A major label record deal – The dream that millions of musicians chase every day, praying for the moment when a major label exec will come and sweep them from the bottom and launch them into stardom. The sad and harsh reality is that only a small percentage (and I mean VERY small) will get signed to a major label deal.

Not only that, but out of that small percentage, an even SMALLER percentage go on to becoming a superstar. I hate to say it, but it’s reality – a reality that many musicians just don’t understand or grasp, unfortunately. BUT – This doesn’t mean you should give up your music career. In fact, that would be foolish of you. Why? Because you can make it on your own!

When I say making it “on your own”, I’m talking about going the independent route with your music. With the digital age we live in, getting your music distributed digitally across the internet has become easier than ever, not to mention cost effective. Think about it – Would a record label give you a considerable advantage with promotion and marketing on a massive scale? Absolutely.

However, after all of the expenses you have to recoup, how much money do you think you would see from your album sales? Either very little or absolutely nothing. As an independent artist selling your own music and representing yourself, after a few minor expenses, you earn 100% of your album sales.

And you don’t have to worry about selling thousands of copies to “break even” or worry about recouping costs. In fact, you could sell 10,000 copies of an album and probably come out better than the other guy on a major label who just sold 500,000.

I think you already know where I’m heading with this, but I’m going to give you 3 quick reasons on why I think independent is the way to go:

1) You are your own boss

I think this is truly one of the most important things when it comes to your music. You don’t have to create the music labels force you to create. You get to build your brand the way that YOU want to. When it comes to your music and your marketing approach, you only need to answer to yourself.

2) You can make more money distributing music yourself

Like I said above – one of the greatest advantages of being signed on a major label is getting exposure on a massive scale, but that doesn’t always translate to more money in your pocket. By being an independent artist, you make 100% of what you sell (minus any small expenses that you put in).

Nowadays, record labels are doing more “360 deals”, which means rather than just taking money from album sales, they are taking percentages of your live shows, merchandise, ringtones and more! By doing everything yourself, while not the easiest path traveled, you can put a lot more money in your pocket.

3) You can act fast on any level

Major labels can’t adjust to change as quick as an indie label or indie artist. They have to go through various people and contracts in order to for certain changes to take effect. As an independent artist, you can adjust to changes quickly, which works to your advantage. This not only saves you time and hassle, but also saves you some extra coin in the long run.

Remember this: Having those dreams of becoming a superstar isn’t something you should quit thinking about. You CAN become a superstar – it doesn’t take a major label to make it happen. There are so many artists out there who started out independently and grew to become some of the biggest acts in the world.

And if you ever come to a point someday where you are one of those few who get offered a major label deal, your success as an independent act will help you negotiate a better deal, if you so decide to take it (although some acts realize that they don’t need any major label deal or label backing once they reach a certain level of success).

This is the age of the independent artist. There is no substitute for hard work. Put in the work and you WILL see results!

To learn more about the music business and get more tips on the music industry, visit MusicBizResource.com.

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