Getting signed used to be the be all and end all. Every young rapper in every hood (or suburb), talented or not, set his or her sights on this as a means of doing something lucrative and constructive with their lives. I can remember in the mid to late 90s (so called 'Golden Era' of hip hop) the industry was really accelerating and a lot of rappers really started to shine and set up their own label imprints, thereby allowing up and coming rappers to get signed as well. Getting A&Rs to notice you was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Artists actually used to get signed by sending in demos. This new generation, (what is it generation Z by now??) probably doesn't quite understand what a demo is!
The dynamics of the record business are so very different now. Gone are the days of the demo along with the types of deals artists used to get 10 years ago. Record labels basically act like financiers. They used to simply assess an artist's talent and marketability (i.e. earning potential) and decide whether or not to give that artist money to record their music, do videos, promote themselves in the media and distribute the finished product. If the music was hot and the promotion and distribution effective, then the label got their money back plus profit, with the artist getting a small percentage of actual album sales. Artists would (and still do) make the bulk of their money from touring and other ways of using their 'brand' e.g. product endorsements, movies etc. Now in 2011 albums sales are way down all thanks to the Internet, where everything is readily available. Labels have realized that the old way of doing business won't work anymore and so everything is changed. For the lucky few (or maybe not so lucky) who do get signed the deals they get now are mostly 360 deals, where the label takes a percentage of every income stream the artist derives from being an artist. This goes as far as performance proceeds and merchandising.
The Internet is great for the artist though. Truthfully the labels are becoming obsolete. More and more we see artists rise based on a following they have built through social media such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Soundcloud and Soundclick and especially through viral video using sites like Youtube and Daily Motion. This is the key right here. This is one of the answers to the question "How do I get signed?". Demos are no longer. To get the attention of major labels, an artist has to use the tools available and create and independent buzz. Artists Like Soulja Boy and Sean Kingston got their start this way.
The whole definition of getting signed has changed. Now it means building your own movement to a level where a major label says: "Shit you're hot! Take this money and get yourself into bigger markets and come back and split the profits with us!" Being independent is truly the way to go (Go read about Odd Future). As an independent artist you cannot be anything less than professional. It gives out an energy that causes everyone to take you seriously. This means finding the hottest beats and/or producers to work with, taking professional photos, creating a hot Youtube channel with HD videos for your songs and having a serious movement driven by social media. It starts with the mindset and the music. If you don't truly want it, it won't come and no matter how hard you push, if your beats and songs are not up to standard, you will be going nowhere.
So you ask "how do I get signed?". Well here's a start. Invest in your music. Find a good professional studio OR get the best equipment and software for your own project studio. Get the hottest beats you can find at websites such as stratcarter.com. Next thing you might want to do is align yourself with a great indie label like digitaldollarmusic.com. Get these first 2 steps right and you're on your way!
CHECK THIS VIDEO FROM STRAT CARTER!
