PART ONE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Today the number of record companies has declined, mainly due to mergers and consolidation. Interscope Records now house's Geffen and A&M Records, Interscope is distributed by M.C.A. Universal. M.C.A. is owned by a larger corporation.

For the musician/song writer this means there are less major companies to shop their music to. It's hard enough to get A&R departments (the ears of the record companies) to hear new music, but now with fewer major companies it's even harder to get heard. Major record companies are flooded with unsolicited material most of which is BAD!! That makes it hard for the good and sometimes great material to get heard. When shopping music to record companies, you must be aware of what kind of music is being signed.

Just pick up a copy of Billboard Magazine or any music industry publication and see what companies are signing which artists. Record companies gamble lots of money every time they sign an artist. The record companies like to follow successful formulas . If a certain style of music or artist is doing well for one company, it can do well for another.

Most major record companies like to hear finished product (radio ready) and they want the material to be brought to them by industry people, producers, managers, lawyers, people with track records who they trust.

Dito Godwin

"Next time: INDIE LABELS.