Music Business/Law Tips - "Independent Promotion" (Part 2)

Promoters can be found in most large cities in the yellow pages under record promotion or via an internet search. Call and make an appointment to play the record for the promoter. A genuine promoter will not work a record unless they believe in it. The artist should check references and the track record of the promoter.

Once the artist has located the right promoter, a contract should be entered into. The two most important points to cover are the fee and the duties of the promoter. Although the fees vary depending on the type of music and scale of the campaign, a good promotion person could require around $300-$500 per week minimum (college radio campaigns may be less); a proven hit maker may charge more. The promoter will want bonuses built into the contract to be triggered by certain happenings, such as having the record chart, entering the top ten, and hitting number one. Moreover, the promoter's expenses (i.e., phone, mail, travel) will have to be paid by the artist. The artist should require that the promoter specify the number and type of stations he or she will be contacting.

Finally, the artist should not forget that it is meaningless to hire a promoter if the record is not going to distributed in some way; otherwise, the listening audience cannot buy the record and this would defeat the entire purpose of generating airplay.

Ben McLane Esq
benmclane.com