#Music business

January 27, 2023
Music Business

The Problem With New Music Business

The Problem With New Music Business

problem

The Problem With New Music Business

The problem with the new music industry is that it’s so difficult to find good music. There are tons of artists out there who have amazing talent, but unless you know about them, you’re not going to hear about them. It’s a shame because there are so many talented people out there who have no chance of making it big due to a lack of exposure.

Another problem with the new music industry is that there are no real labels anymore. Labels used to be able to help artists get exposure and make connections with other artists and producers, but now they’re all gone because they can’t compete with the internet. Now anyone can put up their site and sell their albums without having any help from anyone else. This means that if an artist wants to get their music heard by anyone else, then they have to do it themselves through social media or websites like SoundCloud or audiomack. This kind of defeats the purpose of having a label in the first place because now labels don’t have any control over what happens with the artist’s career anymore. They used to have more control over things like where an artist performed live or how much money they made from their album sales

The music industry has always been a bit of a mess. However, the digital age has made things even more complicated. Digital distribution has brought many positive changes to the industry, but also some negative ones.

 

Digital Distribution

The biggest change in the music industry is how music is distributed. In the past, physical media like CDs and vinyl was the only way to listen to or buy music. Nowadays, it’s possible to buy or stream songs at home on your computer or mobile device. This has caused a shift in how artists make money from their work.

The internet makes it easy for anyone to pirate music for free (even if they don’t realize it). Because people can get their hands on music so easily, it’s hard for musicians to make money from their work unless they’re famous enough to sell out concerts and make money from merchandise sales.

 

Piracy

Piracy is one of the biggest problems facing the modern music industry because it devalues art by making it easy for people to download songs without paying anything or even being aware that they’re stealing someone else’s work. Piracy also hurts musicians financially because they aren’t getting paid when fans steal their music instead of buying albums or attending concerts where artists make most of their money

problem

The music industry has been changing at a fast pace over the past few years. The internet has given us access to more music than ever before, which is excellent for listeners but problematic for musicians.

Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have become hugely popular ways for people to listen to their favorite tunes. However, these services don’t pay much money to artists unless they can prove that they’re popular enough to make the service money. This means that new artists are often left without any income from their work if they don’t have enough followers on social media or other websites.

Another issue facing new artists today is that they have to compete with older artists who already have large followings when it comes time for record labels to promote their albums. This means that some talented new artists never get a chance because there’s simply no room on radio stations and television channels for them.

Another problem with the current music industry is that it’s hard for bands outside of major cities like Lagos, Nigeria to get noticed by record labels and promoters unless they live there because these cities tend to be where most of the industry activity happens.

Team

The music industry is saturated with new artists, and it’s difficult to stand out. It’s a problem that’s been compounded by the internet, which gives everyone access to all of the tools they need to make good music.

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Getting a team together to help you succeed in this world is tough, but it’s necessary if you want to have any chance of success. If you’re trying to be an artist who makes their music and performs shows, here are some things you should keep in mind:

 

You need a producer and engineer who can help you make your songs sound great on all platforms.

You need graphic designers to create album art, t-shirt designs, and other visual elements that represent your brand. You also need someone who can take photos of you performing or doing whatever else it is that makes up your image as an artist.

You’ll also need someone who can build websites and social media pages for you so people will know how to find out more information about your music and upcoming shows.

 

Touring Cost

The music industry is a very unique business. It’s one of the only industries where people will pay to go see an artist perform live. But it’s also a volatile industry, with huge swings in sales and profits.

The music industry has been changing dramatically over the past decade or so, from downloads and piracy to streaming services like Spotify and Pandora. New artists face more challenges than ever before — and some big problems are facing the industry as a whole.

 

Touring Expenses

One of the biggest problems for new artists is touring expenses. The cost of touring is high, especially for contemporary artists who don’t have enough fans to sell out venues on their own. Touring expenses also include travel expenses and paying your bandmates (or other people) to join you on tour.

If you want to tour at all, you need to have enough money to support yourself while on tour — and that’s hard if you don’t have enough fans yet!

 

The goal of this blog post was to show why the label music industry has been disrupted. Labels are having a hard time coping with the internet and the new types of artists it is bringing in. The record labels of today really do not know what to do when it comes to dealing with the modern artist, their fans and social media. This shift in culture is happening very quickly and it seems that the record labels don’t know how to adapt.

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January 27, 2023
Music Business

What skills do you need for A&R?: 5 Rules

What skills do you need for A&R?

skills

What skills do you need for A&R?

The music industry is a cutthroat business. If you’re not on top of your game, you’ll find yourself behind the curve. So what skills do you need to be successful as an A&R? In this post, we’ll look at some of the most important qualities, plus how they relate to your career in music:

 

Analytical skills.

Analytical skills are the ability to solve problems and make decisions based on information. These skills can be developed over time through experience and training. Analytical skills can also be used in a variety of situations, such as in business, government, and education. Analytical skills are important because they allow people to make decisions based on facts rather than emotions. They can also help people learn new things by breaking down complex concepts into manageable parts.

 

Business skills.

You should be able to understand the business and its dynamics, negotiate with artists and their managers, negotiate with music publishers, negotiate with music producers (if you’re at a label), and so on. This is where most people’s minds go blank when considering A&R jobs—they don’t know what it means to be a good negotiator or how to actually do it. For example: how do you negotiate with an artist? Do you tell them what they should get paid? Or maybe let them dictate terms based on market value? The answer is somewhere in between those two extremes. In general, there are three types of negotiation tactics that can help:

    • Soft power—convincing others through your own charisma and personality (i.e., charm).
    • Hard power—convincing others through threats or other forms of coercion (i.e., “don’t say no or I’ll kill this kitten!”).
    • Win-win scenarios—creating mutually beneficial outcomes where both sides win (i.e., “I won’t kill this kitten if you sign”).

