Exposing Yourself to the Music Industry
There are more independent bands performing in the US now than ever before. That might be good news for most of the music industry, unless your an independent artist or band trying to stand out.
Clubs that used to get 100 or so promo packs a month are now getting that many each week. The average club has between 200 – 400 spots to book each year, and most of those go to proven bands who have already played the club. “I probably only book two to four new bands each month,” said Josh Mustain, a west coast talent buyer. So how do you make your band stand out to the people you want to work with? Read on grasshopper. |
The US has roughly the same number of live music clubs as it did ten years ago, but the increase of new bands has made getting a club gig all that more difficult. “I am really picky when it comes to new bands” said Mustain. “I get so many press-kits I don’t even open them when they arrive cause there are so many. Usually I wait till the band follows up before I dig out their package. The postmark lets me know how on the ball they are in following up and that’s usually pretty telling of how professional they are.”
The same situation applies to virtually every door facing independent artists. Its no longer sufficient to simply have some good songs – that’s obviously important but artists today have to have the total package. Material, website, press-kit, and communication all have to be spot on. Even then, its still a gamble weather or not you’ll get the gig.
In 2005 the Independent Artist Registry was created to find the nation’s top independent artists, then refer them to thousands of promoters, A&R reps and talent buyers like Mustain. The IAR evaluates thousands of up and coming artists and bands from all genres - provided they meet the IAR’s minimum requirements: performing a minimum of 30 shows a year, performing outside the band’s home market, having a CD of original material, etc.
While each artist who’s material is reviewed receives a written critique of their material, only the very best artists are offered a membership. Last year, the IAR evaluated thousands of artists but only selected 52 for membership.
“As we have become more established, the industry has really started to look at a membership in the IAR as a stamp of approval,” said Josh Wendell Director of the IAR. “They know we aren’t sending them artists who aren’t developed or ready simply because the artist paid us.”
“Being entirely artist driven, I know the demos I get from the IAR are from serious performers with talent,” said Atlantic Records A&R rep Steve Robertson. “Finding those bands is my top priority and it’s not easy.”
So what have the IAR’s latest members been up to since they were granted membership?
PH10, an electronica hip hop hybrid from Colorado saw their song 4PM & Find Strength licensed to DerDer. Reef soundtracks licensed Intro & Helmut Theme for “Planet Reef”. They will also be featured in Performing Songwriter and Music Connection magazine.
Austin Texas’s alternative pop band 3 Kisses had a huge summer highlighted by a performance at the Rock Solid Pressure Music Industry Showcase in Florida. The show’s promoters told 3 Kisses that their performance generated heavy label interest.
Little Mojo, a pop rock band from Iowa is heading back to New York City to record their new record - working with producer Chris Hower (Radford, Baja Men) who also produced their first label release in 2004. Plans are for a mid to late 2007 release nationwide on ADA Distribution.
The Jazzwholes, an alternative rock funk combo from Omaha tore the roof of their showcase at the Dfest music conference, playing in front of an animated standing room only crowd that included a industry pros from Warner Brothers, Universal, Epic, Doghouse, Clickpop, & spinART records.
She’s Your Sister, a rock band from LA saw their CD In Between shoot up the billboard top 200 and was the most added act for several weeks. They also had a stellar summer, performing at premier venues like the Viper room for the first time.
The IAR is structured to reward artists who follow through and weed out artists who don’t. “Since we endorse artists for the year, we’re putting our reputation on the line,” Wendell said. “The IAR helps open doors for the artist, but once it opens, it’s up to the artists to take advantage of that opportunity.”
You can check out the IAR member pages on the IAR website www.independentartistregistry.com
If you want some more information, I found a podcast where you can listen to the creator of the IAR discuss the IAR and how it helps its member artists. Use this link to listen (Note you’ll have to wait a minute or two while the page loads, but don’t worry, no login or software is required)
The deadline to apply for the next IAR class is Friday Oct 31st. |
