5 Reasons 98% of Producers NEVER Get Signed

[@catsfromspace]

So inspiring!! Number #5 really hit me hard. I've given up before, but decided to start again when the pandemic hit. Now making this a hobby instead of focusing on the "end result" is helping a lot. It's all about the journey, and not the final destination. :)

[@Chunda8]

I have a friend that is somewhat of a cautionary tale. He's a profoundly gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist with a phenomenal ear and a talent for the engineering side as well. The music is heartbreaking in a way to listen to- it's well crafted, well-executed, thoughtful without obvious mistakes. But, he's lazy, arrogant, egotistical and impervious to any feedback from more successful people. THe music is missing that magic something that makes people reach in their pocket for records and tickets, there is no real star-power or distinct sound to it that grabs your attention. It just needs that little extra umph, better production and session guitarists. The consequence is that you keep your dayjob. You won't be playing festivals. You won't be touring. My friend will be cutting hair for the rest of his career and those of us that know him know it and hate that. Some of us are lucky to have or be on track to a good dayjob verging on a career...others not so much. Humility will have its rewards I suspect.

[@hautboxxradio]

I keep starting tracks, get some good foundations, and then stop. I lose patients with it, and have been on and off for two years now. Great video, Will 👍🏽

[@EDMTips]

Yep...a common story! I've tried giving up once or twice, but always get pulled back

[@kevinstoneham1245]

As someone who started producing dance music back in the mid 90s, the one thing everyone has now that I didn’t back then was people like Will who can tutor you through this, particularly the technical side and where you are going wrong, Back then, there was no internet as such and other people who were in the know would be very tight when it came to help. We knew nothing about how to mix or master properly. Yet, with motivation we still released three tracks on white label and one of them got picked up by Sony to go on a compilation album, On that basis, people doing this now, with all the resources around should definitely not give up.

[@EDMTips]

100% agree with you, Kevin! Keep on producing and don't give up

[@AndiNovaOfficial]

5:50 RIP Submithub. It has turned into some kind of marketplace, now.

[@dullastonishment]

Liking the studio look! Big fan of the lighting logo on the side.

[@EDMTips]

Thanks! Glad you like :)

[@grahamefarmerdt]

This is a great video! I'd add get the pitch to the label right, keep it to the point, give the label the information about, you, what you've done previously and then one link with a 3/4 of the tracks you've carefully selected for the label. I'd deffo do the research on the label and listen back to their last 10 releases to see if your music is actually similar to what they are releasing. And, yes don't give up!!

[@EDMTips]

Great additional tips there, Grahame.....thank you!!

[@grahamefarmerdt]

@@EDMTips no worries matey, your video is slick btw! One day we will get that good 😊

[@Spaced_Invader]

1,3,5 for me, Honestly, I'm going to fire up my DAW after this vid. Yes, definitely got the fire in my belly... well... a tiny fire at this stage... Thanks again for the vid

[@EDMTips]

In the words of The Boss: "You can't start a fire without a spark"

[@Salkinmusic]

I learn from honest feedback and it’s also keeping me staying motivated to keep working!

[@EDMTips]

You know it! Keep up at it 💪

[@SlayerDarkRaver]

Quality content all around! Ive definitely done all 5 aswell 🥴 I can also wouch for the Accelerator class 👌 Awesome content, positive groups and godlike mentorship. It has taken my productions from "meh" to pretty cool!

[@EDMTips]

🙌😎

[@ikechiakwara6058]

I watched this whole video and I took in EVERYTHING thank you!

[@djpapakuma]

Great video, Will! I make many of these mistakes including producing too many genres, trying to be original, and not getting feedback. As it has it I haven’t released any music with a record label and only have 2 self released tracks after 20 years of what I would call dabbling.

