Welcome to Music Business Newsletter w/ Matthew Rix!
Nov. 1, 2025

Should You Sign a Record Deal or Stay Independent?

Should You Sign a Record Deal or Stay Independent?
Music Business Newsletter w/ Matthew Rix
Should You Sign a Record Deal or Stay Independent?

In this episode of the Music Business Newsletter with Matthew Rix, I respond to an email from a 16-year-old pop artist who’s starting to gain traction.
She’s already built up 18,000 followers on Instagram and her first single has pulled in over 4,000 Spotify streams not bad for a brand-new artist. Now, a few small label reps have started reaching out, and she wants to know:
Is it smarter to stay independent or try to sign with a label?
It’s a question every developing artist faces and the answer isn’t one size fits all.
In this video, I break down:
-The real benefits of staying independent early on
-When signing with a label actually makes sense
What labels look for before offering real deals
-The red flags to watch for in “indie label” outreach
-How to build leverage so you control the deal not the other way around
Whether you’re a young artist or an indie musician wondering when to level up, this one’s packed with practical advice to help you make smart moves and protect your career.

Got a question about the music industry you want answered?
Head over to MatthewRix.com and click “Submit Your Question”.
The more details you share, the better advice I can give, and your story might also help other artists.

#MusicIndustry #IndependentArtist #RecordDeal #MusicBusiness #ArtistAdvice #MattrixMinute #MatthewRix #MusicCareer #IndieArtist #MusicTips #LabelDeal #UnsignedArtist


Listen to Mattrix Minute for daily Music Business insight with the hype.
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
YouTube

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.399
Hey, this is Matthew Rix and today on the Music

2
00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:05.519
Business newsletter, we got a good one and she's young too,

3
00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:10.119
asking the heated questions on should I try to get

4
00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:13.359
signed or stay independent. So before we dive into this email,

5
00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.839
I'm going to ask you to go ahead and like

6
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:16.079
and subscribe to this channel.

7
00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:18.600
Leave me a comment if you agree with me.

8
00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:20.199
If you disagree with me, leave me a comment, but

9
00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.079
make sure to like and subscribe and share it with

10
00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:24.719
your friends who are in the music industry. So maybe

11
00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:26.679
we can all just kind of get on the same

12
00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.519
page on how to get as many people to discover

13
00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:32.560
our music, how to reach as many people as possible.

14
00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:34.359
And if you have a question on the music industry

15
00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:36.479
that you want me to answer, just go to Matthewricks

16
00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.479
dot com click submit your question, give me as many

17
00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.000
details as possible, and we'll answer it here on the

18
00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.719
channel in video and audio forms. So not only can

19
00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.119
I help you, but we can also collectively help artists

20
00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.200
around the world who have the exact same issue or

21
00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:52.880
question that you have. I don't need you to join

22
00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.359
my Patreon. I don't have a Patreon. I don't need

23
00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:57.039
you to buy my book. I don't have a book.

24
00:00:57.320 --> 00:00:59.399
I don't need you to book a private coaching session.

25
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:01.920
I don't do that anyways. All you gotta do is

26
00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:03.840
go to matthew Ricks dot com and click submit your

27
00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:06.519
question and give you as many details as possible now

28
00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:09.400
today's email. The email says, my name is Sarah. I

29
00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:12.079
am sixteen years old and I just started watching your

30
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:15.760
music business newsletters. I really appreciate how you break things

31
00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:18.799
down in a way that makes sense, especially for artists

32
00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:20.840
like me who are just getting started and trying to

33
00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:25.200
figure this whole industry out. Well, Sarah, that's what we're

34
00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:28.159
gonna call you. First of all, thanks for sending in

35
00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:31.439
a question too. I love that, at sixteen years old,

36
00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:34.920
you are trying to get as much information as possible

37
00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.319
to better further your career. There is a ton of

38
00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:40.719
great resources on the internet. There's a ton of great

39
00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.359
people out there who want to give you their expertise,

40
00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:48.439
give you their opinions, share some war stories. Try to

41
00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:51.400
dive into as much information as you possibly can so

42
00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.079
that you can apply it to your career. So you're

43
00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:56.159
not just like a lot of these artists who talk

44
00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:57.879
a big game or they act like they know what

45
00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.599
they're doing and they're just clueless. As for breaking it down,

46
00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.799
you know, I say this quite often on this channel,

47
00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:05.239
is that I just try to make things as simplistic

48
00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:07.920
as possible, because I do believe some people try to

49
00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:11.479
make things more difficult just so they seem smarter, and

50
00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:13.360
I know I'm not the smartest person in the room,

51
00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:16.000
So I try to break things down to as simplistic

52
00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.319
as possible. But thank you for sending in this email.

