A little bit of Producer "Game"

Hungry, inexperienced producers ask me questions all the time. A lot of the time the questions are the same. Therefore I am going to bless you all with a few gems that I have picked up during my time working in the industry. Feel free to entirely disagree.

Today, I want to address the issue of approaching major artists to shop tracks/demos. This only applies to up-and-coming producers/songwriters. Obviously established producers play by a different set of rules.

There are many ways to do it, some are right, some are wrong, and some are downright idiotic. For instance, DO NOT figure out where the artist’s session is and randomly show up at the studio. I have no idea why people think this a good idea, but it happens all the time. It is a bad approach for several reasons:

1. You are interrupting the session. What if that artist was in the middle of writing his or her biggest smash to date, and you randomly show up and blow the vibe by making things awkward or simply interrupting the thought process or flow of the song?

2. Major artists use major studios and become comfortable in the vibe. The reason they are comfortable is because they are sitting in a room for long periods of time with people they know/work with. If you enter unexpectedly, you are changing that. Sometimes the vibe is extremely delicate.

3. When you show up unannounced to a session, you are displaying the following attributes: You are unaware of universally known studio etiquette (therefore you are obviously not “in” the industry), you are a low-level producer (otherwise you would have found a more professional way to shop your songs), and you are that guy that is going to make everyone look at each other as soon as you leave, and be like, “What the fuck? Who does that?”

DON’T be that guy.

So, how do you do it then, you ask? Well, there are several ways that make sense.

1. The first, and probably the best, is having a manager. A good manager has plenty of contacts and will be able to get you into sessions when you are needed or set up meetings for you to play your songs. Most managers get paid when you get paid, therefore its not going to cost you money up front and they will be motivated to make you money.

2. The second way is by building relationships in the industry, and I recommend this to EVERYBODY. This takes a lot of time and effort, but will pay off exponentially. Just think, if you were an artist, whose track would you rather use? The guy who gave you a CD in the club (that you never listened to) while you were trying to get some top from a video model, or the producer who your manager/A&R/assistant/engineer/lawyer/friend/baby-mama-sister-uncle-cousin personally knew, vouched for, and set you up to meet with?

Not only that, but when are you more likely to listen to a track? After the club when you are drunk and trying to fuck something, or in the studio when you are already in work mode (or atleast trying to be) and looking for a track to write to?

Network all the time (in the right place at the right time), display a sparkling personality, and you will begin knowing people who know people who know people.

3. Utilize the Internet. One thing I have noticed in sessions is that almost every major artist has a Twitter account. YES, they are the ones tweeting. Now, a superstar with a 2,000,000 followers on twitter might be a little tough to get a hold of. But what about their manager? Assistant? Engineer? You can usually find out who these people are by reading their tweets, too. Be resourceful. Also, don’t spam these people or be annoying or creepy. Be professional about it, and respect everyone’s time.

Side-note: I recommend the use of twitter (and other social networks) to make acquaintances and build relationships, not to immediately overload everyone you meet with tracks. Take your time. A lifetime friendship and business relationship will do a lot more for you than sending a few tracks. Plus, they will probably think better of your music after you make a good impression on them as a person.

I hope this helps. Until next time…
-ZS