How to get your name in the credits
Your credits are EVERYTHING in this industry! What you’ve done and who you’ve done it for define who you are, so it’s absolutely essential that you get the credit you deserve– but as some of you have probably found out, that’s not always easy… whether it’s clients with big egos, difficult labels, or a simple miscommunication, it can be an uphill battle to get properly credited for the work you’ve done.
In this episode of The Career Builder Show, Joey Sturgis dishes out some practical advice on how to get the credit you deserve and see your name in the liner notes of an album.
Get the album credits you DESERVE! [ THE CAREER BUILDER SHOW ]
Your credits are EVERYTHING in this industry! What you’ve done and who you’ve done it for define who you are, so it’s absolutely essential that you get the credit you deserve– but as some of you have probably found out, that’s not always easy… Joey Sturgis explains how to make it happen on YOUR next session!
The first thing you’ll need to understand is what you actually did: were you the engineer, the mixer, the producer, all of the above, or some combination of them?
Why does this matter? Because this is one of the most important ways that people will discover you. Think about it: how many times have you heard a slamming mix, said “Holy crap, who did this?!” and instantly looked it up on AllMusic? Every band, label and manager does this just like you do, and you want YOUR name to be the thing they are looking up.
Once you have a handle on that, you’ll need to practice the fine art of negotiation to make sure your name actually ends up in the credits (properly spelled!) Because the unfortunate reality is that nobody really cares about you and your credits, so you have to be your own advocate.
This is a delicate balance: you’ve got to push hard enough to make yourself heard and get what you deserve, but at the same time understand that there are times when it’s better to let it go for the sake of preserving your industry relationships– and as Joey explains, it’s not always easy to know which is the right course of action.
There’s a ton more to be said on this topic, but hopefully this gets the gears turning in your head- and the sooner you start thinking about this stuff, the sooner you’ll see your name in the liner notes!
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