It's a fact of life that things change; and sometimes they can change very quickly. This is especially true for the music industry. Nevertheless, I've compiled a list of some of the things that a record label could do for an artist - but bear in mind that my list may not necessarily apply to all labels.
Here are some record labels can do for an artist:
- Provide a recording budget for the studio and producer fees
- Provide a budget for music videos, video promotion
- Use their status to connect the artist with a producer in the industry that has a track record
- Connect the artist to a proper promotional team who will get media placements for the artist. Publicists, Radio promo, etc.
- Finance the actual replication of physical product. Vinyl, etc
- Use their existing distribution network to get the artist’s product everywhere
- In a perfect world, help develop the artist to appeal to a larger audience
- Larger labels these days will help tie in their artists to corporate sponsorships. Corporate partnerships for major label acts are the norm these days
It can be argued that an artist does not need a record label these days. This is true to a point. While an artist can develop their own content and fan base, record labels can expose that artist to a larger audience in a short amount of time. Sometimes labels don't do all of these things, or any of these things. At times they only provide the distribution. Some labels only work with self contained-ready-to-go acts, while others will put time into the development of the artist.
Blog by Collette Mclafferty (Recording Artist who has performed globally on stage, film and TV)