53
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:20.360
Let's get to the Let's get to the meat.

54
00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:20.719
Of it now.

55
00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:23.479
So here's where I'm at, she says. I've only released

56
00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.719
one song so far, and it's done around four thousand

57
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:32.319
streams on Spotify since June. That's your first single, sixteen

58
00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:35.400
years old, so you're not probably playing out a lot.

59
00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:36.120
You're probably not.

60
00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:40.039
Doing clubs and barrooms and stuff like that. So four

61
00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:45.479
thousand streams sixteen years old, that's a pretty good number

62
00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.759
for coming out of the gate. I don't think you

63
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.080
put an email where you're from, but.

64
00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:52.759
That's that's pretty good starting off. She continues.

65
00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:56.120
I've also built up about eighteen thousand followers on Instagram

66
00:02:56.159 --> 00:03:00.680
and about forty thousand on TikTok. Right now, every male

67
00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:05.599
who's released their first single and just kickstarted their TikTok

68
00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:07.319
and kickstarted their Instagram account.

69
00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:09.840
Is dying a little bit inside.

70
00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.800
There is absolutely the chick effect when it comes to

71
00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:18.560
social media, you know. But good for you for having

72
00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:22.280
those numbers. How did she get those numbers? How did

73
00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.639
she get to eighteen thousand followers on Instagram and forty

74
00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:26.919
thousand on TikTok, Well.

75
00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:29.039
She tells us. Sarah comes with receipts.

76
00:03:29.639 --> 00:03:33.199
She says she grew her channels mostly from posting covers

77
00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:36.319
and behind the scenes stuff about my writing process. So

78
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:38.120
at sixteen years old, you're writing your.

79
00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.639
Own songs as well, and you have enough you have enough.

80
00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:48.840
Intellect to know that as an artist, I'm going to

81
00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:50.560
share this process with my fans and it's going to

82
00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:51.159
grow my pages.

83
00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:53.240
Now, you being a female does not hurt.

84
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.960
Let's just put that out there, okay, But that's not

85
00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.840
to undermine the effort that you're putting in on TikTok

86
00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:01.960
and Instagram and you're seeing the results. I would think

87
00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:07.840
at this point, with you having forty thousand followers on TikTok,

88
00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:12.800
I would think you've had a couple of videos that

89
00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:16.480
have popped off and gone viral. I would think, so,

90
00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:21.279
you are probably pretty close to getting in the creator's

91
00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:25.040
fund in Amazon or in TikTok. I would think, so,

92
00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.199
hopefully you're making some money in TikTok or you're about to.

93
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:29.199
The email continues.

94
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:33.399
Lately, I've been getting messages from a few independent label reps.

95
00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.839
She puts it in quotations, saying they want to talk.

96
00:04:37.399 --> 00:04:41.279
Some of them sound legit and others kind of don't. Well, okay,

97
00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:47.439
at sixteen years old, and obviously I would assume that

98
00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:50.360
you have you probably have some pretty good backing and

99
00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:55.279
support from your parents, you know, emotional support, maybe some guidance.

100
00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.959
I would at sixteen if my daughter was sixteen year

101
00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:01.839
years old and put out her first single and she

102
00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:06.000
was getting approached by people, I would step in.

103
00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:07.360
I would step in.

104
00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:14.439
So I would say, right now, at sixteen years old,

105
00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:17.759
which parent is the one who is.

106
00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:20.000
Not the gas are upper?

107
00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:22.279
You know, because I think we both you know, if

108
00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:24.560
you have two supportive parents, one of them is the

109
00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:25.319
one who's.

110
00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.920
Like everything you do is great. The other one who

111
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:27.639
is a little.

112
00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:29.839
Bit more skeptical of you know, their daughter getting in

113
00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:33.480
the music industry, maybe playing shows or producers whatever. That's

114
00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:37.639
the one you want talking to these independent label reps.

115
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:39.680
I mean, at.

