Before you go any further, you need to define what “making it” is. Even with the technology leveling out the playing field between the major labels and the indie artists, you would be amazed at the number of indie Christian music artists that come to me asking to be pitched to the major labels. Why is that? Let’s think about this for a moment.

Option 1: The major label fronts you (the artist) a big advance to have the album recorded. You (the artist) sign a contract for an 85/15 deal. Then, the advance must be paid back out of your 15% before you ever see another dime. Option 2: The independent artist raises the funds necessary to record, distributes it online through their website and through iTunes, works hard to promote the new album, then starts gigging. The artist gets 100% of their sales with this option, not 15%. With either option, the artist is going to pay to have their music recorded, so why would you want to give away 85% of the sales to the major labels?

Now that you have that knowledge, do you still want to sign with a major label? If your reason to sign a major label deal is simply because it is the “easy way” to accomplish your goals, you are mistaken. Whether you go the major label route or go at it independently, it is going to take a lot of hard work. If you are not willing to work hard, then you might as well reconsider your dream. God does not honor a lazy artist.

Check out this formula for success. Knowledge from Man + Smart Written Goals + Wisdom from God + Sweat Equity = Success. Now, let’s go back to defining what “making it” or “success” is. Obviously, most Christian artists and bands have a mission to uplift the body of Christ and to draw those who do not know Christ to a saving knowledge of Christ. Usually, their ultimate goal is to reach a larger platform with a national or international audience so they can accomplish their mission on a larger scale. If that is truly your desire and you have the God-given talent to do so, you can do so independently. So, what does it take?

Knowledge from Man

You may have an incredible singing voice. You may have great songs. But, if you don’t have them produced and recorded properly, you will have a hard time making it on a national or international scale. With the shift in the industry, the major producers have decided that it is in their best interest to help really talented independent artists if they are to continue making their mortgage payment. Most have rates now that are much more affordable. It is imperative that you have recordings that are well-produced and commercial or you will not get radio airplay or bookings on a larger scale. If funds are an issue and you can not do a full CD, just consider doing an EP of 3 to 5 songs. It is much better to have a 3-song CD that is well-produced and recorded than to have a 10-song CD that sounds … not so well-produced and recorded.

“Once the CD is complete, how do I get major airplay? Didn’t you already say it is impossible to get airplay?” No. I only said that it is almost impossible to get airplay on the major Christian AC stations. However, out of the 1000 and some odd Christian radio stations across the country, there are only around 100 that are Christian AC. The other formats in Christian radio (CHR, Rock, and INSPO) will consider independent singles. Even with all four formats in Christian radio, there are still only around 200 stations out of 1000 that are major reporting stations last I heard. So, don’t get bent out of shape when K _ _ _ _ in your town won’t play your single. Switch ponds if the fish aren’t biting! There are plenty of fish and plenty of ponds. It is possible for a Christian music artist to release a single and get well over 100 radio stations to play your song. Check out our news page to see how many radio stations are playing our artists.

“How do I know which producer to use, which radio promoter to use, which stations to pitch to, who to use for booking, and how to sell my CD?” This is where a good manager comes in. If you are talented enough to go national and it is God’s calling for your life, you are going to need a good manager whether you are major or independent. A good manager will know who to hire to produce your CD, promote your songs, and book you. A good manager will have the knowledge, experience, and connections necessary to oversee your ministry and ensure that you are moving forward in your goals.

“What do I look for in a good manager?” When you get signed by a manager, you will be in it for the long haul, so get one you know you will get along with. Look at their credentials, reputation, and track record. That speaks volume. If you are a Christian artist, it helps to have a manager that aligns with your ministry goals. The manager will likely want to interview you prior to signing you. Don’t be afraid to interview the manager. Also, don’t sign the contract unless you feel 100% sure that it is God’s will for your life. Having the right manager can make the difference in your success.

Smart Written Goals

Once you find a good manager, he/she will likely ask you to sit down with him/her and write down your goals as well as a target date for each goal. It is very important to write down your short term and long term goals and keep them where you will see them daily. If you live in Arkansas and want to travel to the sunny beaches of Florida, you will need a map. You have that vision of Florida. That’s why you want to go. But, you need the road map so you can reach your final destination. Your written goals are your road map to your God-given dreams and visions.

Wisdom from God

Pray daily. Read your Bible daily. Open your heart to Him and share with Him what you are feeling. You will have up days. Share those with Him. You will have down days. Share those with Him. If you do this, He will guide you and give you the wisdom to make the right choices. Praise Him for the accomplishments in your life. Surround yourself with Godly uplifting friends. Seek Godly council from your Pastor. Put together a team of prayer warriors who will commit to pray for your ministry and those you reach.

Sweat Equity

When I interview someone for consideration to be included on the roster of artists I manage, I always tell them that I work as hard for my artists as I expect them to work for themselves. A person that never does any more than they get paid for never gets paid for more than they do. It’s just as important to work smart as it is to work hard. If you only work hard without working smart, you will get nowhere. It takes the right combination of working hard and working smart to succeed. After all, isn’t that what sweat equity is? Sweat is formed when you work hard and equity is the effort made to increase the value of something.

It is important to invest into your ministry. If you are truly doing your music ministry for the right reason, you should have no problem investing. After all, is it not the Lord’s work that you are investing in? Most creative types I know simply don’t have the extra cash laying around to invest into their ministry. This is where the hard and smart work comes in. You must work at raising funds just like a Missionary would when he is raising funds to go into the mission field. There is no difference between that Missionary and you. You are a Missionary and music is a tool. Sweat equity can help you raise the fund necessary to invest into your mission.

