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Country Music Record Labels Education and Training

Learn what country record labels do and how to get noticed

By Kate Esposito
Once you have a country music demo put together, it's time to find a country music record company to pitch it to. However, this is not as easy as just going to a studio and knocking on the door or slipping it in the mailbox.

Before you get in touch with country record labels, you need to learn a few things about how the country music industry works and how to navigate the maze to your benefit. Three key points to study up on are:

1. How to determine which country music record companies are your best target audience;

2. The best way to present your demo to a country CD label;

3. Marketing ideas to promote your act and get label scouts to come to you.

 

Research different country CD labels to see where your music fits best

You may have only heard of a couple of country music labels, but there are actually dozens in the United States alone. Learning more about each one is an essential step to finding the industry audience you're looking for.
Try: Visit the Country Startpage and browse through the list of labels. Click on each one to visit the respective country music record label website. Review the artists each label represents to see where you may fit in best. Look at the music and each act's image or "brand." If your music is more folk or blues oriented than traditional country, go to NewPages' list of independent labels to do your research.

Learn to dress up your demo before you present it to country CD labels

You could be the greatest country artist in world, but representatives of country music record labels may throw it out before they get chance to notice if you don't put together a top-notch presentation.
Try: Consider taking an online course on the music industry through Berklee College of Music to learn more about the people you need to target and how best to reach them. Then visit ReachingRecords and read the extensive list of tips on making a demo disc with the potential to impress.

Determine how to make country music record labels come to you

While you are trying to reach a country music label, so are hundreds of others. Because of all this competition, reps aren't jumping at the chance to listen to every CD that crosses the desk or respond to every unsolicited phone call. However, they often go out to country music performances and try to find unsigned acts with promise. That means a good part of your country music record labels education and training should consist of finding out how to get seen.
Try: Learn all you can about A&R, which stands for artist and repertoire. A&R reps are the people you want to have at your shows. Go to Taxi's website and read the list of the top 10 things this A&R company looks for. Then go to Hitquarters and read the interview with Rick Devoe of Rick Devoe Management on the subject.

 

  • If you want to get approached by a country record label, get out there and play your music. Tour early and often. Use social networking sites to increase your fan base and have everyone you know, and everyone they know, spread the word of how great you are.

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