116
00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:43.560
Sixteen years old, a couple of thousand streams.

117
00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.920
On Spotify, popping off on TikTok.

118
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:47.800
It looks like you didn't tell me when you started

119
00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:51.720
your TikTok page, popping off a little bit on Instagram.

120
00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:52.839
Those are good numbers.

121
00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:57.319
I would assume you probably are getting some attention from

122
00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:01.600
some label people into indie labels. Now, are they good contracts?

123
00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:06.040
Are they reputable companies? You know, you don't really say.

124
00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:06.720
You might not know.

125
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.079
Some of the people who are going to approach you

126
00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:11.040
to want to work with you are going to be legit,

127
00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:14.040
but probably majority of them are not going to be legit.

128
00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:15.720
It's just the way it is. It's just the nature

129
00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.439
of the industry. But let's continue with the email, she says.

130
00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.560
But it got me thinking, and this is what I

131
00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:23.600
want to ask you. Is it smarter to stay independent

132
00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:25.480
or try to sign with a label?

133
00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:27.439
Right now?

134
00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.920
There are people who are already typing out what I'm

135
00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:35.560
going to say their own opinion. It just really depends

136
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:39.160
on what you're looking for, it really does. It depends

137
00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.279
on It depends on what you're looking for. It depends

138
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:44.199
on how hard you want to work. It depends on

139
00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.000
what you're willing to sacrifice. When I was sixteen years

140
00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:51.439
old and I started working at Jive Records, I didn't

141
00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:53.720
go to homecoming. I mean I dropped out, but I

142
00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:55.279
had a little girlfriend at the time. I didn't go

143
00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.800
to homecoming. I didn't go to prom. I couldn't go

144
00:06:58.839 --> 00:07:03.639
to prom. Actually, we're at a music conference in Atlanta.

145
00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:06.480
That weekend and I can't go.

146
00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:11.000
So it really depends on is this something that you

147
00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:13.959
are incredibly passionate about, which it looks like you are

148
00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.279
because you took the time out to email me and

149
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.600
you're watching my videos and hopefully you're watching other people's

150
00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.000
videos and doing more research. So is this something you're

151
00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:23.079
willing to sacrifice?

152
00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:23.560
Is it?

153
00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:25.519
Is it something that you know you won't go to

154
00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:28.800
the pep the prep pep rallies, Pepperrelli's right, yeah, Pepperrellies.

155
00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.360
Is it? Is it is something that you might have

156
00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:36.000
to skip out on homecoming for pretty much besides family,

157
00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.800
and you know, if you follow follow God or you

158
00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.920
have religious beliefs, like something that's going to be right

159
00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.800
up there at the top, but then everything else goes

160
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:47.199
by the wayside. Is it smarter to stay independent or

161
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.000
try to sign with the label. Well, one it also

162
00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:51.360
and then it also depends on what the label is.

163
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:53.639
You know, the other day I answered an email from

164
00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:56.279
an artist where the label wants fifty percent of your royalties.

165
00:07:58.120 --> 00:07:58.680
Don't sign that.

166
00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.600
If it's a label that is going to sign you

167
00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.600
but they're not going to do anything, or they don't

168
00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.800
know anybody, don't stay independent. If it's a more reputable

169
00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:17.639
independent label that's got connections, they got a marketing team,

170
00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:21.639
they're gonna be mindful that you're sixteen. They come with

171
00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:25.160
receipts for what they do. They have a good reputation

172
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.279
in town. They're not trying to take advantage of sixteen

173
00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:31.519
year olds. If you're willing to sacrifice everything, then yeah,

174
00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:35.120
it makes more sense than to sign with a label

175
00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:38.960
that's independent. If we're talking about going with a major,

176
00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.080
you're gonna have to get those numbers way up. You're

177
00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:44.480
gonna have to get those numbers way up for you

178
00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:48.039
to get on the radar of a major label. You're

179
00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:53.200
gonna have to get I would say probably ten ext

180
00:08:53.240 --> 00:09:00.840
your numbers. Four hundred thousand followers on TikTok, one hundred

181
00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:04.360
thousand on Instagram have a couple of videos that are

182
00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:09.320
well into the millions directing. Everything you're doing at that

183
00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.639
point is directing people to Apple Music, Spotify to get

184
00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:17.639
those stream numbers up, and that would be how you

185
00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:21.879
get a major. So the indie label thing, it really

186
00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.440
does get broken down into there's good indie labels and

187
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.600
there's bad indie labels. Some good indie labels out there,

188
00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:31.679
you know, in Christian hip hop terms, Reach Records is

189
00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:36.840
one of them. In punk world, Epitaph, Hellcat, Pirate Press,

190
00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:44.879
great great indie labels. But you know an indie label

191
00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:46.840
that wants you to pay money for them to work

192
00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:48.240
with you, you.

