Should You Sign With A Record Label?

Amidst this new era of the music industry, more and more artists are refusing to conform to the confines of the traditional music industry. Especially considering the overload of information about music contracts and labelling deals, artists are now able to make more educated decisions. This includes undergoing a variety of novel paths such as testing new release strategies, marketing or even marketing through social media!

 1. Less creative freedom (silence)

Many artists are beginning to realize that their artistic freedom is being challenged more and more while under a music label. Unfortunately in the digital age of social media, artists are facing an increasingly heightened level of restrictions on their artistic freedom which is only more threatened under a label.

When an artist's message stirs off more political concepts especially from women and minority artists, that’s when the lines of artistic freedom become further challenged. Read a very informative article by CIVICUS to learn more about “the state of artistic expression”. 

For example: in MIA’s song, “Borders” has really defied many boundaries by expressing the harsh reality of the refugee crisis in the European Union. With MIA being a refugee herself, she used her voice in a powerful way by speaking up for the rights of humanity.

 Unfortunately, none of that matters when she was taken for a four-year court battle to take down her video with the NFT. This is all because of her wearing a parody of the “Fly Emirates” shirt by replacing it with “Fly pirates” as a strong statement. Check out an article where VICE interviews MIA about this topic for more information. 

Have a listen of MIA’s song “Borders” below and tell us what you think! 

2. The power of self-promotion through youtube, Soundcloud

The music industry no longer has a monopoly on music promotion nowadays. What is great about social media is how anyone has the opportunity to take advantage of the countless abilities to connect with an audience base to build their own brand. Embarking in a music career does not have to be as linear as signing a music label and waiting to get promoted. There are so many chances, marketing techniques and ways to engage your target audience with the power of the internet alone. 

For example, Youtube is now the largest search engine on the internet and now actually one of the most popular platforms to stream music. For example consider Joji, a viral Youtube Star who made his way to become a respected HIT R&B star. I honestly just found out he was a youtube star just recently, and am once again surprised at the power of the internet! 

Check out this interesting article by Time Magazine that goes over Joji's music career from a Youtuber to a famous R&B artist!

3. Lack of personal attention

Although, of course, there are some pros for signing with a record deal, however, the matter of the fact is, many artists are left fighting for attention from their label. This is mostly because of the fact that how large and influential music industries are (which is definitely a plus). However, this means that many agents come and go because of high staff turnover. In other words, the person you may have connected with your music, may not be working with you the next day.  

Despite how huge and influential music industries are, this also means you are likely to be fighting for attention. This is even more amplified if your music doesn’t sell charts right away. In this case, it may be difficult to get a label representative to return phone calls or not getting enough promotion. As a result, your music may not be as prioritized any longer, even if your music does have potential.

4. No guaranteed that labels equal success (not like before in the 90s)

Back in the 90s, signing to a label meant that you were destined for great success. Now, the music industry is changing rapidly as the labels find new ways to generate revenue. Due to the fact that music is now sold through streaming services instead. As a result, this changed the music industry's role to artists drastically which basically means that music labels can no longer guarantee success.

 On the other hand, many artists are starting to go solo to take advantage of the increased freedom that music streaming provides. Take Chance the Rapper as a perfect example of someone who achieved great success through using mixtape sites, touring and constant creation all without ever selling a record!

Read this Rolling Stones article for more information Indie artists going Independent! 

5. Artists needing to owe record labels an advance

So now I bet you are wondering what happens if you are signed to the music industry and your work isn’t doing too well. Well if you signed a music label, it is likely you have gotten paid an advance which is basically an investment to support the production of your music. If you are new to the industry, it is way too easy to think that getting an advance is your lottery ticket. 

Unfortunately, it is not that simple as the truth is that a record advance is really more of like a credit which you must pay off with your art. Therefore, if you DO sign for a record label it is important not to ask for too much which may limit their ability to market you and your ability to pay them off. This is why it is crucial to NEGOTIATE in order to find out what works best for you and not end up forever in debt.  

Check out the “Music Industry” for more advice if you do want to sign to a record label. 

