step 1: work like you're signed to one.

I signed a major deal - it was my job for 5 years and I made 3 albums, toured the UK, Europe and the US. The question I’ve been asked the most is ‘how did you get lucky?’ Damo is 100% correct. You don’t get lucky, you get it right. You have to be 100% committed to doing all of that stuff, without respite, all day every day. It took 2 years of relentless hard work for us to get signed, but when we did there were 5 offers on the table and as part of that journey, we let people go who would hold us back. If there’s someone in your band who is late for rehearsals, turns down shows because they clash with something else they’re doing or just plain old doesn’t dress like the rest of you, irrespective of how good a musician they are, you’re going to have to get rid of them. You have to operate as one united and driven unit. Treat it like a professional sports team. You will all do what it takes to win. It’s that simple.

Decided to start a music career from scratch and had no idea where to even start before I stumbled onto your channel. Also, I might add, I released my first single right as the pandemic started, and I would've been horribly lost and panicked if it hadn't been for this channel. Just wanted to say thank you and you're doing amazing work here!

Whenever I watch Damian’s videos I’m like ‘no way he posts everyday’ and then he posts 5 mins later EVERY SINGLE TIME but I’m so impressed wow new vid every day that’s dedication

I could suddenly see DJ Khaled when he said "another one"

Amazing content as always! That's the wakeup call I needed, not gonna lie. I mean, I'm not gonna make music solely to get signed ofc, that'll be really bizarre. But yes, I do need to get more music out, engage with the audience, be more consistent and have a motive, to tell people who I am and what I stand for. Thanks Damian! You are amazing.

I wish I knew this stuff when I was fresh out of college. My demos and shows garnered a few "fake" offers - the one's where the artist buys in - but I never "signed" those. Thank you so much brother Damien.

Spot on Damian - great advice. Thanks for putting thought into your videos to provide true value to your listeners 👏

Amazing, Damian! So real and on point, I've just subscribed!

I love your content Damian thanks heaps!!! You have some great insights on how to improve with an artists "Socials" I really appreciate your free video's. Thank you once again...

Thank you Damo for reassuring me in my own knowledge also telling me where I am going wrong. I have been following you since last year and I didn't understood hardly anything but learning and persevering to get to grips with this crazy Industry has been a challenge and a bit boring haha but it has clarified everything I need to be doing so thank you and I guess I'll just "see what happens" 😂😂🥴

Thanks for the insights man! will definitely put them into practice from now on. Best of luck!

This is a fantastic video, Damian. A lot of people who dream of being signed to major labels don't get the fact that the music business *IS* a business. I've come across a lot of these people in the 30 years that I have been doing rock and pop music. As AC/DC said "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock'n'roll".

That was awesome Damian! Thankyou!

1 you’re full time on the “business” 2 songs 3 music 4 leader 5 touring/gig. Sync deals. Merch 6 standout- remarkable. Edgy. Unique. Content. 7 engagement (inflate, steroids to what’s working) who cares. Who enjoys it. THOSE numbers. 8 what do you stand. who do you represent. Who is your tribe. I follow you for what you stand for. Niche can work 9 buzz. Create a buzz. Everyone talk about you. Exclusivity. Accepted. Play a gig that is too small for you. Sell out. FOMO 10 having no reason you won’t get signed. (They were going to make it with or without a label so the label thinks they better do it with them)

Really love your channel I am motivated and educated all at once keep up the great work!

The over selling gigs part really struck me. You always think about getting as big a gig as possible but purposely choosing a venue smaller than your fan base is very crafty. Nothing worse than seeing empty venues and feeling sorry for bands. Been there myself in bands playing to drunks and friends of bands. I'm gonna start gigging my solo stuff after lockdown. Any advice for gigging solo compared to gigging as a band?

This is fantastic! 👏👏👏 Thanks so much for this.

Hey, just wanted to say thank you for the information! I have been implementing your advice and have seen results immediately. You're the realest! Please never stop making videos 😅✌🏻

Starting a business 5 years ago changed the way I see everything. This is the real talk hehe.

Wow! I have never heard that before about the crowd outside 😂. Thanks for the upload. I've gotta use that one.& Much success to whoever's reading this, we can do this 🙏🏻

This was great! Thanks mate

Really enjoy your videos! This helps a lot!

