ORIGINS OF THE MODERN MUSIC INDUSTRY BASEMENT BEGINNINGS While it may be big business the majority of people who work in the music industry do not earn a lot of money For every star earning millions in music sales and concert tours there are hundreds of thousands of others who get by on passion and enthusiasm alone The Journey Begins Most bands singers and rappers started out in the same way with a love of music a bit of talent and a burning ambition to make a career out of it No one is successful overnight and behind every big star is a story of humble beginnings Many have sung for nothing at local clubs or formed a band with their friends Fifty Years on the Road Success doesn't always come quickly Famous American blues musician Seasick Steve above spent 50 years as a musician before he got his big break Steve was born in 1941 but didn't record his breakthrough debut album until 2006 when he was 65 years old For much of his life he has traveled around the United States doing odd jobs on farms and playing occasional solo gigs to earn a living It wasn't until he moved to Europe in 2001 that he was finally discovered and offered a recording contract
the beginning of a journey to the very top Lady Gaga was in an unsuccessful band in New York City for two years before she was signed to a record label The members of U2 got their break following several years of hard work in their hometown of Dublin Local Legends There are music scenes in almost every major town and city around the world These scenes are the lifeblood of the music industry without them there would be no music industry at all These local circuits of concert venues clubs recording studios and rehearsal rooms are the breeding ground for many future stars These scenes exist to entertain music fans but also to help fine tune the skills of aspiring music stars Hard Slog Very few musicians ever make a decent living out of their passion For some their dreams will be just that dreams But for others success in their hometown is just The Scoop Some small music venues become world famous for giving bands their big break Following the success of The Beatles in the 1960s Liverpool's Cavern Club became a go to destination for record Label talent scouts from London They thought they would find other bands they could turn into stars Several bands were signed but none were as successful as The Beatles Before they make it big bands must first build up a loyal following of fans on the Internet or in their hometown
ORIGINS OF THE MODERN MUSIC INDUSTRY DISCOVERED The music industry needs a steady flow of fresh talent to create potential stars Because of this record label executives concert promoters and talent scouts are always on the lookout for new artists and sounds Often it is the local music scene to which they look for inspiration All About the Buzz If a band becomes popular in the local music scene it will likely be asked to play gigs around the country The band then may begin to attract the attention of record labels A buzz about the new group may then develop whether on the Internet in underground music circles or both When this happens a record label may send a talent scout to watch the band at a gig in its hometown Scouting for Bands Talent scouts are traditionally employed by record labels and music management companies They are looking for bands that have that rare combination of an exciting sound attitude and look B CCC Talent scouts have a wide knowledge of music and are experts in spotting would be stars Many bands dream of being watched by a talent scout because it means they could earn a recording contract potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars Bands may only get one chance to impress a talent scout so their live performances have to be top quality
Sending demo CDs to radio DJs is a great way for new artists to get their music heard by a wider audience Demo Derby Some artists are signed to record labels after sending in a demo This is a homemade CD of songs designed to showcase the band's talents It is sometimes given away for free at gigs Now many aspiring artists also post their demos on websites such as Facebook MySpace and SoundCloud in a bid to get discovered The Scoop The indie rock stars Arctic Monkeys famously hit the big time on the back of online success Record labels noticed how many times their songs had been downloaded for free on the My Space website Do It Yourself There are other ways to get noticed and score a recording contract In dance music for example many artists self release their music This means they sell it themselves They usually release tracks on vinyl records or as downloads through online stores such as Bandcamp If their music sells well and makes an impact established record labels may offer them a contract Radio Stars Many radio stations support new talent by giving up and coming artists vital time to attract the attention of labels National Public Radio NPR has a program called All Songs Considered that features lesser known artists Plenty of smaller local radio stations try to play tracks by bands from their area Bands send their songs to radio stations and some may get attention