6. Complicated contracts (not being able to keep rights, being able to keep royalties) 

Many of these music label contracts contain so much legal jargon that only highly specialized lawyers can truly understand. Too many artists fall into this trap and end up losing their royalties and the rights to their music. Imagine going on so many tours, concerts and promo only for the record labels to be making millions while you’re left with spare cash. Unfortunately, this is the reality for so many artists throughout history including a variety of different famous artists. 

Sadly, history has shown that a lot of the time, Black artists are left facing the short end of the stick. It is without a doubt Black Americans influenced countless music genres ranging from rock and roll, blues, and jazz. Yet, many of these artists such as Little Richard were victims of poor contracts that left them forced to waive the rights to a variety of his classic songs at the start of his career. Fortunately, in his case, he regained his rights in the 1980s after a lawsuit settlement which further stresses the importance of fighting for your rights.

7. Streaming dominating the industry and creating complications

I am sure you heard of countless stories where an artist speaks out about streaming royalties. The case is always due to artists being signed to a label which makes it difficult for artists to gain their fair share of money in return for their views. 

This is made even more complicated when artists are signed under 5 album deals under a music industry that was still at a low point and is forced to continue making music with little return. 

To make it more clear, famous artists like Lil Uzi Vert, who made 8 million from one song, will only make around 2 million simply because of label complication.

Conclusion

In conclusion, music labels are becoming more and more complicated. As the internet evolves, there are more and more options for music artists to gain exposure through social media. Either way, it is crucial that artists make informed decisions before signing a label and begin research before signing off to a record label. 

Do you think record labels are still a viable option for artists in this day and age? Let us know in the comments!

By Itman Hassan

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Max Martin: How to Become The World's Top Music Producer

If you listened to pop music in the late 90s and 2000s then you’ve heard and loved a song by Max Martin.

It’s just an undeniable fact that Martin has influenced or directly been a part of a huge number of chart-topping hits from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Pink, and more. All that tallies up to over 50 top 10 hits since 1999 or 135 million single sales. 

But Max Martin isn’t the big-name celebrity you’d expect.

His personal band tracks only 1000 views on youtube (not that he's spending much time there these days) and he isn’t the sort of person that craves the spotlight.

Does any of this sound familiar? That’s because Max Martin is the second in a line of hugely successful producers that mentor each-other and welcome new talent instead of stymieing it. Denniz Pop (another unknown but amazing producer) mentored Max Martin just like Max Martin mentored Benny Blanco. 

If there’s one thing in common with all of these incredible producers, it’s that they are extraordinarily humble, especially in an industry known for its braggadocious bestsellers.

Making sure people like you is a surefire way to increase your chances of getting in the studio with talent, then it’s just a question of showing them what you can do. 

Background

To learn about Max Martin you have to go back in time to 1998. At 27 years old, Martin was already a part of the music industry, but tragically, that year his friend and aforementioned mentor Denniz Pop died. That same year however Martin made a breakthrough with his first top 100 charting single “...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears.

Then largely unknown, Britney Spears would continue to work with Martin and find even more success but it was actually with the Backstreet Boys, that Martin developed a special artistic relationship.

Since Martin started off as a singer, the vocal-heavy music from the Backstreet boys was right up his alley, and together they went far. Something consistent across many musical partnerships with Martin is that the more he knows the individual personally, the better their vocals will be.

Whether that is from a better idea of what works for the singer, a better working environment or a bit of both is unclear but one thing is for certain, when you make a song with Max Martin, you can be sure the vocals are the most important element. 

That’s not to say that a good singer needs to show off on the recording. Martin himself has stated that the greatest thing is when an amazing singer sings something very simple.

The producer's job is to convince them that doing something simple is enough and that they feel secure enough to just concentrate on telling the story. Through Martin’s music, this effect can be heard, but also seen, literally.

An analysis of some of his most popular songs revealed that there was an average of 4th-grade reading level in the lyrics. Easy to read, and easy to understand makes it all that more accessible to a wide audience, no surprise his songs are loved the world over. 

