On the other hand I could answer:  "send a letter to yourself saying that on this day you commenced trading as Acme Record Company".  Get 'How To Start Your Own Music Publishing Business for less than £100' at www.makehits.co.uk/publishing.htm Then hire the best producer you can afford, get the best act, who are packing every venue they play and have a database/fanbase of 40,000 minimum, a band that has every boy girl in each club they play wanting to sh*g them lifeless, record one absolute caste iron, Top Three Hit.  Test it in every club available and tweak it if it needs tweaking.  Be absolutely sure you have tested it to death [not just asked a few mates and relations...they don't know, trust me...only the Public know]

Have the track mastered by the hottest mastering suite available [ESSENTIAL]

Then do a deal for 2,000 white labels to sell at venues and collect more database.  Be sure you have a deal in place for 'run-ons'.

Slog around every club within 100 miles and bribe, convince, sell your body to make the DJ play it in his prime spot, next troll around record shop in your area with stunning, expensive posters and cardboard presentation boards of the band and offer the records on 'sale or return'...monitor the sales every day and ensure that you restock FAST.

When  you sell 30,000 then set up meetings with good Distributors and 'roll out' the sales...in other words the distributors will know the initial success and they will want part of the action.....in theory you should  see the sales go up dramatically.  Now you should be nationwide.  So get a promotion company to set up a nationwide club PA tour [three or four a night]

You then need newspaper and magazine coverage either by your own hard slog or by hiring a PR company.  With packed venues, queues down the street, database of 50,000 and sales of  5 - 20,000 then radio must pick up on the buzz, then Saturday morning TV.

You then must make the decision on whether it is worth doing a video for this release [it's really too late] or concentrate on the next release which, by now the public should be clamouring for.  You will also have the finance to record a great video [not an award winning one but one that will make sales]

A good agent/manager should have picked up on the vibe and got a support slot with a major tour for the next single.  Also getting the odd well paid Gig and trips to Europe.

The album should be written by now and recorded...each track aimed at being another Top Three hit [there is no such thing as an album track, in the real world].

Major Organisations like Universal, Sony, Virgin, BMG should be sniffing around this 'tiny new label' and you then make the decision to do a deal for world wide distribution or go it alone, most do a deal....you can't fight their size.

At the end of the day P*******, your simplistic question brings you smack bang up against the questions: "Do I know enough knowledge to make this work"...Answer: NO, not a chance in h*ll!

Do I have enough stamina, attitude, ambition to make this work?   I doubt it!

Do I have the business acumen and the negotiation skills to make it work?  I doubt it...they are tough cookies out there.   Tthey are doing this work every hour of the day...they also have University Degrees and Accountancy degrees plus they attend seminars and training course and festivals on a monthly basis.

ADVICE:  join The Serious Writers Guild and learn this business properly!

NOW THE HARD BIT:

You have the enthusiasm and that is important...I show all the other bits that you have to have...a lot of guys don't like my ideas because it entails hard work...mainly on themselves.

P*******, it is IMPOSSIBLE to write/produce/perform/promote a Hit Potential track without knowing and learning what a Hit Potential track is....much the same as it is impossible to perform a brain operation without the learning involved....I hope this does not upset you.

The most important thing you have is enthusiasm.  Plus a love of music.

However you need the 'knowledge' about your chosen career in music to make a success of it.  Sadly that is not learned in a home based studio on your own or Summer season in Greece....many wish it was that way....no, you don't get rich in our business by luck!  Or by having 'contacts'.

As with most guys who have tinkered with the Pop Industry, you forget that this is a highly sophisticated, professional, business that has to be learned...and learned hard.

Meanwhile this might help:

This business is all about 'knowledge', then application, then marketing and absolutely wanting to make a fortune...if you don't agree with those sentiments then there is no point in going further.  If you don't like making a £Million then you can give it all away...no problem.

The 'hidden factor' in all success in Show business is the fact that this business has got to be studied and learned...Britney did it, Cristina,  Madonna, Scissor Sisters, Nsync, Backstreet Boys,  Black Eyed Peas, Eminem...all learned their craft.  Sadly, so many think that this is a business that needs no learning and somehow just depends on 'luck' and with 'meeting the right people'...nothing could be further from the truth.

I have never met one person ever [outside myself, my brother and the top successful guys] who actually have owned up and asked: "show me how to learn to be successful?".

It all depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want commercial success or just a hobby to have fun with?

If you want serious commercial success, P*******, there is a lot of learning, adjusting, tweaking to get the 'whole picture' right. You got to get the look right, the attitude right, the music right,,,and most of all you have got to get a 'killer attitude' to absolutely wanting and 'needing' financial success...

It doesn't happen by accident...you never hear of a brain surgeon who became a brain surgeon by accident, or performing a few demo operations?

Any of the Members of my 'Serious Writers Guild' at www.makehits.co.uk/swgintro.htm will tell you. It's hard work, dedicated work and takes years (about 3/4 years with a mentor like me, or ten/twelve years learning by your own mistakes).

"Clever people learn from their own mistakes, Brilliant people learn from the mistakes of others"

Ask yourself my four famous questions:

1) Which song in the top ten this week is most like my last toon

2) When was the last time a toon like mine was in the charts?

3) Would a 14 year old clutching her £3.99 her Mummy gave her in 'Our Price'
buy my toon in preference to the Number One this week?

4) Have I joined The Serious Writers Guild at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm ?

"In actual life, every great enterprise begins with and takes it's first forward step in faith" - friedrich von schlegel

Regards

Dec 

You may use any part of this 'One Minute' in your own publications...we simply require you to add:

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'One Minute With Dec' is written each week by Dec Cluskey. Dec's advice?

Get in touch personally to discuss what you want to achieve in music dec@makehits.com

web: www.makehits.com or call +44 (0)1323.728005

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The gags: a little rude, but worth it!

"What part of your body goes to Heaven first?"

The nun teaching Sunday School was speaking to her class one morning and she asked the question, "When you die and go to Heaven... which part of your body goes first?"

Suzy raised her hand and said, "I think it's your hands." "Why do you think it's your hands, Suzy?"

Suzy replied, "Because when you pray, you hold your hands together in front of you and God just takes your hands first."   "What a wonderful answer!" the nun said.

Little Johnny raised his hand and said, "Sister, I think it's your legs."

The nun looked at him with the strangest look on her face. "Now, Little Johnny, why do you think it would be your legs?"

Little Johnny said, "Well, I walked into Mommy and Daddy's bedroom the other night. Mommy had her legs straight up in the air and she was saying, "Oh God, I'm coming!" If Dad hadn't pinned her down, we'd have lost her."

The nun fainted.