Roles & Contracts

Introduction
Throughout this blog post i will be exploring in depth a record company.

I will study in depth an A&R and publishing within a record company.

An A&R is just a small part of a vast industry, they may be their opinion can have massive effects on millions of lives (depending on how well they perform their job) as they are the ones who determine who record companies sign.  

An Artist manager is vital for the music industry as they voice the opinion of the artist and to the record company and others, They will be making decisions such as ; Which producers the artists work with, where and when they do album signings etc.
A&R
Salary/hours/working environment
The field of an A&R is split up from beginners and professionals so there is no fixed rate of salary, it all  depends on your experience and track record you can earn from 17,550 to £113,750, this is the average pay for a A&R. It is said that a well known, highly rated A&R could demand a massive six figure salary with performance bonuses etc.

An A&R will work long hours as they have to build up a portfolio of successful artists and compete with others that will be looking for the hidden talent also, so they have to be up to date with everything all the time. But with the advance of the internet this has become alot easier as A&R's can follow an artist and keep up to date with all the things they are doing.

An A&R's will start off flicking through the internet looking for gigs and festivals that they can attend to scout new acts and get them to sign with their specific label. Then maybe once they pick up and start getting noticed as 'that person' to go to they will start receiving emails from artists desperate to get signed or get noticed. So basically there is no specific working environment for an A&R as they work all over and travel quite alot looking for talent in unknown places.

Duties
An A&R's main role will be to scout new unknown talent that can be successful in the music industry and make the record company a ton of money. They will also be in charge of that artist until they release an album and if they don't make the numbers, predicted the A&R will lose their job, so once an A&R recommends an artist it is them putting their job on the line so it is a very risky job and unstable

For artists that don't write or produce their own music an A&R will also make sure that the artist is working with the right producer and right song writers so that they produce the right sound that will sell well.

An A&R will also have to build up a hefty contact list as they will tend to depend on these people to suggest new talent rather than demos and emails so the bigger the contact list the more people they'll hear about and potentially more money.

An A&R will also select the single that will be used for promotion of the artist, so this will determine the fan base that the artists develops e.g. if an A&R was to suggest a slow r&b song to be released as a single instead of a fast paced song the artist will be known for slow songs and may need to continue to go down this production path to maintain their image. But nowadays its easy to release a song in a different genre even though the artist isn't known for that genre so this decision is not as hard to pick.

Skills/Education needed

There is no minimum educational merit needed but it tends to help e.g. if a A&R was to have some qualification that would help within the music industry such as journalism then they are more likely to get a job above someone that has no qualification.

There are many skills that can enhance the quality at which an A&R will do their job and how much they will be paid and so forth.

Communication - Communication is basically an essential skill needed for an A&R as they must be able to communicate with artists at a personal level and still remain professional to get them to declare work with a record company. Also they must be able to talk to producers, song writers and have numerous connections within the industry.

Up-to-date with technology - As the internet develops it is key that anyone applying for an A&R role knows their stuff as they will need to follow artists that way, as music sharing is now done online more than demos as it is cheaper and quicker to produce. They must also be able to adapt and learn as the internet has new trends every other month so they must be on top of the technology.

Passion - Most of the work an A&R does will probably be done at home rather than at an office so passion is a must. Because without passion you wont build up a good portfolio of artists as you wont put in the work to find those hidden gems that will shine. Also if you are passionate about what you are doing it will be evident to the record company and artist making them more likely to want to work with you.

Contract

There isn't necessarily a fixed contract as there is many variations to what can be offered e.g. if you are just starting out chances are you'll probably work for no payment just experience. But as you gain experience a fixed contract may be introduced as the record will want to keep hold of you. The better you do the more money you'll receive. You're payment will come after signing a new talent or you'll be paid in advance to scout several people. The first contract will be flexible if you want to get out of it as they wont make it a massive one but again that all depends on your track record. If you're having second thoughts you should sign a short-term contract with some options to extend it once it's over. The contract for an A&R doesn't guarantee anything as it is such a fast paced environment and everything is becoming digital so its harder to sell physical copies of records so not many A&R jobs are available.

Pros/Cons etc

• If you are passionate about what you are doing then you should have no problem with this job in fact you will love it as you’ll be doing you enjoy.  As you’ll put time and effort into what you are doing e.g.  You’ll work from home and search out new talent rather than leaving everything to do in the office.

• Another pro is that you’ll meet new people and build up a contact of people in the music industry and you may be able to influence the music trend and have a massive impact on what people listen to. 

• Although there are many pros there are also many cons.  One is that there is so much competition out there it may be hard to find what you’re looking for and that may result in you losing your job because record companies will want someone who is active all the time and up to date with everything

• Another con is that the contract may be flawed and you may not notice that and therefore be stuck in a long term contract in which you may not like the company or maybe you feel they are paying you too little.

