Finding the Path

Ok, let's assume that you know the name of the person who you really want to work with. What to do? Should you call the head of A&R at Universal, New York? Well... that´s probably not a good idea. It´s highly improbable that you will even be able to leave a message with his assistant. So, how do you get to the right person? What good is knowing about him, if he won't even listen to your music?

Don't worry, there are many solutions, although it can get complicated. A variety of factors need to be taken into account.

First of all, it's important to be aware that the contact-paths within the industry are like a spider web of filters. You start from the outside and have to snuggle your way into success via masses of filters and "gatekeepers". The most powerful players have people around them that they have chosen precisely for this purpose, and these people who act as filters have, in turn, their own filters to sort out what they should bring to the players above them. This web of filters is spreading out until it reaches the guy who has just made his first demo.

This is not a bad system. It's a necessity to save time and maximise effectiveness, which in the end supports you. The problem is that wrong music is tried in the wrong filter. Either your music will pass the filter, heading for a destination, which will not prove to be successful, or you won't pass because it was the wrong filter.

You would be amazed if you knew how many demos and packages are not even listened to; it surely makes up more than 90% of all the tapes flying around in the business. The problem, however, is not how many tapes are sent for nothing (apart from the economical waste of postage and tape), it's how many tapes were NOT sent to the right person.

There are five factors that will help you to determine whether your contact is a filter worth trying to get through:

1. The level you are at. What track record do you have? If you have no references, you must make sure that the person you contact is one that listens to everything that comes by. Probably none of the record companies featured in our recommendations do this.

2. The level he is at. A successful A&R is working with producers, publishers and managers who are already established - why would he bother with anything less?

3. How busy is he? Usually, most of the A&R's are very busy. In comparison, it will probably be much more useful for you to contact a producer or manager who is hugely successful than an A&R representative who is less so, simply because they tend to be less busy. People simply don´t think of producers and managers as possible contacts in their quest to break new music, when it is these people who are, in fact, working as filters for the A&Rs.

4. Territory. It matters a lot where you are. USA and UK are differently structured than mainland Europe (this issue is covered in more depth further on in the text). For instance, if you are an American rapper, it might be easier for you to become a star by engaging yourself in Germany. This may improve your chances of success, since the business there is much easier to get into and Germany lacks American-speaking rappers for a rap-hungry audience. It will, therefore, be easier to break in the USA via Germany, because you are using a smarter way through the web of filters.

5. How easy-going and relaxed about new contacts is he? People in the same territory at the same level of success can vary a lot in how easily accessible they are. This factor is very difficult to determine. That's why it will play a small part in your strategy, but still must be taken into account.

A basic rule: if you do not get a personal response from a contact person within the company, don't waste time on it. You need a fair evaluation of your music from someone who is willing to take the time to listen to it. It may be tempting to send a tape to the big guy, feeling that it's like a lottery ticket, but chances are you´ll be disappointed. You should instead concentrate on learning about the industry and devising more worthwhile strategies. Of course, there is little harm in buying a lottery ticket, just don't let it draw your attention away from things that really could make a difference.

If you can't reach a person, look for whom you can reach that can reach this person. If you have the right kind of music, nothing will stop you from playing your first demo to a semi-successful producer or publisher, who will then play it to his manager, who will present it to a local A&R, who will present it to the international A&R that loves it. This process could be completed in only 4 weeks if you map out the right path through the spider´s web. If people believe in your music, it travels fast. But if you go straight for the top, you'll be waiting in vain for an answer, because that's not how the industry works. You need to work your way through the filters, or your music will sadly end up in a box.

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