In today’s “Behind the Agents Desk” series we would like to briefly talk about artist inquires. Sleeping Giant Music gets a lot of artist inquiries every day. While we do take phone calls, you will be redirected to our “Artist Submission” page on our website. But what is the first thing you should do before picking up the phone, just like any company you might call? Research! Know what you want and whom you’re calling before you call.
When I think about calling any company about a job opening, a product or service – my first action is to look said entity up. Being in the know and prepared is a huge part of the success, especially in the music industry. You never know when an opportunity is going to arise- so staying up to date, informed and ready is a big deal.
Information is the key to success in this particular case- I know I just started this but I will say it a third time- INFORMATION is everything. Sleeping Giant Music get’s calls from artists and managers looking for representation every day. The issue I have with some of these callers is that they call in not knowing who SGM is, what we do or what they’re looking for. For example, in the past month I have received calls from artists looking for management, calls from hip-hop artists looking to get on their own tour, a band looking to open for a larger band on their upcoming stop in LA, along with an array of other artist’s seeking agents. Now it’s understandable that people are busy and when they Google something along the lines of “music agency San Diego” we are one of, if not the first name to pop up- so they call us. Don’t get me wrong we don’t mind directing you to our website to submit your music- but the number of people who call in having no idea who we are, what kind of artists we work with, and what we do as an agency might surprise you as it surprised me.
If you were applying for a job, would you submit a resume to a company you knew nothing about hoping to get the job? If you happened to get the interview would you prepare by researching the company so you can better sell yourself as an asset or would you just wing it? Hopefully -you’d do your homework if you really wanted it. Now not everyone has taken classes on the music industry, or been helped out by someone who knows better- but as an aspiring musician, you need to have your own back by being informed and ready for opportunities that present themselves. One of the worst things you can do is be presented with a chance to prove yourself and not be ready. Your credibility will go right out the window.
My suggestions:
– There are ample amounts of resources online for everyone to use to do research, so use it. Google us- check out our website or our social media!
– If you’re looking for a local agent, see what agencies are in your area, and check them all out before making any calls to better determine if any/all of them might be a good fit for you or your artist.
– Next, see who their current acts are, where they are booking the artists and check out any music links, podcasts, articles or other media they might have posted because it will most likely tell you exactly what kind of artist the agents are looking for.
Lastly, I will always suggest that new artists looking to give it a real go do some music industry research. There are classes, books, magazines, tons of online articles and a whole lot of people out there with information that could really boost you to the next level. Get informed so you can be ready for your opportunity when it arises!
Alexis Bogan
Operations
Meet the rest of the SGM team here!