[@EDMTips]

Choosing a genre is a quick way to improve faster. You don't have to choose one for the rest of your life but if you stick to one genre for a couple of months, you'll see how much quicker you improve

[@DiscoTuna]

The Accelerator program is the best course I have ever been on. As well as the course itself, with the weekly mentoring and well designed exercises, you get access to the live biweekly group discussion sessions. What's more these are recorded and searchable at a later date with access to mini videos discussions and walkthroughs of literally thousands of topics. Wanna find out about side chain compression, look up 20 times it has been talked about and walked through; how to mimic that lead from song x using Diva, chances are that's on there too; reverb tricks and how to"s, talked about 30+ times. The whole thing keeps growing as well. Such an awesome community too, many people on the community say it is their best part of the internet.

[@EDMTips]

Thank you! I'm really glad you're enjoying it. It's a lot of work to run it, but we love hearing the results! :)

[@bradn99]

Love your content Will and thanks for all the help! Would love to see an "In the style of" tutorial on CRi - "Never Really Get There" if you get the chance!

[@EDMTips]

Great suggestion!

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

i had half a dozen drum and bass releases in the 00s and then gave up . started producing ambient/techno in the 10s , had about a dozen releases and ..... gave up! ive been producing drum and bass again and have the first few releases coming out soon ..... won't give up this time . having said that a lot of people would have called it all a (small) success....

[@scientism2968]

Spot on. You're there on the screen for a good reason. Good job and thank you ;)

[@EDMTips]

You're welcome! 🙂

[@Chunda8]

Subbed! C'mon people we gotta get Will up above 100K. This channel is a great resource and I'm looking forward to the courses too.

[@EDMTips]

Much appreciated! 🙌🙏

[@josh.0]

very good advice all around. can apply easily to any artist industry. appreciate all the support you give people my man

[@EDMTips]

Thanks for commenting, and you're welcome!

[@gregoryyoung8819]

Thank you for the informative upbeat video. I remember hearing the story of Tom Scholz almost giving up and liquidating all of his equipment. Finally, after much frustration, someone in the music industry listened to his Demo. He got a deal and the world got an album called, "Boston."

[@EDMTips]

This is a great inspirational story! Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@Paul-gp5om]

Really helpful and insightful. I have fallen foul of all. Especially giving up. This video game along right when I needed it. Thanks bro

[@EDMTips]

We all have!

[@djstevekelley]

Brilliant video as always and absolutely key for us producers 🙏🏻

[@EDMTips]

Thanks Steve!

[@djstevekelley]

@@EDMTips love your channel Will. Huge Fan l, keep up the fab work learning loads.

[@EDMTips]

@@djstevekelley I really appreciate the support, man :) 🙌

[@marioptoledo]

Im quit off bc the colombian electronic scene its all about drugs and only promoters earn money, and bc the big artist of dnb suffers a lot with their egos... Now Im Into Trailer Music and I think this is fine!

[@amphetagrooves]

Amen Brother. Fantastic content as always. Thank you Will !

[@DreamyDawnMusic]

All of them, especially 5 but then i remember that others can help you with engineering the last few bits you can´t seem to do on your own when your track is about 90% close to being finished

[@bakiibak]

Yeah man made me tearful don’t give up.

[@BlockyOwnz]

thank you i needed this. I cant stick with one genre. I love all of edm so ive made it all

[@grahamefarmerdt]

That's fine you can make all the genres, you don't have to release all the music you make, just release the genre you want to be known for, make others for fun and practice and to learn.

[@BlockyOwnz]

@@grahamefarmerdt Thank you ! I will! great advice

[@TechnoMusic2023]

Cool I'm a woman and I do mostly techno are you trying to get discovered too?

[@Agdcannon]

If sending a demo, what format should you send it in. Private Soundcloud link, link to private Drop Box etc (given files are generally too big to email)?

[@EDMTips]

Private SoundCloud link should be sufficient :)

[@TeknaTronik]

After being signed on a few labels in a few genres, I am pretty firm on it not being worth it. Never had a major record deal, but mid level and small labels really cannot offer more than what you can do yourself.

