It Takes At Least $500,000 To Break A New Artist

Those numbers are accurate CURRENTLY. Keep in mind this is to break an artist on a major scale. And the money isn't going in the artist's pocket, total opposite, they owe it back to the label.

We're not considering the small stuff. Paying out engineers, producers, writers and performers, dancers, directors on songs/videos ahead of time(if you get it for free and blow before it's taken care of, it costs you MORE because then they have the leverage, if you don't meet agreements then, the song can't be released). Putting together a tour(which while generating money takes alot to get rolling in the beginning). Advertising and promo? C'mon, son.

I think guys up here are lying to themselves to convince themselves it's easier than it is. Think of what was invested in Iggy just for her to have a 45-50k 1st week. Think of the push Tove Lo has gotten since back when she 1st dropped. "Stay High/Habits" is a "recent" song. Like last 6 months on radio in heavy rotation, I was bumpin that shyt like early 2013.

Consider vids like OT Genesis "CoCo" or Rae Sremmurd "No Flex" that were redone to apeal on a wider scale/break in the artists. Just consider the budget spent creating the song and video for Gangnam Style. It doesn't take much to go "viral", but to package and sale songs is a completely different hustle.

That's not knocking an underground approach(there's plenty of money there if you work hard), but "do it yourself" doesn't pack arenas, get syndicated radio rotations, appearances on anything from the late show to superbowl halftime show. AKA Real exposure.
 
I remember seeing Jessie Jay on Saturday Night Live and she killed the performance...I didn't know who she was, but hoped she would blow because she could legitimately sing...and that was in 2011.

Trust she has been grinding not only writing her own material, but for others (she says Party in the USA alone paid her rent for over 3 years) all these years until cats were finally hearing her on the radio a few months ago with Ariana Grande.

Also Trust someone has been investing millions in her this whole time. These people you hear on the radio aren't penny stocks and "organic".
 
I always wondered how much Mr. Colipark spent to crack Soulja Boy. Damn Mr. Colipark is 57 years old. He was 55 in this video. He has great genes to look so young:

 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
Those numbers are accurate CURRENTLY. Keep in mind this is to break an artist on a major scale. And the money isn't going in the artist's pocket, total opposite, they owe it back to the label.

We're not considering the small stuff. Paying out engineers, producers, writers and performers, dancers, directors on songs/videos ahead of time(if you get it for free and blow before it's taken care of, it costs you MORE because then they have the leverage, if you don't meet agreements then, the song can't be released). Putting together a tour(which while generating money takes alot to get rolling in the beginning). Advertising and promo? C'mon, son.

I think guys up here are lying to themselves to convince themselves it's easier than it is. Think of what was invested in Iggy just for her to have a 45-50k 1st week. Think of the push Tove Lo has gotten since back when she 1st dropped. "Stay High/Habits" is a "recent" song. Like last 6 months on radio in heavy rotation, I was bumpin that shyt like early 2013.

Consider vids like OT Genesis "CoCo" or Rae Sremmurd "No Flex" that were redone to apeal on a wider scale/break in the artists. Just consider the budget spent creating the song and video for Gangnam Style. It doesn't take much to go "viral", but to package and sale songs is a completely different hustle.

That's not knocking an underground approach(there's plenty of money there if you work hard), but "do it yourself" doesn't pack arenas, get syndicated radio rotations, appearances on anything from the late show to superbowl halftime show. AKA Real exposure.
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Thank you for telling these kids the truth. They think hot music just breaks itself. Gets itself on the radio. Gets the artist media shine. Gets the artist on late night and talk shows.




Any time you see an artist doing big things like that, TRUST it's some BIG DOLLARS behind that type of visibility.
 
SwagProductionz said:
ok who funded him? where did they put the money in? and why is that same person not bailiiing him out ?
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I know nothing of Shmurda's story, but, from observing, I'm pretty sure he did everything up to the video 'hot nikka" going viral on his own. The video wasn't very fancy, and the original mix wasn't that good. Where the funding came in was after he signed(to warner bros? I think). His song was given a polished mix and editted version and began playing all over syndicated radio. He started doing alot of shows.

I doubt $500k was invested(if it was, they blew it), but Bobby Shmurda has yet to get a "break". We haven't seen videos beyond what he did on his own. He just released an EP with no real promo. He's kind of an example of a guy who could've stayed indie and done just as well since his radio play really gained him no new fanbase. Everyone already liked the song from youtube.

Alot of times with hip hop that goes viral, the labels drop the ball. They don't know how to transition them. They failed Cheif Keef the same way. Collipark did get it right with Soulja Boy, but in the process, turned him into a "kid talent'(cleaned up lyrics and image) which probably shortened his career alot.



If they had stuck to the original script, for all I know he would've had a shorter career(I honestly think he would've done better not trying to appeal to EVERYONE), but for a 14-15 year old to have done this all by himself and build the fanbase he did was phenomenal.
 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
I doubt $500k was invested(if it was, they blew it), but Bobby Shmurda has yet to get a "break". We haven't seen videos beyond what he did on his own. He just released an EP with no real promo. He's kind of an example of a guy who could've stayed indie and done just as well since his radio play really gained him no new fanbase.
.
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My sentiments exactly in today's digital age. Why sign with a major if it doesnt benefit you financially. Fuking with today's business model of 99 cents singles and 360 deals will have you famous and broke. Personally I dont see how 98% of rappers today survive without a day job.. Some of us have become so dependent on majors, we can't change with the times. The record industry is on it's deathbead. Only a fool would embrace such an outdated business model.
 
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^^^Most don't. But you've gotta look outside the realms of "viral hip hop". Iggy Izaela is an example of this. She's everywhere, staying busy, working all due to a label even with lackluster sales and a lower level of demand.

