What Is Artist Development?
Posted: 21/01/19 Category: Business
Back in days gone by there used to be a common type of deal that Record Labels would offer artists, this was known as a '360' deal. The label would provide funds and a commitment to recording, performance and publishing for an artist, sometimes this would tie an artist down and also allow the Record Label to take a large percentage of the artist's revenue. This has since drastically changed as the world of streaming becomes ever more popular and growing along with the technology available to us.
Modern Day Artist Development
Although the 360 deal still exists, the whole infrastructure has changed. Record Labels no longer pay for Artist Development, instead the majority is paid for by the artist. Record Labels will expect artists to have a vision of what they would like to achieve, are ideally already out gigging and have accumulated a large and loyal fan base.
Seems unfair? It actually isn’t. While the artist is paying for their development (which is an investment to themselves), there are costs involved for recording, producing, mixing and mastering of the tracks, and don’t forget the promotion and marketing the label would be assisting with. The artist and label work together and in essence carry the same financial (time included) risk.
What Next?
Being an artist is no means a small task, it requires determination and focus like an entrepreneur. You balance everything work, life and social media, on top of writing and networking to continue your development process.
Good luck!
