The Producer Files Issue #19
Read time: 4 minutes
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In this issue (#19) of The Producer Files:
ϟ Discussion: A Warning About “TikTok Artists” from Demi Lovato's Producer
ϟ Quick Tip: Slick new ways to optimize and speed up your cold outreach / networking process on Instagram.
ϟ Celebrate: More advertising and major sports placements from Dark Label producers!
ϟ Plus our recs (recommendations) of the week!
DISCUSSION: A Warning About “TikTok Artists” from Demi Lovato's Producer
Okay, so what's this all about?
In our client community here at Dark Label, we run these one-of-a-kind workshops called “Internal Guest Workshops”…
Basically, whenever a producer in our community excels at a certain skill or has specialized knowledge/experience with something, then they will lead a group discussion (or workshop) to bring everyone else in the community up to speed. It's powerful.
And I wish I could post these publicly, but for privacy reasons, I can't post the full recording. However, I can share some of the important takeaways with you and that's what I'll do right now.
Last year, one of our clients, Alex Niceforo (who is on Oak Felder's team and produces all of Demi Lovato's rock stuff), led an internal guest workshop about navigating the major label world as a producer-songwriter (he's been at it for 15 years, has won a GRAMMY, tons of placements, all that stuff).
This 80-minute workshop was jam-packed with dozens of lessons, but one of them that stuck out to me was what Alex said about his experience working with artists who have a breakout song on TikTok. Here's a screen grab from the session…
Many producers would jump at the chance to work with an artist who had a smash hit on TikTok, so why does Alex typically avoid working with these artists?
He says [paraphrasing]…
"You have to understand the business behind these artists. Basically, you have someone who (usually) created a song in their bedroom; it blows up on TikTok, and the label throws money at them and then puts them in sessions with producers like me who have a track record.
The label will end up making a positive ROI from latching onto that first TikTok hit. That's why you see them throwing a few million dollars at these artists. The label will make their money back regardless of whether that artist has another song blow up like that. Of course they want that to happen but they're good either way (financially).
The problem is that a follow up hit RARELY ever happens with these artists. Think about all of the artists you know who had a “TikTok Hit.” How many have had a successful follow-up?
I'm not saying that all of these TikTok-hit-driven artists only have ONE hit in them, but so far, that's all I've really seen. I'm sure there will be more as time goes on but for now it's still risky.
A lot of these artists just end up building careers as influencers not musical artists.
Similar things happen with artists who break via shows like American Idol, The Voice, etc. Out of all the seasons, we can count the number of superstars made from those shows on one hand.
As a producer primarily focused on catalog, I make my real money when songs perform well, and I'm able to build a solid body of work over a long period of time with an artist (like what I'm doing with Demi and others).
If you're an upcoming producer and want to attach your name to an artist who has buzz in order to grow your reputation, then I get it... Feel free to work with work with artists that had their TikTok hit. Nothing wrong with that! Or if you're lucky enough to be the producer on that first song then congrats to you, that's a different story.
But if you're on the industry side, focused on building a catalog, your time is precious… And I haven't found much of an ROI at all working with TikTok artists personally. That's just been my experience. Your mileage may vary."
QUICK TIP: Slick new ways to optimize and speed up your cold outreach & networking on Instagram
Outreach and networking! We know that most working music professionals have a love/hate relationship with it…
It seems to still be the most controllable way to quickly learn your market, meet awesome people, and drum up new work (especially if you aren't receiving many inbound opportunities yet).
On the other hand, it can sometimes feel draining.
Fortunately, Dark Label producers are resourceful and are always coming up with new ways to solve problems.
So, here are a few quick tips that will make outreach and networking a much less draining experience for you…
Warning: Initially, this may seem impersonal.
However, consider this: approximately 90% of outreach interactions follow a similar pattern and flow. The goal is to get the conversation out of the DMs and into real life.
To streamline communication, one of our producers has developed a database containing template messages for each stage of a conversation.
For instance, if the individual mentions they are from New York, a predetermined response is ready. And this is different than the response for someone from Paris, eliminating the need for on-the-spot thinking.
We're not suggesting you act like a robot. Rather, this approach is about working smarter, not harder.
Networking and outreach can be exhausting, often requiring you to start from scratch and meticulously craft EVERY message…
So, having pre-written starting points not just for your opening message but for EVERY stage of the conversation conserves mental energy.
By employing this method, our producers have been able to personally connect with hundreds of new artists and executives each month, converting some into collaborators, clients, and even best friends, all without the burnout of starting from zero every time.
Keep in mind, a good portion of those you contact may not resonate with you or even respond at all, so spending 1-2 minutes crafting the perfect message for every single message in the interaction might be a waste of time.
You could also use hardware. Some of our producers have set up their Elgato Stream Deck to quickly execute repetitive actions and send messages.
Treating the outreach process more as an administrative task rather than a networking task can seem odd at first, but treating it this way has proven to be less exhausting for our producers — particularly those who are more introverted.
This approach allows them to save their energy and more meaningful conversations only for a select group whom they genuinely connect with, preventing burnout.
WINS: From the field to high fashion
We want to give flowers to a few of the amazing producers we are developing here at Dark Label although we're not taking credit, they did this on their own. They are making great songs and it's paying off. Placements with the NFL Network and Prada. Congrats!
Recs of the week
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Recs of the week 〰️
ϟ Just incase you missed it! We released a 17 minute business masterclass over on YouTube that discusses how to make music production your career (forever). It teaches you how to remove overwhelm in your music career and gives real examples of how producers like you use LEVERAGE to diversify their income. Watch it here.
ϟ Mindlessly scrolling through TikTok or Instagram probably isn't helping you grow your business as a producer. So, What else could you do when you're bored?
Well, we'd love to recommend an industry podcast that you may not have heard about yet. It's called Trapital. This is not sponsored.
We just find their insights and journalism about our industry extremely valuable as they dive deep into the business strategies behind massive artists, labels, and music tech companies. Enjoy!
That's all folks! Thanks for reading The Producer Files and when you're ready, feel free to reach out to us…
Leverage our data and expertise working directly with 600+ professional music producers, from bedroom studios to the Grammy-winning talent behind your favorite songs.
