Investing In Yourself

I'm just back from recording a great project in New York with some rather famous and influential people. The session came about after months of discussion but even though we discussed it for months it all came together rather fast. It ended up being a great deal but we all agreed to foot the bill to make the record ourselves and just split ownership and all proceeds equally. Now, none of us were paid to go make this record, there was no travel or lodging budget. This was a living example of investing in yourself. The few people that knew what I was doing thought I should be getting this and that but the thing I want to share with you is that there is no way to get to your goals without constant self investment. Opportunities hardly ever come at a convenient time or in a convenient manner. They often times always require risk and sacrifice. And that, at the core, is what success in this business is all about. Never be afraid to take risks or invest in yourself. The project we recorded is phenomenal and we are looking forward to building the brand as a unit and as individuals. By making this investment in myself, I stand to reap rewards far beyond a certain amount of money. I stand to be a part of something that will create a steady income stream and, if nothing else, raise my professional circle and personal profile. So remember, never stop investing in yourself and everything is not measured by the nickels and dimes in front of you but sometimes you have to take risks and invest to get to the dollars and larger opportunies that await you on the other side of success. Stay strong and believe.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2010

What does a producer really do?

One of the most misused and misunderstood terms in the music business is producer. Most people equate making beats to producing. Now, don't get me wrong, making beats IS a form of producing but it doesn't truly describe the position. A producer is basically a musical or creative CEO. Being a producer doesn't mean that you play all the instruments or write the songs. A producer is like an overseer. His/Her job is to get the best out of whatever artist or project he/she is working on. For instance when a producer is hired to work with an artist he/she has to first find out who the artist is as a person and what their goals are. The producer will also research the artist's previous music to get an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. Once he/she has an idea of who he/she is working with, the next step is pulling together the right team to complete the mission and this team is not always the same. The producer will hire the right musicians, engineer, songwriters & arrangers to help get the best possible end product. The good producer is also a type of psychologist and motivator. You have to possess these skills to know how to get the best out of your clients. Now, in today's business, most producers or beat makers tend to specialize in one genre but a well rounded producer, such as a Quincy Jones or David Foster, is not bound by genre. These guys can take whatever situation and style of music and make it happen. This is what true producing is about. Some producers have a signature sound meaning you can always tell their work when you hear because no matter who the artist is, the producer's signature shines through. This is not always good because the production becomes the star and not the artist. Producers like the two mentioned earlier and guys like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are known for making great records that sound specifically unique to whatever artist they are working with. The tie that binds all of their work is quality. Then you have a producer like Sean Combs who is not a musician but still an outstanding producer because he understands what the public wants to hear and he allocates authority really well. Quincy Jones once said " A producer is only as good as his rolodex" and I agree. You've got to have access to all the right pieces to pull the best puzzle together. So if you are considering production or if you already consider yourself a producer, I advise you to continue to improve your musical skill and intellect so that you can be as multidimensional as possible. This will only insure that you can always work no matter what the trend is. OK let's go make some more hits!

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2010

Be Independent

I had a conversation with an associate yesterday about an artist who had a bad deal with a record company. I had a litany of questions and I guess the biggest question was why did he even sign a record deal? In this day and age it pays to be independent. A record deal is nothing but a high interest loan. With all the access the Internet now offers, an independent artist or company can do just as much as a major. The only thing the majors have is access to large amounts of funding but even with that access they still have to pay to have certain things done. Most artists feel like getting a record deal means they've made it and they can just relax and be a star. That couldn't be farther from the truth. The artist has to always be the driving force behind their career. Record companies have divisions or departments that all specialize in different things. They can consist of A&R, marketing, graphics, radio, publicity...etc. Now as an independent you can do or outsource these same responsibilities without signing your life away. Actually in today's climate, record company's prefer doing partnership's with artists' that have already established a working infrastructure and a fan base. This means that the record company can focus on product and distribution. These kind of deals are called P & D's (Pressing & Distribution). In these situations the record company will cover the cost of pressing copies and getting it into retail chains and nowadays on the Internet. But again this is all stuff you can actually do yourself. My advice is to just stay independent as long as you can. You will know when it is time to go the major route. Most of the time the majors will find YOU when they see that you are selling units and you have a substantial following. This gives you more bargaining and negotiation power so that you won't be one of those people sitting around talking about how they got screwed by a record deal. ALWAYS THINK INDEPENDENTLY. EVEN IF YOU HAVE A DEAL, YOU SHOULD STILL OPERATE AS IF YOU ARE INDEPENDENT. NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. Now go and continue to build your fan base and infrastructure. You are on your way.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2010