IS THE MUSIC BUSINESS TRYING TO KEEP YOU OUT?

I can’t count the number of times that songwriters have complained to me about how the music business was trying to keep them out or the industry doesn’t welcome them as it should. These writers believe that the people already in the music business spend their time devising ways to prevent newcomers from breaking into the business. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the complete opposite is closer to reality. The newcomers are one of the most valuable “things” in the industry and most of big boys in the business are more than happy to introduce the next big player to the game and become the hero!

People in the music business survive by finding new talent. Their livelihood and longevity depend on it. And the competitive nature of the business creates a system in which people love to be the ones who discover the best new thing. Powerful people in the music business are actively looking for great songs, writers and artists. ​

Because the existing ones are already doing what they are doing, and good newcomers can add value to the business of labels and producers. Thinking that the big guys are siting there and trying to block the road for newcomers is an absolute mistake – or maybe it’s like a defensive system for the ones who get rejected.
 
Why do so many people get the impression that they are being kept out of the business? Most of the time, it’s because they don’t have an accurate perception of the quality of their songs or their performance. They have been told by family and friends that they are amazing. They get good responses from the hometown crowd. But they don’t realize that they’ve been playing in the minor leagues and the major league is a whole different ballgame. For being in the actual industry you will need approval more than your grandmother or your best friend telling you that your song is good. You need your song to be great and to be approved by the professionals in the industry.

If you give them something better than what they already have, you are almost guaranteed to make the team. Beside my great love for basketball, it also is a good reference for proofing my point here. It’s one thing to be the best player at your high school. But that doesn’t mean that you are ready for the NBA.  The NBA isn’t trying to keep you out – they continually need new great players. But, if you try out for a major team and you are not competitive with the players already in the league, you won’t get drafted. Simple as that. It doesn’t matter how good your family and friends think you are. It even doesn’t matter if you won the state championship in high school or if you were a standout player in college. All that matters is that you are capable and competitive enough with the people who are already in the league. You have to be perceived as being as good or better than those players if you want a shot. If they think you are as good as the other players, you might get a shot. But they’ve already got players at your level. To really get the best shot, you’ve got to give them something they don’t have or be better than what they already have. If you give them something better than what they already have, you are almost guaranteed to make the team.
That’s the way the music business works as well. If you bring in songs that are not quite up to the level that someone already has, they won’t be interested. Would you be? If you bring them songs or an artist that are as good as the ones they already have, they might be interested – but they already have what you’ve got. The only way to guarantee interest is to bring them something better than what they already have.
 
The answer is always to write better songs. If you aren’t getting interest in your music from music business professionals, the answer is always to write better songs. Always. With no exception. It’s the only thing you can control. And, if you learn to write songs consistently as good or better as the pros already in the league, you will get noticed. That’s the nature of the game. As I always said, write better songs every day and pitch it the right way to the right people and sit back and watch the magic happening.

Author

Hangi Tavakoli is our in-house established and professional music producer with more than 15 years of experience in songwriting, music production, mix and mastering. He has produced more than 1500 and written more than 3000 published songs to-date, including some major hits in international scale.