There is nothing wrong with signing a major deal as long as you understand that the major is a investor and is the one who will be taking the ultimate sacrafice by risking there money and time trying to turn you into a household name. All those people working your record at radio,magazines,and tv, the legal dept,the clearance dept,the promotion dept, the person who books your flight,ground transportation, and hotels, the most inportant people the sales staff selling your records making these chain stores and 1 stops believe they better come big on there 1 week orders, and everybody else at the label besides the interns need to get paid as well. Its pure business tell me any company that makes less then the employee? A major taking some of your publishing is no diffrent then if you signed a publishing deal because there going to take a % of your money as well why cuz like the record company you took there advancement and you now work for them too. Now days majors on newer talent are not spending alot of money on these projects and want you to sign a 360 deal. I agree with the 360 deal only for new artist not for artist who are resigning there deal or leaving a label and going elsewhere. For the simple reason that the artist and former label or curent label there resigning to already paid alot of money to brand his/her/there name and image. A 360 deal is where the major gets a % of everything from concerts,guest apperances,publishing,merchandise, and everything else you make money from using your music image.
So the biggest pro to signing a major is you may be the next big star and I am not talking about a 2 hit wonder im talking 50 cent, busta,jay,outkast, and snoop.
Biggest con is you lose time and stress that you will not get back if you do not succeed.
Again remember these artist that sign becomes employees no matter what type of deal they have cuz once you take .01 cent from the label you are in debt and you need to find a way to pay it back. These labels sign you your not signing them unless there is a major bidding war think E-40 going to jive in 1993.
In the real world except for the lottery,lawsuits,inhertence and trust funds it takes alot of money to make alot of money. If you really want to operate and beat the majors you need a budget of atleast 150k nothing smaller to make a decent album and create a demand for it. There are some good albums made out here in the bay from a small budget but it stops there cuz there are no real funds to create a supply and demand. If you think 20k budget is going to make you some superstar money on your own then your crazy. Yes you can sell 6k units at city hall for $7 and gross 56k but remember thats not your actual net.Today there are only a few and I mean a number u can count on your hands who are selling over 10k units today in the bay. So with that said you could make more signing to a major by getting your advancement money then selling a poorly funded indi album with no mainstream hit cuz theres no publishing from it anyways. Plus the majors already spent the money marketing your name and you will now be better off now going independent.
Why do bay area artist all want deals?? Easy who really has that 150k to make a album to make you that superstar artist who you believe you are????
