Tips on using The Unsigned Guide music industry contacts directory
Blog by Louise Dodgson under Artist Managers, Creative & Branding, Finance, Law & Music Business, Live, Media, Music Publishing, Music Training & Careers, Record Labels, Recording & Production, Selling & Distributing Your Music
OK, so you’ve signed up to The Unsigned Guide and have big plans for your music career, but it can still be difficult to know where to begin. Our directory covers 50 areas of the music industry which we understand can be a little overwhelming. Whilst we know that many bands and artists sign up purely for the contacts we provide at record labels, management companies, booking agents, music publishers and so on, sometimes targeting these industry professionals straight away can be futile if you’re at the wrong stage of your career.
We’re not in the business of deterring anyone, but if you only have roughly recorded demos and haven’t even performed live yet, unless your music is absolutely amazing….and we mean AMAZING…then it’s unlikely that record labels, agents and so on will give it much time. So why waste your time bombarding them with links to your track? The good news is there are plenty of other things you can get busy with to get your music career moving along.
It can be so tempting to want to jump ahead – of course you want the major record deal or the cover feature of NME but those things simply won’t come about if you haven’t done the groundwork first. We’re talking about playing some decent gigs around the country, booking festival slots, releasing your music, coverage on blogs and in local press, radio airplay on local stations or beyond. YOU can achieve all this yourself, and although you’ll need some contacts and help along the way, these preliminary steps will form the foundations of a blossoming music career that agents, managers, labels and publishers will be eager to find out more about.
With this in mind, we’ve broken down some of the sections covered by The Unsigned Guide directory and identified 3 key stages of your music career to give you an idea of the contacts you may wish to target at those times. Obviously, you may be at any of these stages right now, not necessarily Stage 1, and you may fluctuate between some of these stages over time – this is not written in stone – but hopefully it will offer a little guidance of how you can be using The Unsigned Guide to your advantage right now.
STAGE 1: You’ve written some tracks and/or recorded a demo but it’s still early days.
This is the time when you really want to be working on developing your sound and craft, and getting a demo together. Our listings for Rehearsal Rooms and Recording Studios should be useful now, and if you’re still perfecting an instrument or your songwriting skills, our Music Training & Tuition listings should also come in handy.
Book some local gigs and build up your experience of playing live to an audience. Check out our Venues and Promoters sections which provide plenty of contacts for booking gig dates.
When you have some songs to share and gig dates to promote, it may be time to think beyond your Facebook, Bandcamp or Twitter profiles and get a basic website together. Our Artwork & Design listings have contacts who can help you with this, or try our Online Management Tools and Web Tools & Hosting sections where you’ll find details of easy-to-use platforms allowing you to create your own site or even an app.
STAGE 2: You’ve played some gigs, recorded some music & are ready to spread the word.
At this stage you’ve gathered together an EPs worth of great songs (perhaps more!) suitable for release and promotion to music blogs, press and radio. You’re still working the local gig circuit but are ready to stretch your wings to more high profile gigs, out of town dates or some festival slots. With word starting to spread, it’s an ideal time to define your image and create more material to be pushed such as a video.
When it comes to early releases, it can be worthwhile speaking to some local, reputable independent labels. However, you can also take the DIY route by using the contacts in our Distributors section who regularly help place music from emerging acts onto iTunes, Spotify, Deezer and more.
If you want to create a buzz about your release then coverage is essential so tap into your local media – our Radio Stations and Regional Press/Magazines sections can really help out here. And not forgetting the power of music blogs, make sure you go through our Online Magazines & Blogs and Regional Music Websites listings to find suitable sites to target.
Around this time you might want to think about getting some nice imagery that’s suitable to be published so why not get in touch with some local Music Photographers using The Unsigned Guide. You may also want to consider making a music video for the lead single from your release to help push the buzz on YouTube and give bloggers something more to write about. Whilst you can make a great, effective video on the cheap with your talented, creative friends, you may also want to check out our Video Production listings to compare what’s out there.
Search our Festivals section to find events that are coming up around the UK that have opportunities for emerging bands and artists to play. Every festival featured in our directory will accept applications from unsigned acts so you’ve got nothing to lose. Once some more gig and festival bookings start coming in, don’t forget to get sort Merchandise to bring in some extra money.
STAGE 3: You’ve released material & promoted it to your fanbase, had decent local coverage & airplay – or beyond, played out of town dates & festivals or organised your own small DIY tour.
Once you have these achievements under your belt, it’s an ideal time to think about letting the music industry know what you’re up to. In the meantime you can keep releasing music and striving for better coverage (perhaps on a national level) and pushing for bigger gigs, but if you’ve had a good response up to now it’s definitely worthwhile sticking your toe into the waters of the wider music business.
Our contact listings for Artist Managers, Record Labels, Producers, PR & Pluggers, Music Publishers and Booking Agents can all help move your music career to the next level. Our Music Publishers section also contains details of sync agencies who can place your music on TV, film, adverts and games.
If you can demonstrate that you have a strong, existing fanbase and a market for your music, and have the gigs, media coverage and accomplishments to prove this, then music industry professionals will be keen to find out more about you.
Don’t forget, if you’re offered a deal of any kind, be sure to check out our Legal/Lawyers and Music & Business Advice sections to get the necessary guidance before you commit to anything.
Of course, these 3 stages of your music career are not absolutely definitive and developments may not occur exactly in this order or as quickly. Unfortunately, there is no path to overnight success. It can take years of cultivating relationships, growing your fanbase and developing your sound, but these practicalities are essential to reaching your goal, so stick at it!
Remember, no matter what stage you’re at, if you’re an Unsigned Guide member you can always submit a track to us for consideration for our Spotlight blog. The blog champions great new music from our talented members, and this ranges from artists who have a deal with a small, independent label or are working with a manager, to those who have just recorded a demo and have had very little coverage so far. If you’re a member, we will always listen and if we think the track has what it takes, we’ll happily feature it.
Not an Unsigned Guide member yet? Take a look at our short video to find out more about what we do.
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the unsigned guide, unsigned bands, unsigned artists, independent artists, emerging talent, music career, music contacts
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