Keep it Simple

This simple philosophy traces back to the influences of Martin’s upbringing.

As a child he would listen to some of his parents’ favourite records, CCR, Elton John and The Beatles but not being able to speak English, instead, the melody became the most important aspect. 

This emphasis on simplicity has been with Martin ever since his first charting single in 1998 to today and it has been integral to his success as a musician. In pop music, this idea is even more important. Instead of a full song, sometimes you only have 30 seconds to get your point across. Therefore, those first few seconds are most important, think of it as a song ID.

If people don’t know what they're in for after those first few seconds, they are likely to tune out instead of stay on the dance floor and enjoy it. Again, these clear and short intros are ever-present through Martin’s chart-topping hits. In addition, to a quick intro, the chorus of the song (arguably the most catchy and memorable part) is also introduced extremely fast, with an average of only 31 seconds. 

Starting your song

But how does a song start? And this time I’m not referring to the introduction. I’m talking about that spark of inspiration that grows to be a masterpiece. According to Max Martin at the beginning of his career, it started out as an individual pursuit. 

Starting with the melody, the most important thing is catchiness. If you find it getting stuck in your own head, or humming along as you fall asleep then you know you have something that will resonate with others. Some melodies come while doing completely different activities like lying in bed or working out. Max Martin’s advice is that you need to record it while you can even if it means disturbing a great sleep. “You think that you’re gonna wake up the next day and remember it but you never do”, he reminisces.

Once you have that bit of gold, it’s important to not overthink it. A song can be overwritten, and only so much information you can fit in it without it getting confusing(more than 3-4 different parts). Use the one riff as much as you can, slight changes but always keeping it consistent. 

This philosophy is an example of what those in the industry call “Prince Theory”. Prince is one of Max Martin’s, self-reported, biggest influences and his ability to churn out catchy songs (a good chunk haven’t even been released! ) is almost unparalleled in the industry and it has clearly inspired Martin greatly. 

A good example of “Prince Theory” is the song Let’s go crazy, tracking at just under 4 minutes, it’s actually on the long end of a pop song, but it hides a genius secret that makes it just as catchy as a shorter one. If you listen closely you’ll notice that the verse melody is the same as the chorus melody, with only a variation in the pre-chorus, even the hook is the same as the verse! Find a good melody and make it sing as long as you can! This songwriting technique is seen again on another Max Martin track by Robyn, “Do You Know (What It Takes)”. 

There’s no one solution

Finding that melody, however, can still be a challenge. And although there are strategies and formulas that can help writer’s block or the process of arranging a song, Max Martin reminds us through his amazing interview for the Polar Music Prize that there is never going to be one best process. 

To get to the bottom of what makes pop songs work however you can always treat like a mechanic does a car engine. To find out how it works you have to open it up and take things apart to its basic element. Although it's not all math, and not all a formula, “what we have is a toolbox of problem-solving formulas,” says Martin. It has to come from inspiration in the beginning and sometimes writing isn’t a clear path, if you get stuck, then maybe it’s time to call on those theories for direction but at the end of the day, they are guidelines, not solutions.

Max Martin himself has struggled with this through his career. After an incredible debut and a couple of years defining the pop music genre all on his own, in 2001-2002 he closed his studio and stopped making so many hits, in part because he had a daughter, but also because he seemed to have lost the key.

His songs weren’t charting the way they used to and for a brief while, Martin was convinced that everyone else’s taste was wrong and he was right. In retrospect, this seems out of touch, no one person can define what is a good song and what’s not, and he learned over those years that he could be wrong as well. The world had moved on and music had changed.

New players on the pop music scene had started making their mark so Max Martin went back to the basics. He started listening to some new music, examining its basic components and moved to New York. It’s clear that this time was spent well when he came back to the charts in 2004 with “Since you’ve been gone” Kelly Clarkson and a  whole new Indie rock influence.

