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“Old School” Vs “New School”...

Music Biz: A Tale of 2 Record Deals
“Old School” Vs “New School” by Attorney Robert Celestin

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Music Biz: A Tale of 2 Record Deals
“Old School” Vs “New School” by Attorney Robert Celestin

It’s been a crazy (but blessed) couple of months in that I was able to negotiate two (2) record deals with two (2) major record labels.

The first deal was for a three (3) girl group called “Screw Destiny” (“SD’) (it’s not what you think!) with LA Reid at Epic Records.

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I consider this an example of the “Old School” method of getting a record deal in that LA Reid decided to sign the girls on the strength of two (2) factors:

1. Relationship

– LA Reid knew and had a working relationship with my client Tse Williams. Tse managed the successful recording groups “3LW” and “The Cheetah Girls” back in the day. As a result of her relationship with LA and her track record, she was able to set up a showcase for the girls at Epic Records.

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2. Hit Records

– Even though SD had been assembled only seven (7) months prior by Tse and they had not yet amassed a substantial online fan base, they were extremely talented (i.e., they each could sing); extremely attractive; well-rehearsed (great choreography); and the three (3) songs they performed at the showcase were bona-fide HIT RECORDS!

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LA Reid was so impressed by SD’s performance and the records that he told me and Tse to immediately go meet with Epic’s attorney to negotiate the terms of a record deal for SD right then and there! In other words, he literally “forbade” us from leaving the building without a record deal being signed that same day – and it was! This type of record deal was clearly a throwback to the “good old days” of the music business (i.e., pre-Napster.com) when record label executives signed artists on the strength of their “ears” and “gut” instincts.

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Contrast that with the second record deal I negotiated for a Brooklyn, N.Y. based rapper named “Desiigner”. Desiigner’s record deal is representative of the “New School” method of getting signed to a record label in that he released a single entitled “Panda” on social media (i.e., Facebook, Soundcloud, YouTube, etc.) which quickly went “viral”.

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Soon thereafter, local N.Y. DJ’s started playing the record in clubs and on the radio and then my phone started ringing… a lot! Every (and I mean “every”) record label called me in a bid to sign Desiigner to their record label. A “bidding” war ensued with Kanye West’s record label, G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam eventually becoming the victor.

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Sadly, the “Old School” record deals are no longer the norm and are far and few in between. The “New School” record deals in which the artist has to first build a fan base and “buzz” to ultimately attract the attention of a record label is now the norm in the music industry and will be for the foreseeable future.

So, if you’re a new artist looking to get signed to a record deal, stay tuned because I will be releasing some free training videos on “How to Really Get Signed to a Record Deal in Today’s Music IndustryVERY SOON!

Keep an eye out!

Peace,
Bob Celestin

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Source: Robert A Celestin, Attorney at Law

Link: http://www.raclawfirm.com/a-tale-of-2-record-deals%E2%80%A8old-school-vs-new-school/

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