Final Thoughts

“Let me guess. This is where you will tell me to approach you about managing my music ministry.” Nope. Honestly, we already get somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand submission requests per year. I don’t mind that, but when we do have a spot available for a new artist, we do a lot of sorting to get to just the right artist that fits our roster and mission. However, I am open to consult artists even if they don’t fit into our roster for management. I can still provide ideas of where to record, where to get radio airplay, where to get your CD’s manufactured, how to get your songs on iTunes, and how to get bookings. Feel free to e-mail me any time! The best way to reach me is by e-mailing mclaughlinmusicgroup@gmail.com.

I hope this series of blog posts has been beneficial. I would love to see your comments.

Blessings,
Jeff McLaughlin

The major Christian record labels seem to be decreasing while the independent Christian record labels seem to be increasing. The lines between the major labels and the independent labels are starting to fade. When you walk into your local Christian book store, you will notice that the music department is shrinking while the book department is growing. What is causing such a drastic change? Are people not buying Christian music any more?

Technology is the primary reason for the change. Consumers are still buying music, but CD sales are decreasing while digital music sales are increasing. Technology has not only changed the way music is being bought, but also the way music is made. At one time, an individual could not afford to record an album on their own without the backing of a major label. However, that’s not the case anymore! Anyone can record in someone’s spare bedroom studio with equipment that costs less than the price of a full album produced and recorded in Nashville… so long as they have the right knowledge and skills to go along with the technology.

With independent artists, distribution deals are no longer necessary when songs can be set up for sale on iTunes, MySpace, the artist’s website, etc. This allows a person to replicate fewer CD’s to sell at live concerts and ministry opportunities… and instead, sell digital music internationally right from their own website. How cool is that?

Technology has also changed the way an independent artist can market their new album. With e-mail blasts, social networking, and internet-based press releases, you can reach your fans without the necessity of spending lots of money on television advertising, radio advertising, and print advertising.

The playing field between the major label and the independent artist has been leveled. Why would anyone want to sign an 85/15 major label deal when the major label is no longer needed? Sure, they can give you a nice fat cash advance to record your album, but remember that you still have to pay that advance back to the major label with your 15% of the sales. That’s right. You will not see another dime of the music sales until the advance is paid back out of your 15%. Ouch!

Ok, but how can I, the independent artist, survive in this huge music world that was once controlled by the major labels? I’m glad you asked. That will be covered in my third and final blog post in this series. But first, I would love to hear your stories about technology and how it has changed your life in the Christian music world. I look forward to your comments.

Blessings,
Jeff

Just out of curiosity, I recently joined the music advisory panel for one of the largest Christian adult contemporary (AC) radio networks in the US. When I received my first survey, this is what I found. I opened the first page of songs to evaluate. Every single one of the songs were from major label artists. That’s right, not one of those songs to be evaluated were from an independent Christian music artist or band. Well, I went down through the first page of the survey and evaluated each song. Out of the nineteen songs, I only gave two of them a 4 or 5 out of 5. I rated the rest with only a 2 or a 3. I’m sorry, but the rest all sounded alike to me … almost as if they were cookie-cutter songs.

I clicked on page two of the survey. Maybe they will have some independent songs on this page! Nope. This page contained eleven more songs. However, they were major label songs that were brought back from 10 to 20 years ago. Hmmmmmm. But, here is the interesting thing. I rated them much higher than those in the first page. Each song was more unique and in my opinion, better quality. It reminded me of the reason I listened to Christian AC radio then and don’t so much any more.

All of this got me to thinking. Are major Christian radio stations running of out music? If so, why don’t they start considering more independent music rather than bringing back some of the old music? Are the major labels putting pressure on these stations? If anyone out there has any insight into this then by all means, leave a comment!

Anyway … let’s move on. I contacted two friends who work in the radio world as song promoters. One works primarily with independent Christian music artists and the other primarily with major Christian music artists. I asked both the same question: In all of your experience and time working in Christian radio land, has there ever been an independent artist or band that has had a song played on the AC radio network that I had mentioned before? I received my first response from the promoter that works primarily with independent artists. His response was a one-word response … “None.” That’s interesting.

The promoter that works primarily with major label artists has been involved in the industry for several years longer than the other. I expected him to list several, but he could only think of three independent artists that were played by this radio network over the years. Again, that’s very interesting.

So, this all brings me back to my original questions. Are major Christian radio stations running of out music? If so, why don’t they start considering more independent music? I am really looking forward to your comments.

Blessings,
Jeff

No doubt, the music industry is changing daily. What is causing such a drastic change? How does this affect Christian music artists? Whether you are a major label Christian music artist or an independent Christian music artist, it has, does, and will affect you. The next three blog posts will be about the state of the industry. I am not just posting these for everyone to read, but also to read your thoughts. Please do involve yourself by posting your comments. I look forward to it!

Blessings,
Jeff

We have a constant desire to better ourselves for the growth of our artists and the betterment of the industry. As we have grown over the past several years, we naturally outgrew our old website. Welcome to MMGI 2.0! :)

In addition to the face lift, we have made sure to add the function of a blog, right up front on the website. This can be found on the “home” page, and I invite everyone to stop by once in a while and catch up on things. By staying on the same page, we can make sure to maintain constant and consistent growth and impact, both individually and as a body of believers. With God, all things are possible.

In Him,
Jeff

PS: Special thanks to Shawn Weston for the new website design and direction!