[@eddyf4426]

Great vid, Totally get the focus thing, but making one style of music all the time sounds terribly monotonous. What about having a different moniker for each style? Or will you end up jack of all genres master of none?

[@KillaKaliTheItalist]

what does it mean for a record label to approach you to ask to promote/distribute your music ? Mojoheadz Records in particular ?

[@EDMTips]

There is a lot said about labels asking for money for their services and Mojo Records. A quick Google search will answer your question :)

[@KillaKaliTheItalist]

@@EDMTips When you say your services do you mean mixing and mastering to professional standards or promotional and distribution ? I always google anyway but it didn't seem like it looked like a scam ...

[@TonyOldskool]

Guilty, been messing about with too many different styles, i need to stick to the one...

[@deangarland3010]

Hi Will, great and interesting video as are all of your vids. I'd love to know your thoughts on releasing on small labels vs unsigned self releasing. There's pros and cons which i understand but in your opinion, do you think producers have more success self releasing (distrokid etc) and building up followers over time in the organic way or would you say most producers have more success going down the label route? Labels can promote you and get you into a established fan base but with so many producers all fighting for labels I wonder if self releasing has good potential, perhaps benefiting from social media ads etc? Keep up the fantastic work, love your channel. learnt a ton of info from you so many thanks.

[@EDMTips]

I think there is no one-fits-all answer for that. The choice will depend on various factors and the terms a label specifies in your contract.

[@Sukhbir07]

True Words ❤️

[@TheTheimpossible]

Hey y'all this advice is gold! (And I don't even write EDM) :)

[@Keroser1983]

Definitely true words!!!

[@Chunda8]

One last thing to mention- this might be closing in our last chances to work with Will - I'm updated on the large and ever-growing list of the people that have gotten tracks placed after taking the courses. Eventually the industry bigs are going to notice that all these tracks have something in common, these rising stars have the same mentor. As for me I'm going to get in under the wire.

[@kerdum]

I don't really care to get signed but to just make 1$ off my music would be amazing! Awesome video!

[@EDMTips]

We all have to start somewhere and your goal is totally achievable!

[@peterrlee]

So true!

[@EDMTips]

Appreciate it! 🙌🙏

[@wentny8576]

You are the best !

[@EDMTips]

You are!

[@urbandecay3436]

That makes me the 98%. Strength in numbers baby!

[@jessicadancemusic]

Hi is there any chance of transcript of this video this is been really helpful and useful

[@EDMTips]

Totally! Subtitles should be available for this video :)

[@BillyBoi911]

Amen Brotha

[@EDMTips]

🙌🙏

[@Mia1Goth]

My favourite breakbeat too

[@baal.srilanka]

Thank you

[@EDMTips]

You're welcome, glad you found this helpful! 🙂🙌🏻

[@kausambirajbarua5293]

Will can you tell me please how to I make my career in EDM in the future and so it's safe and secure .

[@EDMTips]

No such thing, I'm afraid! Push, push, push, keep serving your listeners, and don't rest on your laurels. Safety and security would come from not squandering the money you earn as a producer!

[@abhishekc1458]

Hello will, This tips are helpful. I Really want to Release my music From Toolroom Records.

[@grahamefarmerdt]

They have so many live A&R Sessions for feedback, they have clear submissions emails and do Live events for their Academy, they usually start newer artists on compilations to see how their first releases do too.

[@EDMTips]

Go for it!

[@kausambirajbarua5293]

I just can't focus on making one genre

[@EDMTips]

How long have you been producing? It's great (and important) to experiment at first, but after a while you'll need to make a decision to focus.

[@flattenedamh]

I'm at 5. I don't even know what genre I am, mixing in my rock guitar background.