Try something new

This adjustment proved that sometimes, in order to change you need to impose new limitations on your self. During this time, Max Martin moved to New York and tried to learn guitar while stuck in a hotel room. Having just a drumming background, Martin is not the multiinstrumentalist virtuoso you might expect, so without having a strong background he didn’t know what each chord was and had to go entirely by ear. Similar to how vocal melodies were especially important due to not understanding the language (at first) this forced Martin to write guitar melodies that were simple yet still beautiful, nothing could be hidden. 

From then on the guitar was very present in his music and it worked to revitalize his career in a huge way. Giving yourself fewer options to write, whether that be an unfamiliar instrument or random word generator can force you to write better melodies instead of making this too complicated. In the words of Max Martin himself, “Less is More”, write something simple that is still interesting and unique. 

These days Max Martin is still going strong, still taking risks, making things that sound totally different and new. He has stated that a big source of motivation is to keep innovating and working with new talent. Surrounding yourself with people who motivate and challenge you, force you to evolve, because after all, stagnation is the worst thing an artist can do. 

Conclusion

“I think every creative person has an ego but you really have no choice but to let other people’s talent touch you and inspire you, because if you don’t then what’s the point.” -Max Martin

Collaboration, innovation and working with simplicity is the name of the game for Max Martin’s biggest hits. Once you’ve identified these pillars of success you’ll find them everywhere in his songs, and most modern pop music. 

So much more can be said about Martin but to really get inspired you just have to get familiar with his music. Even someone who does not typically listen to pop has so much to learn from this incredibly talented musician and producer. 

- By Erik Steiner

For more producer spotlights and music production tips of all varieties, be sure to keep up to date with what’s going on at Jony Studios through our blog or if you’re interested in learning about what we can do to take your sound to the next level, check out our services page. 

The Secret to Benny Blanco's Unique Chart-Topping Hits

Benny Blanco is the best new producer you may actually have heard of! Some industry giants never break through to the spotlight (usually out of choice) but recently Blanco hit the charts in name with Halsey and Khalid with their new single Eastside.

Not that it was Benny’s first experience with a chart topping hit. Quite the contrary, this oddball producer from North Virginia has a hand in everything from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Kesha, Taio Cruz, Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, Iggy Azalea and Kanye West. That would be an impressive list for any professional producer, now consider he’s done it all by the age of only 32. 

The secret to Benny Blanco’s success comes down to his incredible, infatuating friendliness. As he states himself, “I think maybe once or twice in my career, maybe, I’ve done a song with someone who’s not my friend.” When your work environment is filled with joy and good vibes, regardless of the industry, it’s no wonder you get something great. 

Despite all this, and his new place as the title artist on a track, Benny maintains he, “definitely [doesn’t] want to be famous at all.” 

Regardless of if you want to be the mastermind behind the scenes or at the centre of a mass of screaming fans, there is certainly a lot to be learned from Benny Blanco. 

How to Make a Remix

Making a remix can be a great way to get recognition from some of your favourite artists. If you make a great remix that catches the attention of the original artist, you might just get a valuable shoutout that can kick start some interest in your other work, but getting a remix right can be a tough job. 

In an interview with KiwiBox from 2008, Benny outlines his process for making a great remix that is something unique, but still pays tribute to the original. 

1. Start with the acapella

The first step to the process is just getting intimately familiar with each core element of the song, in pop this might be the chorus acapella or a funky guitar lick. Listening to this element on it’s own and in the song many times will start to get the creative juices flowing while understanding what actually makes the original so great. 

2. Take a break

This might seem counterintuitive, but amazing music doesn’t always flow right off the bat! Once you have the melody and some ideas in your head, sometimes the best thing is to just think about it for a while, take a short nap or refresh with a light snack before taking the producer chair with some new, fully formed ideas. 

3. Make it different

There is no one size fits all strategy to a good remix but generally you want to make it different, better but still familiar. For example, check out the difference between the original, and Benny Blanco’s remix of Katy Perry’s “I kissed a girl”. While taking elements of the original song, Benny chops them and adds familiar sounds with new melodies. Although it is still pop, the remix takes significant influence from neighbouring 90s dance music genres therefore being different, familiar and (arguably) better. 

