IS THERE A SECRET ENTRY WAY INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

Only a handful of musicians manage to “make it big,” and in general it's virtually impossible to break into the music industry. Sure, on television we see a lucky singer here and there find fame on shows like “American Idol,” and almost as few are at the right place at the right time to stumble into record company scouts. But the vast majority -- no matter how talented -- never get that big break that can propel them to mainstream recognition.

Why?

Is there a secret way into the music industry? Is it just all about connections or just plan, dumb luck? Or is it just that too few people control too much of the access to the record companies? Unfortunately, the answer may be all of the above.

There are, however, steps an aspiring musician can take to increase their chances of success.

When a singer/songwriter writes a tune and he or she aspires to turn it into a hit and therefore turn him or herself into a world-renowned superstar, he or she will need a game plan that goes beyond just one song. A successful singer needs to find the right concept, the right identity, the right unique style and even the right message.

The song or the songs are part of the concept; if the musician can create his or her own style and identity through his or her songs, they will stand out from the pack.

Connections are always good and they can be established through family and friends, and by a lot of networking and collaborations with other musicians. Luck is very important component, but hard to bank on. It's better to make one's own luck by having a definite concept and identity and network tirelessly to expose the right people to that concept and identity.

In the old days – which weren't all that long ago, in the days before iTunes and YouTube -- very few music executives at the major record labels were in charge of virtually all music records and their distribution. In the last 15 years, however, the music world has changed and continues to change. Now there are hundreds of independent producers, small and medium record labels and many new ways of music distribution have popped up.

It used to be expensive to record songs on a remotely good-enough quality demo: the studio time, musicians, tapes or CDs were prohibitively expensive. And then it was a crap shoot if anyone of importance would get that CD in their hand, much less in their CD player. In this day and digital age, the cost to record demos are inexpensive since many budding songwriters own a “home studio” that costs less then an iPod. These relatively inexpensive home studios supply the sounds of virtually any instrument and vocal tracks, and the result is high-quality digital files that can be converted into any distribution format out there, including mp3s.

With the growth of the internet and new electronic distribution platforms, new artists can showcase their talent to anyone that has computer or portable electronic device who wants to hear it from any corner of the world.

This is the way the music industry will work in the near future: music distribution will increase tremendously due to increase of computers and portable devices that use digital distribution platforms and younger generations getting used to getting their music that way. And that's the way it should be, not based on the whims of a handful of executives.

Start writing..

Best Original Song founder Gabi Mor is a songwriter himself, and has over 25 years experience in the music industry, as a concert impresario and booking agent before launching BestOriginalSong.com.