[@TechnoMusic2023]

Hey techno vixen here I'm trying to get a record deal but my mom won't allow me being very successful here that's sadly because she hates techno and trance music I think it's ridiculous and growing up listening to r&b it's so annoying and repetitive I don't know any trance record labels in Washington DC I'm from Maryland

[@EDMTips]

You don't need to look for a label in Washington specifically, look for a label where you can see your music can fit in :)

[@TechnoMusic2023]

@@EDMTips ah ok what do i need then! thanks for the advice ! i'd appreciate it

[@danielstoicamusic]

Can anyone recommend any platforms for new artists to post their tracks and receive feedback?

[@alexvortexyoutubemusic7772]

David Guetta? Are u mind? There is better house music producers Boris Brejcha is complety original

[@reesewaller846]

nailed it.

[@isaacanthonydj4124]

the vast majority of record labels have a long relationship with established artists, so they don't really care about any of the punters, unless it's the best "track" they've ever heard, good luck with that...

[@isaacanthonydj4124]

it's difficult trying to ride the line between "artist" and "producer" as i've been a creative person, doing all sorts of creative things, my entire life, never sticking to one thing, now I'm trying to heard the squirrels in my brain in order to make them do tricks on command. LoL

[@isaacanthonydj4124]

i don't care what you feel like today: DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO!!!

[@jaydekaytv]

Nice vid, don't forget to water your plant. 👍

[@EDMTips]

😆 I won't! The trick is trying to get the balance right...I never know if it's over or under-watered!

[@jaydekaytv]

@@EDMTips Haha yeah I hear you. I bought a plant like that 15 years ago (called a corn plant). It grew to be 9 feet tall, then I gave it to my folks where it reached close to 12 feet - it was wild. One morning it was tipped over from the weight and height (it was also starting to decay from age unfortunately), so they cut it down and it’s now generating new sprouts. Plants are awesome (but many are poisonous to pets fyi). ✌️

[@aaronjaggan]

My track never sounded good.😥

[@bodhibeats8257]

Not all producers who don’t get signed would consider that a failure. 😁

[@grahamefarmerdt]

Agreed, loads are self-releasing because they want people to hear their music but don't want the hassle of rejection from labels.

[@bodhibeats8257]

@@grahamefarmerdt Absolutely! And loads more of us producers are just hobbyists and have no interest in our music being released widely. 😁

[@grahamefarmerdt]

@@bodhibeats8257 oh love that even more, keeping it all for fun!

[@EDMTips]

Indeed not, but if they DO want to get signed, not getting signed could be considered as such! We all have to have our own definition of success, for sure.

[@Chunda8]

@@EDMTips Maybe it is important for people to be clear with themselves about what their goals are with music. Maybe some are okay with just doing it for fun, others may want more from it. Me, I want to draw a small but significant second income from it, like a part-time job. That would be success in my book and retire me earlier as well.

[@egoego1339]

Well the title is a bit misleading and could potentially drive new producers in the wrong direction! Here is my tip: 5 Reasons 98% of Producers Never Get Famous in 2022.

[@nine1kid]

Good content but please next time turn down the music background😢

[@brunoburtoni8479]

90 percent is quite vague in your explanation so all my baselines melodies pads are going to sound exactly the same as 90% of the other artists and the rises effects and all that minimal shit is gonna be the 10 percent you don’t really make any sense and there’s no originality in 98% of the music out there these days so it’s best to be original than copy everyone . I see your reason for creating these videos all the major electronic labels the music sounds all the same no depth no creativity all tracks sounds the same ! That’s why 90’s was the best era . No pirating, no social media none of this following crap in cyber space that doesn’t exist.

[@GB3770]

V GOOD ADVICE - IM TOO ORIGINAL :)))))

[@bestdisco1979]

The most depressing video I’ve ever seen. Do only one genre , don’t be original. I give up.

[@fatphilg]

Number #0 Your music doesn't fit with any genre at all. A lot of my stuff is like that !

[@MorYohai]

Or just asking people like you if you want to be my ghost producer 😂

[@aiyka_music]

Is it just me or is the audio and video kind of out of sync?!

[@Mia1Goth]

It is called swing

[@elishawaugh]

First