1) Fantastic video! Particularly loved this video. 2) I have an almost horror story about nearly missing our chance of being signed to a major, this includes a massive tip for anyone up and coming. We're playing Glastonbury 2019 on the Friday, a smaller show in Block9 as a warm up to our big show on the main stage of Shangri-La after High Contrast on the Saturday night. The tech is going wrong Friday night, we're a complicated set up due to 12 of us but this was going so bad we had to stop the song halfway and crack some jokes with the audience, keep it fun. Try to fix problem, think stuff is sorted and start 2nd song, nope gone to shit again, something to do with the wiring and patching by the engineers. My DJ (also an engineer as a side job) runs around after the 2nd song grabbing cables and patching stuff in correctly. I've never in my life pulled a show before, never. I pull a vocalist to the side and I say if it's not fixed by the 3rd song we're walking off, it's unplayable, we're not being divas, half our stuff isn't coming out the front and it's unplayable as a show, we're looking like idiots. Our DJ has finished emergency patching, we play to our packed out tent of fans, smash the shit out of it. What we didn't realise is that Universal and a big ass entourage of important people from various areas of the top of the food chain had stumbled drunkenly into the tent lured by our unique sound. We were unaware the big dogs were in the audience. They came to meet us after the show, blown away, came to our big main show the next day to double check they weren't just drunk and we were as good as they remember and we signed in December with a record deal and got a Top 40 album in May 2020. THE TIP - NEVER PULL A SHOW! YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE WATCHING YOU IN A SMALL TENT/STAGE/GIG. 3) Damian been loving your vids the last month in lockdown since discovering your channel, thoroughly educational to an act only recently signed who still isn't managed and trying to learn the ropes as they go. Thank you for your content and keep being awesome!

Really good info. You really give some of the best advice I've come across on this platform. That smaller venue trick is a good one i'll have to try.

Great advice thank you so much my guy 🙏🏾

Excellent video, now even if I have no chance I am totally scared about majors ! lol. Yes, honnestly everything you said makes sense, beyond to the fact that being signed looks amazing, the hidden face looks like hell.

Damien always says all the things I need to hear although I don't want to. I almost feel anxiety before listening him or reading his book as he use to push hard in all the things I'm not doing well in my artistic life. We love making songs but marketing them is so far from being a funny thing... As he says today, we have to be the leaders of our own project. Keep it up, Damien!

Thank you! Great advice and insightful knowledge. Keep it up 👍! I hope to be a leader doing something different, even as a songwriter-producer.

Watching your videos strengthen my will to not give up my singing dream.

Best music mentor on KZfaq!

Thanks damo! 100k coming soon

Amazing tips again, Damo! With the amount of valuable content you put out I'm sure you'll get to a 100k pretty soon. Nice 1, stay alert haha

I just found your channel, And you got great advices!!

Subscribed to your channel a few months ago and I really like all the great content you've been giving away here! I released my first song a few months ago and had a good strategy worked out based on what you have been teaching us. But ofcourse covid 19 became a global pandemic two weeks after releasing my first song! 😅 I'm glad you are still putting out good advice and keeping hope alive. Thank you

This was a great video man 👌

You have a lot of golden content, new subscriber

what i was looking for thx

Great channel. Just found it. I was offered a recording contract for 3 singles about 9 months ago. I turned it down not liking the details. I’ve only been a singer songwriter a few years, very new to it all. I just moved to Nashville in January. I’ve been learning everything from mixing to stage presence etc. So glad you’re taking the time to put this kind of info out! Thanks

Hey Damo, could you do a video on how you should distribute skills and rolls in the band and what should be sourced out? With the time at hand right now and places to learn skills like KZfaq and skill share I'd like to know what skills really pay of and what should be prioritized? Should I learn how to edit video, mix our music, advertise on social media, manage a tour, monetize merch. Especially in regards to financial investments I'd like to know which areas should be attracted first. Love your stuff and your ability to share you wisdom!

I believe that we meet most of the things you talked about but definitely need to work on creating a buzz. We have a unique look and statement but we need to work a bit more on promotion. We are about to starting putting out newer and better music more often. Been thinking about sending the new music we are releasing next week to major labels so this is a perfectly timed video!

Smaller the club, Bigger the party‼️💯

Really good video Damian! :)

Awesome Video! Very helpful :D

This is the one I’ve been waiting for!!!

yesss :) thanks for advice :)

Great video! These are good advices. I really need to make my story! Though I think is almost impossible to do everything bymyself. I need a parter in my journey. Now I go to do my homework anyway

Great video this really helped me

I’m going to be signed 🙏 claiming it!

If I was signed, I would invest in making an album with the best writers producers, set up tours with bigger artists, also set up a couple features with big artists in my genre, create my mercy line, also invest 6-7 stocks

Powerfull ! Thanks

Great vid as always Damian. Maybe you could do a vid on the pros and cons, and economics of being signed to a major label? Have heard horror stories of signed artists declaring bankruptcy despite being chart successes (Toni Braxton, TLC etc). Not to mention some signed artist having their music permanently shelved by record companies. It’s a confusing subject.

I have been following you and your videos ,,you are really helpful boss

Awesome tips Damo!!

