What makes an artist valuable?

For this blog I asked the question, what do you want to know about the music industry? The answer I got was what makes an artist valuable and what makes money and for who? As many know the music industry can be very complex. The exact answer can vary depending on who answers the question and what they actually do in the industry.

What makes an artist most valuable is their ability to preform. If the artist is a singer, they need to be really good at singing. If they are a guitar player, they need to be really good at playing the guitar. Just like any other job. They have places to be and need to interact with people. So being on time and treating others around you good is important. Having the willingness to continue to learn and advance with the industry as it changes. Not only do record labels look at your performance but they also look at your personal life. They want to know if your responsible with finances as well as the type of activities you participate with off stage. They want to know that you will represent their company with a positive image and attitude. Nobody wants bad publicity.

There are several things that can make money for an artist. The first thing that can make money for an artist and most obvious is making an album and selling it. The funds from albums sales are split between all people involved. That usually includes songwriters other than the artist, the artist, producer, record label, and or the publishing company. It all depends on the contracts you sign, who owns the copyrights, and who creates the material. TV and radio royalties will be split in a similar matter as album sales. Also when dealing with digital media a percent usually goes to the website hosting it. Examples of these types of sites are Pandora, ITunes, and Spotify. Most artists make a majority of their money from touring. Although there are fees for renting a venue, sound systems, stagehands, and marketing, the artist will usually make plenty of money as long as people like their music. Other avenues of income are merchandise or public appearances. You won’t make a living from them but they sure can help bring in extra cash. One main point to all this is to hire an entertainment lawyer to make sure that you as the artist are being treated fairly and get what you deserve.

Career Advice on becoming a music producer.