During a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, DragonForce’s Herman Li said that becoming an influencer is more profitable for rockers nowadays.
The guitarist replied to a question about whether it’s a good idea for musicians to sign with a label these days. He talked about the importance of understanding the business side and stated:
“Labels are only going to sign you if you have a following. If you have really something special. Because labels don’t really like to develop bands that much and spend that money, it’s such a high risk, right? The sales… people don’t buy CDs as much. The money stream is going in a different direction. So, at the same time, if they want to sign you, then you’ve definitely got some bargaining power, so maybe it’s worth doing it, as well. Just see where it goes.”
Li Thinks Social Media Is Important
He added the following about being careful while planning a future career:
“You’ve got to be smart and think where you want to go in terms of direction. If you just want to do what you want to do and don’t care about anything else, which is just keep doing social media stuff. But you’ve got to work the ‘influencer route’ because that’ll pay better than a record label a lot of the time.”
Steve Stevens Criticized Major Labels
Last year, major record labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group changed contracts for new artists. They decided to make artists wait longer periods, like 10, 15, or even 30 years, before they could re-record their music after leaving the label. After singer Kitten Kuroi’s reaction to it, Steve Stevens slammed big labels, writing:
“There’s zero reason to sign to a major label anymore. As if owning a part of a new artist’s touring and merch wasn’t enough.”
Later, Kuroi agreed with the musician in the comments and said there’s no reason not to do your own thing. He said technology has made it easier for artists to work on their own.
