How to Get Signed

Getting a Label to Notice Your Band

Every band wants to be successful. And most bands or solo musicians define success as getting signed to a label. In order to get signed, you need to get noticed. Below are the four things you must do to get signed:

1. Play good music

Easier said than done. To make good music you need to have talent plus a good work ethic. If you're not sure if your music is good enough, chances are it's not. Which means you need to upgrade your talent level (more practice or a different mix of band members). As for the work ethic, you need to have specific goals, a timeline for achieving those goals, and follow through on responsibilities. You need to decide if your goal is just to play some local shows or to get signed. If it's to get signed, you better not be starting practice 20 minutes late every other day and figuring out who's going to hand out flyers for your next show because no one wants to do it.

2. Have a Unique Characteristic(s) (aka Be Signable)

Everyone notices the tall guy at a show. Usually because you're stuck standing right behind him. You can't help but notice. Your band needs the 'Tall Guy' approach as well. You need to be different in some way that distinguishes you from the rest of the crowd. Sounds easy - and it should be. Have a regular person (unbiased - not a friend of the band) look at your band's presskit and three other bands. Ask them to pick out the one that's the most interesting. If the band they pick isn't yours, you know why your band is still 'under the radar'.

Now that doesn't mean you have to wear costumes on stage or have four guys named Alfred in the band (although either would work). It can be that all of your songs are about hockey, or you have a male lead singer with all girls in the rest of the band. Anything will do. But you have to be unique in some way, or you really are just leaving a lot of your success to hope and luck that the right A&R Rep picks your band out from the other hundreds of bands that look and sound pretty much the same as you.

And to stress this point a little more, think about all the bands you've said this about: "They aren't that good. They're just famous because of ___." Exactly. Signability + good music is often the case, but good signability + good enough music is seen just as much.

3. Market and Advertise Your Ban

See How to Promote Your Band: Press Kits, Playing Shows, Promo Merchandise, and More

4. Answer The Ultimate Question: What's in it for the A&R Rep?

Forget what's in it for you and your band. You need to figure out what's in it for the A&R Rep. The A&R rep is not Bigfoot, Santa Claus, or the Jolly Green Giant. The A&R Rep is a regular person who works for a company. It's the rep's job to make money for the company. For the rep to do that, he or she has to find bands that can be marketed to make money. Money for the Record Label = money to pay the A&R Reps + money to pay the band. If you do have #1, #2, and #3, you are making the A&R Rep's job easier. Which is what everyone wants - even the fry guy at McDonald's.

Ultimately it is the A&R Rep's job to tell his or her boss what bands should be signed. And the boss is going to ask why. The A&R rep needs to be able to say that the music is good. The boss then asks what makes this band different than every other band out there - why will people notice this band and want to buy their music. The Rep answers back with your Unique Position. The boss finally says he needs more information to make a final decision. The Rep hands over your presskit.

If you can get this process repeated at a bunch of record labels, chances are that you will be signed. Simple as that. The formula is easy... as long as you're willing to put in the work and look at your band from the right perspective - the A&R Rep's. And ultimately what's good for the A&R Rep is good for you.

All of the information presented is based upon input and feedback from our contacts and resources in the music industry, including labels, agents, A&R representatives, screeners, managers, signed bands, indie bands, etc. If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion for additional topics, contact us at monster.feedback@bandmonster.com