Almost every artist I talk to has a dream of getting signed to a label. I tell them to stay independent because they can make more money that way. They don't listen to me...that's fine. They are convinced that they want to be on a label. So then I tell them to beware of the fake labels with fake CEO's out there. Nothing amuses me more than a so called label with no budget or anything to offer an artist. Some of them even try to charge artists to be on their label. Let's take Cash Money/ Young Money for example...they not only have a budget, but they have a real studio, managers, artist development, and many more people behind the scenes to make sure their artists are successful. Let's talk about a few things that might be a red flag when it comes to a "record label".
1. Do they have a physical location or are they located in some studio apartment in the hood?
2. Do they have a website...we talked about this yesterday...click here to read about why artists (or labels in this case) should have one.
3. Do they have any successful artists on their label?
4. Do they see potential in you and simply want to get you locked into a contract to take away a good portion of your earnings?
5. Are they offering you something that you can do on your own..such as getting online distribution for your music or physical copies of your music?
6. Most of all, are they making you pay to be on their label?
There are many more things to watch out for when dealing music industry scam artists, but the main thing to do is use your common sense. Don't be fooled by anyone! No one person or label is your way to the top of the charts. I've seen a ton of people on a major label that can't seem to get a hit record. So do your due diligence before accepting any type of deal! Remember...you are your success.