• Also with the coming of the Internet typical A&R jobs are being harder to keep because audiences worldwide can now skip the middle man and become their own A&R.  This is becoming a worrying factor in the music industry as more and more record companies can now get direct opinions from the audience without having to have an A&R present.  They can now go onto youtube and check what is trending this has helped with the progression of music but has cost many people their jobs.

Publisher
Salary/hours/working environment
There is no fixed salary as it really depends on how successful the artist is and what you will be doing for them. For example some smaller bands/artists have one person that does multiple jobs as a way to make everything cheaper. But still the salary depends on success and the relationship between the artist and artist manager, normally the manager would want something between 10-25% of what the artist is making.

As like the salary there is also no fixed hours as you have to respond to the artists needs , this could mean getting a particular type of food for the artist and making sure it is to their taste, you will basically be the artist's personal runner. They could call you up at 5am to ask you to check something for their next gig etc. so the hours are a bit sketchy and it really depends on the clingyness of the artist

There is not just one working environment if anything it is all over as the Artist manager will have to follow the artist around and go to wherever the artist tells them to so it could be done from home, office or on the go.

Duties
An artist manager works to help the artist and to make sure that they get the best for frees and also decisions such as working with specific record producers with songs to release. They also negotiate frees, book venues help with publicity and making sure that the artist maintains their image

Artist managers also help organise media events such as radio interviews, TV interviews, album signings and so forth. they do this because the artist is too busy to do these things so the artist manager will act with the artist's likes and dislikes in mind

They will also need to keep the artist in check to make sure that they are doing what they should be doing and tell them when they have gone to far. If anything being an Artist manager is basically like being their friend and guiding them to more success, money and fame.

Skills/Education needed
there are no minimum education levels required for this job however skills are essential as this job is very stressful and demanding so the artist manager must be very patient so that they don't snap on the artist and lose their job

Communication - The artist manager will be speaking for the artist most of the time and for that reason they must be able to communicate well and get their point across without seeming rude.

People's person - They must be able to make an instant impact and stay in people's mind as this job is mainly about reputation and who you know e.g. Most Artist managers start off by managing their friends so its important to build up a contact list and stay on people's good side.

Passion - Most of the work an Artist Manager does will probably be done at home rather than at an office so passion is a must. Because without passion you wont build up a good portfolio of artists. Also if you are passionate about what you are doing it will be evident to the record company and artist making them more likely to want to work with you.

Contract
There is no fixed contract as the contract is decided between the artist and the artist manager because depending on how well the artist does they may want to give a small percentage or a hefty fee. If you are a well known Artist manager you may have the upper hand as you can talk about experience. you will most likely be paid for a period of time in a lump some i checked several sites and they all gave very different answers. One said that you will be paid for organizing actual events such as album signings or tours, another one stated that you'll be paid in advance for a period of time. Also some websites said that the artist manager doesn't actually sign with a record company they sign more of a agreement between the two so that the artist manager has to work with the artists the record company pick so i'm not sure but i think the artist manager is free to leave a contract whenever they feel. The contract for an artist manager will guarantee a job with an artist and more depending on how well you do your job and hold up your end of the deal.

Pros and cons

• The job is a very demanding one and can drain you especially if you have an artist you don't like very much or they are too demanding. if this is the case then you will have a dreadful time with them and may want to leave.

• Depending on how well your artist does it is a very rewarding job as you can get alot of money from them, aswell as the money you can also build strong relationships with people within the industry and build up a massive list of clients so jobs will always be available

• In this line of work it really depends on who you know and if you don't know anybody to kick start your career you will be stuck in a dead end job for a while and for someone ambitious that may be too much to handle.

• Another pro is that you will be able to go to gigs for your artist and if you like them it especially good and if you don't... well who doesn't like free gigs!

Bibliography
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_7971476_average-salary-ar-rep.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artists_and_repertoire

Areas of the Music Industry

Areas of the Music Industry 

In the music industry there are 4 main areas, Those areas are;

• Record Company
• Artist Management 
• Music Publishing 
• Live Performance 

Record Companies

Record Company - A company that makes and sells musical recordings

Definition from (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=record%20company)

Record Companies sell records. These could be CD’s, Vinyl’s and recently Digital. Often, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks; coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos; conducts talent scouting and development of new artists and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers.

Within a record company there are many deals that they can offer to an artist those are;

• 360 deal
• Major label deal
• Production deal
• Distribution deal

360 deal:

The 360 deal, With this deal, the label gives the artists a advance and takes a certain percentage of everything so that they can make their money back and profit.  

