‘Record contracts are like – I’ll say the word – slavery,’ Prince once famously warned the young artist.
Most struggling musicians can only dream of getting signed to a label, working hard to gain the recognition of studio executives in order to launch themselves into superstardom.
However, in 2015, one of the greatest singers of all time called the industry ‘slavery’, saying he had ‘liberated’ himself from the ‘chains’ of his labels.
Could it be that the purpose of this life for many is truly a poisonous evil?
The music industry, like acting, is a risky but high gamble, for which some stars tragically pay with their lives.
More and more artists – including Demi Lovato, Megan Thee Stallion, and Raye – have spoken about their negative experiences after signing; of extreme pressure to have little creative control.
For years, Liam Payne has been open with his fans about his struggle with suicidal ideation and substance abuse, which was largely linked to fame, leading to his sudden death at the age of 31.
Adding to his struggles, it was revealed that the One Direction icon may have been released by Universal’s Capitol Records label days before his fall.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Liam’s advances were huge and he didn’t return them. Of all the One Direction boys, Liam is on the wrong track musically.’
While the circumstances surrounding Liam’s death have yet to be confirmed, fame is known for being unforgiving and the pressures of the success-hungry music industry are sure to take their toll.
So, what does signing to a record label mean and why does this dream often turn into a nightmare?
What does a record contract sign mean?
Every contract is unique but most record deals, especially early in a musician’s career, will include giving up the rights to the original recording and the label a cut of the money they make.
In return, the label provides money upfront to pay for the recording, production, and promotion of an agreed upon number of albums.
This doesn’t guarantee commercial success but the connection a label provides can bring an unknown artist from obscurity and into the spotlight.
However, the big catch here is that the newly signed stars are now on the hook for those huge checks, known as non-refundable balances, which can be worth millions.
There have been a number of bad deals over the years, with Elvis’ manager Tom Parker reportedly taking a 50% cut of all earnings.
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has publicly fallen out with the original label TVT, which they reportedly limit creative freedom by insisting on certain sounds and certain producers.
Since labels are one of the costs, this creative can be common, especially for new artists who have less negotiating power.
This can be a label that prevents musicians from releasing music, as seen with Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 when she took her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment to court.
He got a temporary restraining order allowing Suga’s EP to be released, only to run into another problem in 2021 with Something for Hotties not having enough ‘original’ material and possibly forcing him to release two additional albums.
In court, his lawyer said he was ‘young and naive’ when he signed in 2018 at the age of 23, calling the contract ‘absurd’. According to court documents filed by her team, 1501 ‘took full advantage of her and tricked her into signing the contract.’
With the release of her second album, Traumazine, Megan filed another complaint after she and the label agreed to part ways, having settled out of court.
This is not a modern issue by any means as George Michael took his Sony label to court in 1992, famously claiming he was treated as ‘nothing more than software’ when it came to creative output.
What do artists say about sign pressure?
Most artists will never disagree with their label, only choosing to jump ship when a better deal is on the cards due to their success.
Joni Mitchell dismissed the entire industry as a ‘cesspool’ in 2002, telling W magazine her 18th album Travelogue would be her last (only to release Shine five years later).
“I quit because the business made me very unhappy,” he said at the time. ‘Record companies aren’t looking for talent. They are looking for a view and a willingness to cooperate.’
Controversial Kanye West has taken to X to slam label EMI, owned by Universal Music Group, against his employers and compared his treatment to ‘modern day slavery’.
This language mirrors that used by the ‘artist officially known as Prince’, who seems to have endless disputes over creative control until he eventually launches his own label.
During his 1995 British acceptance speech, he said: ‘Prince. The concert: absolutely free. In the note: servant.’
Ye has continued to post pictures of his record contract since 2005 on his now-deleted account, although industry experts note that he actually had a good deal and renegotiated it after each album.
“If anyone wants to hurt the record industry, I’m not sure Kanye is the poster boy,” entertainment attorney James Sammataro told Vice at the time.
However, the cry has been echoed by others as Demi Lovato revealed her non-stop schedule after signing to the Disney record label while still working on multiple TV and film projects.
‘I made the film Camp Rock, then I worked on my album,’ he shared in the documentary, Child Star. ‘I wrote it, recorded it in about a month and then I went on tour.’
The diary includes TV filming, movie filming, recording another album, touring, filming another movie, recording another album, and filming another TV season.
‘It’s back-to-back-to-back-to-back,’ Demi revealed. ‘No one knows how to stop the machine. The train keeps moving, it never stops.’
The confident singer has suffered overdoses, complications from bulimia, and mental health problems, caused by early exposure to the industry and bipolar disorder.
While Demi’s case involves an acting career, this is a path offered to many child stars such as the Jonas Brothers, Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears.
Olivia Rodrigo, who is not signed to the Disney label, told The Guardian she was ultra-conscious of the costs when recording her second album, producing ‘more anxiety and doubt.’
He said he thought: ‘Oh my God, we’ve spent thousands of dollars and I don’t think we’ve written a good one.’
Some days, Olivia just goes into the studio and cries.
How do musicians fight back?
Over the years, many artists have gone back and forth against record labels with lawsuits, usually in the hope of getting a refund.
A master recording is the original version of a song and the rights holder controls the rights to the music, as well as getting a cut of the money made from the song.
It would be impossible to discuss the master without mentioning Taylor Swift who has bid him to control his music is a very public affair, re-recording and releasing each album again.
After Big Machine Record owners Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun reportedly blocked her from performing her old songs in 2019, Taylor took to Tumblr to release a devastating statement.
“I feel strongly that sharing what happened to me can change the level of awareness for other artists and potentially help them avoid the same fate,” he said.
‘The message he sent me was very clear. Basically, be a good girl and shut up. Or you will be punished. This is WRONG. No one had a hand to write that song.’
By re-recording his songs, Taylor removed the value from the original masters and ensured he got 100% of the profits from his 17-year career, rather than Scooter.
Masters have become a huge battle in the music industry today, with Rina Sawayama publicly mentioning Matty Healy in 1975 at Glastonbury stating ‘he has my master too’.
The 1975 and Rina signed with Dirty Hit, with Matty as director until April 2023 and the four members of the band are also shareholders.
Raye’s public call-out from his former record label, Polydor, is one of the most memorable of recent times, with the singer-songwriter posting a thread on X claiming he had been blocked from releasing music for seven years.
‘There’s a lot of pressure on signed artists to make hit songs,’ she shared, adding that she had gone into a safe place to release her ‘taken’ trauma. He said: ‘My music safe was destroyed.’
“It didn’t take long for me to notice that the dream that was haunting me was hot air,” Raye told Variety. “As soon as I was signed, I was told the R&B that I said I liked making wouldn’t sell in the UK. So to satisfy the market – at least for now – I had to write dance music, 120 BPM.’
He concluded: ‘I tried my hardest to be what he wanted, but he didn’t care who I wanted to be.’
The day after her tweets, Raye was released from her label and went solo – and went straight to the charts.
In 2022, Raye spoke to Metro about this influence on him, sharing: ‘Freedom of expression, telling the story the way I want to regardless of what I’m going to do. It’s about building myself up as an artist because I’m in control of my career for the first time.’
With streaming taking away much of the revenue from releasing music and touring becoming more expensive, artists are forced to drop labels just to make ends meet.
Improvements to the industry are sorely needed and with more artists going independent, labels may be under pressure to adapt or be left in the dust.
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