The best negotiators use all three of these tactics, but generally focus on soft power in the beginning, hard power for difficult situations, and win-win scenarios to close out deals.

 

Communication skills.

If you’re an A&R person, you’ll need to talk to a lot of people. You’ll be talking about things like how certain songs feel, what your vision is for the album, and how much money the band needs to make it through the recording process (it’s more than they think). The ability to communicate effectively with others is crucial for any job in music but it’s especially important for A&R. When someone tells you that you should sign a band because their new single is “a little bit punk,” you should be able to understand what that means. You also need to be able to convey your own thoughts and ideas clearly so others can act on them appropriately and so everyone knows what’s going on at all times!

 

Creative skills.

So, you want to be an A&R person. Great! You’re about to embark on a journey of excitement and discovery. But before you begin your journey, there are some things you should know:

    • What do we mean by ‘A&R’?

When people talk about being an A&R person, they’re referring to the job of identifying and developing new talent for a record company. An A&R professional will listen to the music submitted by artists or their managers, then decide whether or not it’s good enough to be released through their label. They’ll also sign producers in order to produce tracks for these acts. In short, they’re responsible for finding the next big thing in music whether that’s an artist who can sing well and write songs or someone who has an amazing studio setup with killer beats (like Max Martin).

    • Why does this matter? Because it shows that there are creative skills involved in the job! Otherwise known as ‘being creative’, this skill involves having ideas that haven’t been thought of yet – which means doing research into what other companies have done before so they don’t repeat any mistakes.”

But that’s not all: A&R professionals also need to be able to run a business, because they have to make sure their acts are being paid properly and that they’re making enough money for everyone involved. This means having an understanding of contracts, royalties, and licensing and knowing how to use them effectively in order to get what you want.

 

Decision-making skills.

Let’s face it: you’re not going to be doing much listening if you can’t hear anything. This is where your hearing comes in, and we mean both the literal sense of hearing and the figurative sense as well. So, having good ears is important for an A&R person but so are good eyes.

You’ll need to make quick decisions based on what you see and hear and those decisions must always lead to success. It’s not just about making a record; it’s also about signing talent (or deciding against signing them) so that your label can continue operating smoothly and profitably.

 

Multitasking skills.

The best A&Rs are able to multitask and switch between projects quickly and efficiently. They know how to stay focused on the task at hand, so they don’t get distracted by emails or calls from other people in their office. They also have a good sense of time management, so they can prioritize tasks effectively. This comes in handy when you’re dealing with multiple artists who all want your attention at the same time which is one reason why being an A&R is such a tough job!

 

Networking skills.

Networking is a skill that can be learned. And it’s a skill that is incredibly important to the A&R job. You need to have the ability to network with people, because depending on your role at the label, you may be in charge of finding new artists or employees for your company.

There are many different ways networking can help you in your day-to-day work as an A&R rep:

    • You might be working with artists who have managers or agents who are connected in other industries such as film and television. If they like their client’s music, they may recommend them for another project, which could lead to more exposure and opportunities for that artist.
    • If you’re running a record label yourself and want to sign an artist but don’t want them as part of your roster yet (maybe because they’re not ready yet), then it would benefit you greatly if one of their connections was willing to give some feedback about what improvements could be made before signing them onto the team full time!

 

Organizational skills.

Organizational skills are a huge part of being an A&R person. If you don’t understand the importance of organization, then you can’t be successful as an A&R person. The organization is about time management and prioritizing tasks; it’s also about setting goals, which is just as important as prioritizing tasks because without goals, how will you know where to start? And finally, the organization is about being efficient in your work so that when someone comes to ask you what happened to that project they gave you three weeks ago which they haven’t seen yet you don’t have to say “I forgot.”

 

People management and negotiating skills.

People management and negotiating skills are a must for every A&R rep. You’re not just in charge of signing new artists you also have to work with them, helping them grow as artists and working together to figure out what songs will be on their albums. And that means working with lots of different personalities without losing your cool or getting frustrated. You may also have to negotiate with labels and other A&R reps about who gets the best songs from an artist, who gets the first chance at signing them, etc., so you need to be able to handle these situations calmly and professionally while still getting what you want out of it.

The bottom line: being an A&R rep is all about people management, whether it comes down to making sure everyone on your team has everything they need (or want) or negotiating with artists over contracts and song choices.

 

You need good business and analytical skills for A&R in Nigeria

You need good business and analytical skills for A&R in Nigeria.

    • Analytical skills: The ability to analyze data and recognize patterns, trends and relationships between variables is crucial. In this position, you will be required to make strategic decisions based on market research reports and other information
    • Business skills: You need excellent organizational abilities with the ability to prioritize tasks according to deadlines; excellent problem-solving abilities; patience when addressing problems; strong interpersonal skills (especially with people who will be meeting their needs); communication skills (verbal and written), including listening attentively in order to understand customer needs; conflict resolution techniques when dealing with difficult situations at work or at home; time management skills because many projects require your immediate attention if they are not completed within the designated time frame then there’s a risk of losing customers, especially in an industry where competition is very high so having these qualities means less stress on yourself as well as others around you which leads us into…

 

Conclusion

A&R is a very competitive business and it is not for the faint-hearted. You need to have all of these skills if you want to succeed in this industry. In this article, we discussed some of the most important skills that you need for A&R in Nigeria. If you have any questions about A&R or about how to become an A&R, feel free to ask us in the comment section below! We will try our best to answer them as soon as possible

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