193
00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:48.600
Got to pay them.

194
00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.519
They're going to take fifty percent of your you know, royalties,

195
00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.799
they're going to own the masters. They're going to take

196
00:09:56.840 --> 00:09:59.000
this single that you did and just slap their name

197
00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:00.960
on it and claim it's there, and they're not gonna

198
00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:04.159
give you any money for it. One that's gonna lock

199
00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:07.399
you up into long term deals unless it's a major

200
00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.720
that's gonna or you know a reputable indy who's gonna

201
00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:12.600
give you an advance.

202
00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:16.600
Those are the only ones I would sign with.

203
00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:21.480
But at sixteen, right now, my favor Okay, if I

204
00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:24.799
was still in an R and you came across my

205
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:31.080
desk at sixteen, I'm gonna have to really love what

206
00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:33.440
I'm seeing. I'm gonna have to really love the music.

207
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:35.399
I'm gonna have to really love the imaging. I'm gonna

208
00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:39.919
have to really love the numbers because at sixteen, this

209
00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.960
is no shade. But this is just You're sixteen. In

210
00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.320
two years, your life could radically change forever by going

211
00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:48.960
to college. You could decide like, I want to go

212
00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:50.120
to college. I want to go to Hey, I got

213
00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.960
accepted into UCLA. I want to go to UCLA. And

214
00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:54.600
now I'm kind of stuck with you, Like I have

215
00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:56.759
this contract. We've kind of put some money, we kind

216
00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:58.879
of put some effort into it, and now I'm stuck

217
00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:03.519
with you, and then I have to either shelve you

218
00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:07.440
or force you to be an artist. And if I

219
00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:09.240
shelve you, I don't know if you're ever getting off

220
00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:13.600
that shelf. So at sixteen years old, if I was

221
00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.799
an an R today and you came across my desk,

222
00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:19.759
I'm probably keeping an eye on you. I'm probably going

223
00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:22.519
to be texting you and your dad or you and

224
00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:27.879
your mom building a relationship and then just watching what happens.

225
00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.720
I would say at this point, any label that is

226
00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:37.039
contacting you is probably not worth your time. But let's

227
00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:38.039
continue with the email.

228
00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:38.840
She says.

229
00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:41.399
I keep hearing people say stay independent as long as

230
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:45.159
you can, but I don't really know why. So you

231
00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:49.399
have artistic control, so you have freedom, so you can

232
00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:51.679
kind of mix it up a little bit, so you

233
00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:53.799
don't have a bunch of people telling you what when

234
00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:56.080
to post, why to post, why did you post? Why'd

235
00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:59.320
you post that? You can kind of write whatever you

236
00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:03.720
want without people going, well, I don't like that because

237
00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:06.440
I don't care what genre of music it is. If

238
00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:08.240
you get signed to a major I don't care. It

239
00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:10.360
could be Christian, it could be it could be punk.

240
00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:12.919
Whatever you get signed to a major label, they're going

241
00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:15.480
through your lyrics. They're gonna, well, why we don't want

242
00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:17.039
we don't want a song on the album like this.

243
00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:19.799
We don't want your single to be like this. So

244
00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:23.799
why you don't really know why someone would stay say

245
00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:27.200
independent as long as you can. If you're not sixteen,

246
00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:30.159
if you're twenty five and you want to stay there's

247
00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:32.320
a couple of people who want to stay independent as

248
00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:33.320
long as they possibly can.

249
00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:34.120
You got the.

250
00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:36.639
Purest who and then you see that a lot like

251
00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:39.279
the indie and the punk realm, where they want to

252
00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:42.320
be independent because there's something very romantic to them about

253
00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:46.279
being poor, and there's something very romantic about them being

254
00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.320
you know, three hundred monthly listeners on Spotify, kicking everybody

255
00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:51.320
to band camp, trying to sell CDs out of the

256
00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:51.840
back of the van.

