Getting signed

RevTech

Butthole=output transduce
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Aug 19, 2008
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AZ
Anyone want to share stories of when you got signed and such?

Also, I'd like to know more about getting signed, how it exactly works and on. (I might get signed soon)
 
forever known as having the hugest signature picture ever! lol

I was thinking about this lately too, even though i'm not close to being signed at all.

I seen on youtube, chase and status received a room to work on their mixes with all the other producers, and probly money to buy hardware.

probly depends on the label
 
from conversations with a label owner:


literally ask if the producers want to let me have the tunes for the label
register the track with MCPS and get IRSC codes
then send the masters to the distro for mastering

manolimoriaty (01:11:38): so no paperwork between you and the artist, just verbal contract?

no contracts but everyone is my friend, so no need

manolimoriaty (01:14:32): right, so its because of less returns on records sales ?

yea
market has shrank 10 times
back in the day I used to get 500 advance per track
you make 2 tracks a weel
that a grand on advances alone
eps was 1500 advance
its more liek £50 per tune nowadays if your lucky
theres almost nothing to be made
established name still bring in abit of cash most newcomers run at a loss
and forum hype definitely does not reflect sales
 
whats your nick name then?`:D

would love to listen to those old beats. i heard that colab you did with serum years ago, but even that must have been like 2007 or something. lol.

do some fresh beats maaan!
 
whats your nick name then?`:D

would love to listen to those old beats. i heard that colab you did with serum years ago, but even that must have been like 2007 or something. lol.

Not really on topic, but i honestly irk at the disposability of drum and bass. 2007 was barely 3 years ago, and already the tunes are antique. I think it has a lot to do with the DJ driven nature of the scene, because most DJ's try the be the freshest thing on the planet, the newest dubs and all the latest floor stormers. It's not necessarily the tracks that are disposable, but the attitude of ravers and DJ's that makes them so.

Apart from blaming the DJ's, the fault could also be in part in the technological nature of this music. Music tech goes forward in leaps and ever "higher technology" becomes accessible to more and more people, so anything that doesn't take advantage of that tech is instantly labeled old school. Take house-style sidechaining for example. If you'd been told 5 years ago that in 2010 every bedroom producer and their grandma was sidechaining their sub/bass/pad to their kicks, you probably wouldn't have given it much thought.

Just a personal view and not aimed at anyone in particular. Sorry groelle, your comment just got me thinking, and i've given this a bit of thought in recent times. Nothing personal.

There really hasn't been that much development in the scene to warrant 3 years ago as history. The mnml bandwagon thing that's now hip is not exactly new, it was just called "intelligent" dnb before.

Just ranting here, and i'm to blame for this state of affairs just as much as any fan of modern dnb. Who hasn't tried to copy the latest BIG cHO0N!! or just plain start creating a track without any sort of inspiration? Genericity is not creativity.

/rant

edit: and on the topic then:

I think only a few of the big name producers are "signed" to a label exclusively. Most just sign away single/ep releases on labels, and if the quality is consistent, the threshold for getting another release is significantly lower.

For me works quite simply. I send tunes to label AIM addresses until someone responds. If a track is not getting attention, i put it away and start working on another tune.

1 important thing is to have patience with a tune. If you bang out what you think to be the next machete and within 1 hour of completion you've sent it to 100 labels already, you could be sorry later - you might get over-hyped. And if they hear something that is in their mind half-assed, they are less likely to listen to anything you send them later on, even if it is better than your last. Wait at least a couple of weeks after completion, get some feedback on it from reliable sources. "DIRTY" or "nice bass" on a web forum or youtube is not such. Having the opportunity to play a tune to a dancefloor is priceless - getting to hear your track on a big sound system is almost as good, even without the audience. This way you have the most realistic and honest feedback.
 
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Fuck all money in tunage and getting signed, money will come from the gigs. How to get better gigs, tunage ;)

Stuff needs to be conratcted too imo, its ok going for a verbal contract if you know the person, other than that, get a contract sorted

dont want them fucking you over at a later date
 
Stuff needs to be conratcted too imo, its ok going for a verbal contract if you know the person, other than that, get a contract sorted

dont want them fucking you over at a later date

:readthis:

Absolutely. There's no excuse strong enough for a label not to put these things on paper. Also know what you're promising to deliver and what the label are promising before putting names in papers. If there's something that you don't understand in the terms, ask.

IMO "if you dont sign a contract, you wont get my tunes".
 
For me works quite simply. I send tunes to label AIM addresses until someone responds. If a track is not getting attention, i put it away and start working on another tune.

if you don't mind me asking...
-when you send a track round to labels do you send them a 320 that you've roughly mastered?
-and do you put water marks on them? IE Add noise bursts or whatever.

questions are trivial but it'd be nice to know.

cheers
 
:readthis:

Absolutely. There's no excuse strong enough for a label not to put these things on paper. Also know what you're promising to deliver and what the label are promising before putting names in papers. If there's something that you don't understand in the terms, ask.

IMO "if you dont sign a contract, you wont get my tunes".

contracts arent free you know. an official and binding agreement needs to go through solicitors, and when you consider the money each tune brings in, there really isnt a point in spending for a contract. furthermore, especially for newcomers, if you start with the attitude of "do this or no tune", i doubt that you'll make a good impression.
so i suggest that unless you have the new "nine" or "vault", better play it cool.
the only clause i would insist on, again only verbally, is for the label to commit to a deadline by which the tune will be released, and after that the tune ownership returns to you, and you're free to push it somewhere else. otherwise, label can keep a tune in limbo for ever.
 
:readthis:

Absolutely. There's no excuse strong enough for a label not to put these things on paper. Also know what you're promising to deliver and what the label are promising before putting names in papers. If there's something that you don't understand in the terms, ask.

IMO "if you dont sign a contract, you wont get my tunes".

this is very true, no matter which tune it is, good or bad, if its being released & involving money, even 50p, you should sign some form of contract. :)
 
if you don't mind me asking...
-when you send a track round to labels do you send them a 320 that you've roughly mastered?
-and do you put water marks on them? IE Add noise bursts or whatever.

cheers

1. I do a little mastering job. Just to put them a bit more level on the 'pro' tunes of today, that are mixed at an incredible -8 RMS and up. WAY too squashed. They will ask for a wav anyway if they mean business, and that will be the original. The mastering is just something that eases playing the tune for a dancefloor testing so you dont have to crank the gain up to 11.
2- no water marks...
 
1. I do a little mastering job. Just to put them a bit more level on the 'pro' tunes of today, that are mixed at an incredible -8 RMS and up. WAY too squashed. They will ask for a wav anyway if they mean business, and that will be the original. The mastering is just something that eases playing the tune for a dancefloor testing so you dont have to crank the gain up to 11.
2- no water marks...

cheers boss.
 
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