Connect with who you’re working with

As stated before, Benny Blanco will say time and time again that (almost) everyone he works with is a good friend, “I never try to stress it, I go in and I have fun with my friends.” The trick, according to Blanco is to just let things happen naturally. 

Being able to connect with someone personally, and getting to know them outside the studio will go a long way to making a song that not only works but shows off everyones best quality. 

Not to say that it’s smooth sailing every day. Getting in the studio and laying out some ideas should be an incredible and fun process, but there are many aspects of song finishing that still need a nitty gritty and focused touch. 

“What I can do is meet an artist, know what type of song I think we should make and be their therapist, make everyone feel comfortable.” Benny Blanco.

The results should speak for themselves, including the legendary singles, Don’t by Ed Sheeran, and Love Yourself by Justin Beiber

Song Structure Buildup

Benny Blanco is a verified pop music master, and if you’re familiar with any pop music from the last 2 decades you’ll recognize the incredible energy that is carried throughout a song. 

A common misconception might be that the energy is held at a high level the whole time, but Blanco posits that as opposed to maintaining energy it is actually about a constant cycle. 

Starting with energy is classic pop music trope but it’s often a good idea to include a brief interlude before the chorus where the energy dips slightly and the mix gets wider creating a moment of calm (think of it like the eye of a hurricane). Shortly thereafter however, in comes the chorus with the highest point of energy in the song before returning to the verse to its original point and a slow buildup once again. 

As Blanco himself puts it, “it’s not so much what you hear, it’s so much the feeling it gives you.”

Sound Different

While it is still important for a song to be captivating and relatable as Blanco states, “There continuously has to be something exciting to the ear.” Similar to his advice on song structure, you have to be able to catch people’s attention within the first 10 seconds and hold it for a full 3 minutes. Even the man himself muses that he only really skims through the 100 songs he downloads a day until something really catches his ear. 

Another way to think about it is in the form of a 3 hour DJ set compressed into 3 minutes. Each subsection of buildup, verse, chorus, and drop is itself split into subsections and constantly projecting what to expect from the next part while staying fresh. “You can’t just flow things, it has to be like ‘Bam’.” Says Blanco. 

The idea of sounding different extends to the instruments used during a song as well. Although he might be making pop, Benny Blanco is always trying to find new and interesting instruments that will give that exciting ear catching vibe just mentioned. Adding sounds and elements that may even be slightly out of tune will give your songs a much more interesting character, especially when surrounded by music created entirely in the box with all perfect pitch. 

As Blanco puts  it, “I just wanna use things where when people hear it, theyre like, I’ve never heard that!”

Conclusion

“My style is different every day” - Benny Blanco

When you’ve made a career producing huge pop hits over and over with some of your best friends, it can be hard to pinpoint just one thing that makes you different. Indeed, every one of these tips contribute to Benny Blanco’s incredible success up till now and without a doubt, far into the future. 

One thing that cannot be ignored however, despite how humble Blanco may be, is just how important his awesome work ethic is to his success.

Back in the Myspace days when Blanco was still trying to get a footing he would not stop working towards his dream despite countless failed phone calls with label execs, pretending to be artists lawyers and even sleeping on couches in New York just to get that moment of face to face time with someone that makes industry decisions.

In retrospect it is easily all worth it, having glowing references from almost every artist including Kanye West and even John Janick, CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M. 

For all of us still in the grind however, it’s all too easy to be discouraged. You might have all the necessary components of a successful song, but if no one hears it (or more importantly, the right people don’t hear it) it will never get off the ground. Collabing, working with and making friends with “people who are much better” (in Blanco’s words) is essential to breaking through into this amazing, but sometimes unforgiving, world of popular music. 

- By Erik Steiner

If you want to listen to Jony and Erik discuss more about Benny Blanco and tips on how to succeed in the music industry listen to the Jony Studios Podcast Episode 8 here:

If you’re interested in hearing more amazing production and audio engineering tips make sure to keep up with our industry spotlight series and all other blogs on our website.  

Furthermore, if you are interested in elevating your music career through professional mixing and mastering check out the many services we provide at Jony Studios.