257
00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:55.080
They find that very romantic. I don't.

258
00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:58.519
The other ones who stay independent are the ones who

259
00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.200
are like, there's nothing really right now that a label

260
00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:04.879
can offer me. I'm making money, I'm playing shows, I'm

261
00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:08.399
getting features. You know, I'm making money off of YouTube,

262
00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:10.320
I'm making money off of TikTok, I'm making money off

263
00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:13.480
of Instagram. Then plus all the streaming services, I'm getting

264
00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:15.639
show money, I'm getting merch money. What can a label

265
00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.600
do at this moment in time? Then the other one

266
00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:22.360
is you kind of long game it? And I think

267
00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:29.159
the best best person probably to use as an example

268
00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:34.639
would be someone like Forrest Frank who is technically independent,

269
00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:38.720
but he's with a major and they just because he

270
00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:41.200
was popping off so much, they just gave him whatever

271
00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:45.200
he wanted and they just come in and offer marketing,

272
00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.120
muscle or or whatever. But at this point that thing

273
00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.360
is such a runaway train. I don't even know what

274
00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:50.960
they could do.

275
00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:52.480
To make it better or bigger for him.

276
00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:55.440
So those are some of the people who would tell

277
00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:57.519
you why to stay independent as long as you can.

278
00:13:58.919 --> 00:13:59.960
She continues.

279
00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.120
What are the actual benefits of being independent compared.

280
00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:03.960
To signing to a deal?

281
00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:13.080
Once again, artistic freedom, creativity, control, not being micromanaged, not

282
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.799
being shelved. You might get you know, look, you could

283
00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:19.919
get signed and piss somebody off and you're getting shelved.

284
00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:23.840
You have the freedom that if you decide in a

285
00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:25.919
couple of years you don't want to do this anymore.

286
00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:29.159
Happens all the time, then you can walk away without

287
00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.000
having to have to buy out of your contract or

288
00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:34.720
being forced to continue because that does happen. Having a

289
00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:37.799
team behind you is great, but also having the freedom

290
00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:42.159
to do what you want is also great. I loved

291
00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:45.840
when I worked at labels having the security of, you know,

292
00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.840
a paycheck every two weeks. I love the security of

293
00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:52.200
not having to have to get online and apply for

294
00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:58.240
my healthcare. But now independent, I consult for a few labels.

295
00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.000
I do the matrics minute I do this. If I

296
00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:04.159
want to take my kids to Disney World, I don't

297
00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.519
have to ask anybody. It don't matter how many times

298
00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:08.840
I go. I have that freedom to do it. So

299
00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:12.039
for me, I decided it was better for me to

300
00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.240
be independent on the business side than it was to

301
00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:16.600
be in a corporate regime because I like to have

302
00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:18.639
my freedom and I like rolling.

303
00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:20.240
The dice on things. I'm kind of a gambler like that.

304
00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:21.440
Dmail continues.

305
00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.120
As for someone like me who's still in high school,

306
00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:26.120
I feel like I could really focus on my music

307
00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.840
full time once I graduate, but I don't want to

308
00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:30.799
make the wrong move early and get stuck in a

309
00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:34.440
bad deal or lose control of my music. She's sixteen

310
00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:41.240
years old, y'all, sixteen years old, and it's worried about

311
00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.960
getting stuck in a bad deal and losing control of

312
00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:49.360
her music. Sixteen years old. We're gonna call you, Sarah, Sarah.

313
00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:52.039
I know people who are thirty six years old who

314
00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.120
don't even have that mindset. Well, we did the other day.

315
00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:57.039
The guy was gonna sign away fifty percent of his

316
00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:00.840
royalties just because he can finally get a label. Good

317
00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:05.679
for you for having that mindset, because also Uh, people

318
00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.360
your age who are in music, they kind of play

319
00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:10.679
dumb or they just don't care to learn, and they

320
00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:13.159
hope that their parents will figure it out from But

321
00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:14.399
you're figuring it out on your own.

322
00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:16.000
Good for you.

323
00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:21.200
She continues, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what

324
00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:25.879
an artist like me should be thinking about before signing anything. School,

325
00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.360
your education, which is funny coming from the high school dropout.

