So you have your own songs, your good singing voice and your dreams of stardom. What’s the next step?

Put out your album by getting a recording deal or a distribution deal.

It’s easier said than done. The music industry is in its worst shape ever. There’s piracy, inflation and downloading to contend with, among other things.

With what seems like a losing battle, why still bother?

Most of the times, it’s because of the romantic notion of having one out. Ask any recording artist and he’d tell you that there’s nothing like leafing through the inlay cover of your own recorded CD,  let alone the exhiliration of giving it a spin on your player (or someone else’s).

And even if nowadays, people are said to download songs more than they buy CDs, the latter is still the flashier business card.

While it is extremely difficult to snag a record deal, it is not impossible. This is where having a quality demo comes in. It doesn’t have to be recorded in a state-of-the-art studio; a demo recording that is audible enough is, well, good enough.

Submitting a demo is much like submitting your resume for employment. Since the label peeps receive tons of demos (mostly unsolicited), you have to make yours stand out. Make it snazzy, but don’t go overboard.

If you have no experience at graphic designing, have a capable graphic artist do the mock CD cover of your album.

Include an artist profile. Like your resume, it should be well-structured so that the label people can get to the essentials (what music to expect, any qualities, achievements or pieces of artist history that could mean brownie points for you and – most importantly – your contact details) fast. Remember, label peeps are busy peeps.    

Here are the stages an aspirant may have to go through once the demo has been submitted:

The first level is the A & R (Artist and Repertoire) level. The A & R’s are the first people to check out your demo. If the A & R finds potential in your music, they will forward it to his label manager.

If the label manager is also taken by what he hears, he and other key people from the company will probably schedule a meeting with you. In the meeting, they will ask you about your music, or ask for other songs that you might not have been included in your demo.

These people might also check out one of your gigs  or request for a private performance. Whether it’s one or the other, put your best foot forward. Punctuality and appearance, mind you, matter.

If the executives like you, they will sign you up. Congrats - but that’s not the end of it.

Next is to be in the know on the kind of deal they might offer. The standard deal is usually a on album, second album optional deal. It means that if your first album does well (about 6,000 copies sold at least), you just might get a second album with that label.

As part of the deal, you will likely receive a minimum advance royalties and a marketing outline (store displays, album events, etc) to promote your album.

 While it makes more sense to have your own publishing copyright for your music for more control of the accounting of your royalties, standard here in the Philippines is the label assumes property of your publishing. In the Philippines, only names with good track records such as Ogie Alcasid, Ryan Cayabyab and Lito Camo have their own publishing.

Sometimes, a label might believe in your music, but aren’t as sure in your chances of selling. That’s when a distribution deal may come in.

In the distribution deal, the artist usually has publishing rights. The downside is that the label is not really obligated to spend a dime or even work on promoting your album. Proceed with caution because if your album doesn’t meet the sales expectations of the labels, you are on your own once again.

If you’re unable to get either types of deal, you may try going indie. If so, be prepared to do a whole lot of work including marketing your CD.

The bright side in going indie is that you get to owe your success to nobody but yourself. Going indie is not so bad: There are a lot of indie bands right now who are doing well financially.

In all these, do not to obsess on the money. Remember that how rich you become from your music should not be the ultimate measure of success.

Inded, if you really love your music unconditionally, the commercial success or downfall of your album should not matter to you as much as the satisfaction you derive from creating a thing of art. Good luck!