As CD sales are going down and labels will never make their advance back they have created these deals in which they can create a partnership with the artist meaning that they share profits when it comes to touring, merchandising meaning that the label invests in the artist as a brand and tries to sell the product rather than focusing on the sales of physical CD's. There is no percentage of pay as this deal hasn't been around for a long time.

This deal is okay for an artist as they get the big advance and they are bound to make the advance back with the label sharing profits from every sector meaning that the artist makes alot of money as well as the label but this type of deal is still behind the distribution deal

Major Label Deal:

This is the most common deal. The record label pays for everything. Recording, pressing, distribution, promotion, videos. This deal comes with an advance that will be given to the artist to spend however they want, so that when your record is out you can look flashy, like they have made it in the industry but once you accept the advance your record sales must match that advance or you will be in debt with the label and can be taken court. As a debut artist, you will get around 15% of your music sales, and even after you pay back your advance the label still owns the song and you still receive minimal money.

This is the most common deal as the record label will make the most money and at the end of the day that's what they want to do. This is probably the worst deal as they have complete control of what you release and how you do it. 

Production Deal:

Instead of being signed directly to a label, some artists sign to producers that record projects on them.  A major label then gives those producers an agreement to develop artists under their umbrella and turn over complete projects for release. The artist would decide the money cost from the producer. 

A famous example of a Production deal El-P & Killer Mike - Run The Jewels

Distribution Deals: 

Distribution deals with major labels are given to artists who have created a buzz and already have a loyal fan base and will be willing to buy product from this artist. In this deal the record label try everything they can to try feed the music from their client around as much as possible. The artist is responsible for all other costs in this deal. This means that the artist must pay for clothes, video costs, production costs and tour costs.

The distributing label almost never pays an advance and takes 20% of the profit made from record sales

This deal is the best deal for an artist with a big following as they can get most of the profit and can in return make better music as they have more money rather than being in debt.

Overall the record company is not vital to releasing a album it is just like a thing that is there to platform you into the public eye. A deal can help the artist get the attention that is needed to make them successful, but they can get into the public eye without a deal like so many artists are doing now. They are  staying indie and making major money without having to give some to labels and in return make better music 

Artist management

Artist managers fulfill different roles for different artists. Some managers have a list of clients as this is a way of maintaining a better income but it also means that the manager will be working 24/7. A small artist may find their manager or the manager may find them. The roles of the manager depend on the success of the artist if the artist is small then the manager is probably going to be the artist's personal assistant and also tour manager, promoter etc. The manager takes on the role of a mother really as they are there to make sure the artist has everything they need and to make sure they are happy with the production, hotel stay, tour dates etc. As the artist develops the managers roles may grow or get less as the artist may hire different people for specific jobs.
The artist manager gets 20% of what the artist gets so this is why a manager of small artists would have many so that they can live of a comfortable wage.

The artist manager is needed as it makes the artist more professional and then the artist will be taken seriously for interviews, giving demos out and bookings for shows etc. If you have a good artist manager then you will be able to market yourself in a way that will make you successful so i would have to say that having a artist manager is more important than having a record deal.

Music Publishing
A music publisher is in charge of royalties for an artist and makes sure that when music is played commercially that the artist receives funds for it. A Music publisher also makes sure that the artist gets air time and is played as much as possible. This way the market for the artist can expand and therefore the record label will get more money as they will have appealed to more people by expanding their target audience. The money is normally split 70/30 with 30% going to the publisher.

Having a music publisher is vital if you want to make money of songs that are being played on the radio otherwise its just like a free promotion. Having a music publisher can help maintain a healthy wage if you are getting enough air time also if your music is copyrighted to a publishing company someone may stumble along it and use it for a big production and then you'll make more money

Live Performance
Live performances are what make an artist and help gain exposure and without this its hard to sell any records i think this is the most important aspect of the music industry as long with of course the main production of a CD. A Live performance can help give an artist the attention they need to sell their merchandise if you perform live and it is successful chances are you will sell alot more product because of that one gig. Live performances like festivals are also a good way of gaining new following as new people will be exposed to your music.
Touring is a way for artists to either gain exposure or to perform several songs from a recent project e.g. Album, mixtape. You'd only tour if you had the material avaliable and were able to perform songs.

Doing Live Performances are what make an artists gain exposure as people will spread. If you have a good live performance you can gain fans and at the same time get money for the show to invest in new projects, Also having a good live performance is vital to having a successful career as this is why most artists make their money along with merchandise.


Bibliography
http://www.indiehiphop.net/4-types-of-record-deals/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_publisher_(popular_music)#The_music_publisher.27s_role
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talent_manager