326
00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:33.639
What do you what do you what do you envision

327
00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:35.879
for your music? I don't know if you said what

328
00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:40.960
kind of music you do? But at sixteen years old,

329
00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:43.159
what should you be thinking about before.

330
00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.200
You sign anything? What is?

331
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.159
What is a label going to be able to bring?

332
00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:52.360
Is a tour support? Is is your big thing?

333
00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:52.559
Is?

334
00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:53.840
Like I want to get with the label, so I

335
00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:56.320
have tour support. So they're gonna put me on tour

336
00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:58.080
with one of their bigger artists, Then yeah, you need

337
00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:01.120
a label. But what's you be thinking about is you

338
00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:03.679
should really come up with a roadmap for what you want. Okay,

339
00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:05.519
this is what I want for my career. I don't

340
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.640
believe in vision boards or anything like that, but have

341
00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.720
a road plan, have a roadmap, keep adjusting it.

342
00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.720
And be like, look, this is what I would like

343
00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:18.119
to see for my career. Which ones in my wildest dreams.

344
00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.640
Let's say my single pops off and I got fifty

345
00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:23.759
million streams, Which one of these can I do without

346
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:26.240
a label? And start checking them? Which ones can I

347
00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.319
not do without a label. That's how you get a

348
00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.640
game plan for when they do start coming. And then

349
00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.440
she continues to ask if there's ever a right time

350
00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:38.039
to go after a label deal. Well, if you're going

351
00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:39.920
to try to pursue getting signed, you're never gonna get

352
00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.000
signed to a reputable label because you're gonna be too

353
00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:43.519
focused trying to get signed, and you're not gonna be

354
00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:47.200
worrying about the things you're doing right now on TikTok, Instagram, releasing.

355
00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:47.599
Music, whatever.

356
00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.400
If you do it right the right people at labels,

357
00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.559
we'll find out about you. People will start talking. I

358
00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.400
don't care where you're at in the world. If you're

359
00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.559
making noise, if you're running the numbers up on Spotify,

360
00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:03.240
if you're running the numbers up on Apple Music, if

361
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.720
people in your town are talking, if you know, if

362
00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:08.759
your tiktoks are popping off, it's gonna get It would

363
00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.559
get across my desk if I was steal an A

364
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:13.000
and R. If I was still in A and R,

365
00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:15.480
it would get across my desk. She continues with, thank

366
00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:17.519
you for all the advice you share. It's been super

367
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:20.000
helpful and inspiring to watch someone who actually tells the

368
00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:20.920
truth about this stuff.

369
00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.359
Well, thank you, Yeah, I would just tell you right now.

370
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:27.279
Continue what you're doing, Keep posting the behind the scenes stuff.

371
00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:30.680
Don't get too eager to sign anything right now. It's

372
00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.200
sixteen years old. Don't be too eager to how many

373
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:35.240
how many streams did you have?

374
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:36.920
Again? Well, how many streams did you have?

375
00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:41.519
Four thousand streams on Spotify since June. We're going into November,

376
00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.400
so you got to you know, a couple, couple one

377
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:48.119
hundred a month. Don't be eager to sign anything right

378
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.559
now unless it's a major who's going to give you

379
00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:52.000
a check.

380
00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:53.920
Don't don't sign anything right now.

381
00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:57.480
Get those numbers up, keep popping off doing what you're doing.

382
00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.960
You know, get the four hundred thousand streams on Spotify

383
00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.839
with the single, get to four hundred thousand followers on TikTok,

384
00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:07.839
get monetized everywhere you possibly can. Keep posting the content

385
00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.839
you're doing, Keep doing cover songs, don't worry about signing

386
00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:14.720
right now. Do not worry about signing right now. It's

387
00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:18.839
not ready. It's not your time unless they're gonna pay you.

388
00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:23.359
So thank you for your email. Sarah, sixteen years old

389
00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:26.039
and you're worried about being in a bad record deal.

390
00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.599
God bless you. I love that we see, we have

391
00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:29.720
hope for the youth of America.

392
00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:31.319
You know, if you have a question on the music

393
00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:32.960
industry and you want me to answer it, just simply

394
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:36.359
go to Matthew Ricks dot com, click submit your question,

395
00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:40.319
give me as many details as possible, and until next time.

396
00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:41.960
I will talk to you later.