Independently, no one would be looking for her to do a show every night. She would not have the radio spins she gets, last she was "independent" she was showing tits in he vids for attention and no one cared. Soon as she gets a team behind "fancy", she was a household name.

The label structure worked for her.

Then let's look at Macklemore. Him and Ryan Lewis are always talking this 'independent" crap, but they had major distribution and made money like any artist signed to a label. If not, they'd have made 10s of millions each instead of a couple between the 2 of them. By the time the smoke cleared, they didn't even make Soulja boy money.

No one's getting exposure to the point you know them without wanting to without major backing.
 
Take this guy here. Never heard of him till about a month ago and he has 3 million views. Does he really need a major to take his show and merchandise money or does he stay independent and find a booking manager. He has an established fan base already without a major.
 
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wildinout8 said:
There's a HUGE difference between watching a free Youtube video and paying for a show...
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No doubt, but it's still a tool in measuring an artists potential fan base. An artist with 1 million plus views consistently has potential to do shows in different states. If 5,000 fans out that 1 million are willing to come see you perform every night at 10 dollars a ticket, that artist will do alright.
 
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benji2 said:
No doubt, but it's still a tool in measuring an artists potential fan base. An artist with 1 million plus views consistently has potential to do shows in different states. If 5,000 fans out that 1 million are willing to come see you perform every night at 10 dollars a ticket, that artist will do alright.
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I've been in a band and have friends who are still doing it after 10 years of hustlin - it's hard to even get your friends to come out to multiple shows in the same year. Five thousand people per night is extremely unrealistic. I'd guess that 95% of the people on this forum, who make music mind you, don't even purchase tickets to see more than 3 live shows a year themselves. But, they know every word on Young Thug's album.
 
wildinout8 said:
I've been in a band and have friends who are still doing it after 10 years of hustlin - it's hard to even get your friends to come out to multiple shows in the same year. Five thousand people per night is extremely unrealistic. I'd guess that 95% of the people on this forum, who make music mind you, don't even purchase tickets to see more than 3 live shows a year themselves. But, they know every word on Young Thug's album.
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Signing to a major doesnt automatically mean 5000 people will show up either. Majors today want acts who already have a fan base anyway. They just want to step in after the fact and give the artist a loan to blow up on the national scale. They'll quickly release you too like they did to Trinidad James.
 
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benji2 said:
Take this guy here. Never heard of him till about a month ago and he has 3 million views. Does he really need a major to take his show and merchandise money or does he stay independent and find a booking manager. He has an established fan base already without a major.
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LOL, show and merch money are the LEAST of his concerns right now. Label or indie? The only choice he gets to make these days is between the shank or the dick.
 
wildinout8 said:
I've been in a band and have friends who are still doing it after 10 years of hustlin - it's hard to even get your friends to come out to multiple shows in the same year. Five thousand people per night is extremely unrealistic. I'd guess that 95% of the people on this forum, who make music mind you, don't even purchase tickets to see more than 3 live shows a year themselves. But, they know every word on Young Thug's album.
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Niggas too busy being internet music industry analysts to support artists.
 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
I know nothing of Shmurda's story, but, from observing, I'm pretty sure he did everything up to the video 'hot nikka" going viral on his own. The video wasn't very fancy, and the original mix wasn't that good. Where the funding came in was after he signed(to warner bros? I think). His song was given a polished mix and editted version and began playing all over syndicated radio. He started doing alot of shows.

I doubt $500k was invested(if it was, they blew it), but Bobby Shmurda has yet to get a "break". We haven't seen videos beyond what he did on his own. He just released an EP with no real promo. He's kind of an example of a guy who could've stayed indie and done just as well since his radio play really gained him no new fanbase. Everyone already liked the song from youtube.

Alot of times with hip hop that goes viral, the labels drop the ball. They don't know how to transition them. They failed Cheif Keef the same way. Collipark did get it right with Soulja Boy, but in the process, turned him into a "kid talent'(cleaned up lyrics and image) which probably shortened his career alot.



If they had stuck to the original script, for all I know he would've had a shorter career(I honestly think he would've done better not trying to appeal to EVERYONE), but for a 14-15 year old to have done this all by himself and build the fanbase he did was phenomenal.
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You kinda proved my point that artists dont NEED labels.. lol thanks
 
^^^I never said all did. It's a dice roll.

In the realm of viral "street" hip hop artists, labels often fail because the demographic is less predictable and the guys in the offices have no clue how to push an artist to the streets. Current examples include Fabolous, Soulja Boy, The Game, G-Unit(who at one point could all benefit from major support, but not much in today's market), Cheif Keef, Bobby Shmurda.

Step outside that realm into more of todays commercial hip hop and plenty of current artists benefit from their label association. Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Iggy Azalea, Kendrick Lamar. Step outside hip hop, and the formula still works more often than not. Artic Monkeys, Hozier, Katy Perry, Tove Lo, Ariana Grande.

The difference is still fine lined. In 2015, the guys on that second list are everywhere due to a label. The guys on that first list have core fanbases that support them and nothing else, whether a label is writing the check or not.

I'm not sure of Rae Shremmurd's situation, but I hope they're handling their own shyt. If not, they're not making anything, if so, they're banking very well. But the boost in radio rotations gives me the impression some suit jumped behind them.
 
Most cats in the real world can't even afford to fill their own cars up with gas (or have full coverage auto insurance for that matter), but you think these street cats on Youtube can drive all around the country doing these guest spots, radio interviews, club appearances, and tours on their own?

And that's just factoring the cost of gas on an artist...
 
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