You’ve worked hard and gotten yourself involved with a killer band and album – you’ve poured blood, sweat, tears and a small fortune into making it look and sound great. Or maybe you’ve found some success and are looking to take your career to the next level. Now what? Your options:
Easier said than done, especially in the industry’s current climate. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible – it’s also still the “best” way, in that labels are a one stop shop; they can promote artists to venues, utilize an internal digital marketing team, etc. – they have an established network and resources at the ready. Naturally, they don’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts, so if you want to keep more money (or getting a record deal tomorrow isn’t an option), move on down.
The upside – you’re keeping more of your team’s money and are in direct control of the music’s trajectory. There’s nobody standing over your shoulder telling you how to act or which song you should push next. The downside – it’s incredibly time consuming. The learning curve can be daunting as well, and digital marketing is complicated – you’re going to need to Google a lot of things and read up – but it is doable. If for some reason this isn’t feasible, let’s move on to option C.
If you need a tooth pulled, you wouldn’t do it yourself – you’d hire a professional (hopefully a very good one). Same goes with music marketing. While doing it yourself is possible (though, like pulling a tooth, hardly painless) things tend to go smoother with someone who knows what they’re doing at the helm. This is something that will cost you money – a resource many music professionals have in a finite supply – but it can be well worth the time and headaches (or toothaches) it saves you.
With that in mind, not all Music Marketing agencies are created equal – I often hear stories about teams and/or artists getting ripped off or under-represented. Here’s just a few questions to ask when searching for one.
This is an important question, and the “right” answer is going to be different for everybody. Do you want a small firm with only a couple of clients and a personal touch or a high-powered firm with lots of clout but the potential for you to get lost in the shuffle? It may also give you an idea of whether they work exclusively with people they truly believe in or will take anyone who can pay them. The difference will reveal itself in the culture of the company and ultimately affect their attitude with clients. It all depends on what you want out of your experience.
It’s all well and good for someone to say they’ve helped clients market a video that went viral – not so good if it hasn’t happened since 1999. Ask what work they’ve done in the last six months – better yet, ask to see it yourself. This shouldn’t be a huge deal, and if it i, consider that a red flag. Google is your friend.
Another great way to get a feel for an agency is to ask straight up “If you were working with this artist today, what would you do with them?” They should have a ready answer – and hopefully one that fits with your vision. Be cautious of anyone who tries to avoid the question and just name drop bigger clients. They should be able to give something concrete (e.g “We’re going to start with a complete branding update so all of your marketing mediums sync up with each other, and then we'll draft and initiate a year-long marketing campaign…”). If they can’t pass this test, either they don’t know what to do with you or they aren’t tuned in to what you’re doing. Either way, you want someone who can represent you properly.
Find out who they’ve worked with – hopefully somewhat recently – who are on your level and perhaps have a similar sound. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. If the firm has had great success with metal bands but you’d be the only synth-pop act on their roster, they may have a difficult time marketing you. If they’ve had success, you can judge for yourself how good of a job they’ve done.
This is a pretty important question – there are lots of people in this business who will promise you the moon and never deliver. Most agents will happily send a report (or even tell you verbally) what work they’re doing (web dev timelines, marketing campaign updates, etc.) – if they’re doing their job properly. They likely have a system in place to send reports, whether it’s quarterly, monthly, etc. If they don’t – or seem evasive about this – use caution. They could easily be taking your money for doing no work at all.
These are just a few tips to help you navigate the world of Music Marketing. Don’t forget to do your own research and find out what your colleagues have to say about different firms. Bottom line, though, is to trust your instincts – if it feels fishy, keep looking.
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