Great info, I have done alot of these things before

I heard if you sit on your porch and play real good a big city feller will come up the mountain and let you sing into a can! That's my Oregon hills record label attraction strategy. I'll keep you posted. Good stuff Damo! 🐒

Great video Damian ! Really interesting :)

I watch this and i'm like Gawd damn, im so motivated

Love your videos.

Number 9!!! I love it.

Great Thanks for the advice..I decided..I'm going to sell Ice Cream.

This is really good info. I’ve always wondered how it happens too though. Like does the artist send them their music or are people just randomly approached by a label?

I've been independent and I think I'll stay independent. The grind is tough but it'll be worth it in the end.

Hey Damian! I just found you and I really love your videos. Has really great tips for artists.... BUT do you have any advice on people who just want to write songs? How do you increase your value as just a songwriter?

Pretty rich content. Greetings from Brazil 🇧🇷

Great advice as always. You rock Damian!!! Have you ever heard of Matt fishel? His great video " radio friendly pop song" tells the story of a major label saying " change all the hims to hers and you got a deal" as a queer artist I wonder if this is still a hazard? Do labels want control of content?

Hey Damo, Number 9, playing smaller venues then you should be playing. Back in 2008/9 I was touring with a band called Thomas tantrum and they were the support act for a band called Glasvagas... They did this.. all their dates sold out.. was amazing to see

I've been working/networking 5:30am to 9pm at least; for 2 months getting my dark pop duo off the ground and I am exhausted. There's a reason that art pays in this error of mankind. It's HARD.

This is awesome ♥️♥️♥️

Subscribed today :)

Way to go with the title. I'll leave my mark on this video lol

I used to think anyone who signed was a fool..... until I started pursuing music😂😂it’s shocking how little anyone cares how broke you can be and how little views you’ll get after that the label sounds way more appealing 😂

So, the video is awesome, it's basicly the process after getting signed but I'm still waiting to know "how to get signed to a major record label". I got the point of the video, I'm still wondering HOW though? WHO should I get in contact with? WHERE? Should I send a demo to a record label? Do I directly get in touch with an A&R or wait for them to find me? Do I invade a producer's house and tell them about my music? LOL. How does that work? What should I do to get the contract? that's my question! Thank you, Damian!

Thanks for all the great video's Damian! So, if you would submit your album you'd like released to several labels, would you approach them simultaneously, or send it to one at a time and give for them a few weeks to respond? I heard you might be "burning bridges" if several labels want it and then you gotta turn them down, but I'm not sure about that.

Your videos are great

Fantastic information thank you

I love your content. I learn a lot. Probably a stupid question, but I was wondering if you still play at all on any projects or session work.

Spitting pure facts for 15 mins 🔥🔥

The top musical artists of the next decade are watching this it is very useful.. my ambition is to become a pop singer I'll make it true!!

For real all the best to everyone in the comments, we're all here to learn

Good advice

You could start your own label! ✌🏼

You have gotten whole k of subscribers since this video was in 82k.

The BEST Record labels are: 1)RCA 6)MCA 2)Capitol 7)Motown 3)RSO 8)Atlantic 4)Columbia 9)Arista 5)Epic 10)A&M

I’d choose a major label so there’s a lot more to be expected from me and i was pushed to try harder and harder

Thank you 🙏

Good advice Damian. Lots of interesting idea's. You have convinced me to consider a major label after i have worked at the other areas to make myself sellable first. Wish i'd done this years ago and not got dragged into a world of retail for 14 years instead and wasted time. This video made me laugh tho as i was one of the people who said i would never sign to a major even if i was offered to lol Sorry, i was being dramatic. :-)

One of the things I like as an independent artist is the freedom of writing music(and enjoying it) without any conditions and i don't want to lose that freedom by any means.So will signing to a label be a hinderance for my own self expression?I'll be happy if you help me out with this doubt:-)

Great video!! What if you’re doing all the things to grow your audience, making content, talking to people, looking after your social media and music platforms and you’re getting very little back?

Greetings from Singapore Damian!

An extra piece of advice for y'all who read the comments. Damo talked about people actually caring and engaging with you so along those line you monthly listeners on spotify are way more important than your followers. Someone who follows you might not give a shit. The monthly listeners are a much more accurate representation of how well your music is doing

Prayers to anyone trying to go into that industry, those companies are wicked. You won’t see your money, and farrrr worse!

Nice idea

You started BIMM? Huh, never knew, and I've watched loads of your videos. I went to BIMM Dublin, so thanks for that!

Thanks

I can't wait to get my record deal

Excellent

Hi Damien let me start by saying I love your show on you tube . could you please do a video on starting your own record label . Let’s face it is possible

Thanks sir

How were you signed and there are no traces of your music on the Internet? What was your stage name?