where the greatest money making potential exists. But like most start up businesses it is a huge risk. The music business is a risky business venture, it is an investment of all your hard work and money, and there are no guarantees you will ever get a return.  We already know that getting noticed usually is a by-product of doing all the right things. So what are those things? Andy Karp also said “if you got the right stuff, it’s only a matter of time before we hear about you.” It’s also safe to say that if you haven’t been contacted by an A&R after several years, perhaps you’re doing something wrong. It can be said that only 1 out every 100 new band achieve financial success. Before we go any further let's quickly examine a few realities. The negative reality - this business can at times seem overly saturated with music - mainly because it is. The positive reality - Anyone can form a band, but not everyone can release a high quality CD or production. Not everyone has marketability, good songs, business savvy, and even the ability to develop a good relationship. True, luck is a factor, and networking is the key to anything you do professionally – but look at the positives: persistence and hard work are also important. If your band has a good marketable sound, image, and production chances are you are belong in the upper 10% of unsigned bands out there. If you are a writer whose music is currently being considered for film and TV licensing you too have a powerful exposure medium. 

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