Behind the Music: Scouting for talent and what to look for!

​Artist Scout – What is behind all this?
My name is JJ Goenen and I work for Claudia eRecords, an international Record Label based in the UK with locations in Germany and Australia.

I am an Artist Scout and when I tell someone who does not know me, their eyes open wide and their mouth forms an amazed “Oh”. Then the questions comes… “So you are doing what exactly?” Great question… hmmm, what does it mean being a talent scout and working for a label? Is that something like the Boy/Girl Scouts but for an artist? Do they learn how to survive in the woods trying to not use their guitar as firewood? Does singing in the woods saves them from being attacked by wild animals?  That would be cool, but NO.
 
An Artist Scout is a person, who roams the streets and clubs, surfs the web, checks out the newsletters, influencers, Socials, playlists and charts, and listens to hints of friends in search of new artists. Whatever pops up and whoever has new music, original new music, is of interest to them. They are the ones that find the artists that are amazing, which you have not heard of yet. YET! Yes, Artist Scouts are the first to find that new sound for you. Maybe even set a new trend…Who knows!
  
Now, there are limitations. I do need to sleep, so roaming the streets at nights is not going to work too often. Surfing the web and checking out the Socials is more what I do. There are many different aspects and opportunities to find an artist, but my time is limited again. Too many channels, too little time. However, whatever catches my eye gets a click. 

Noticed the hint? Yes, ‘Catches my Eye’. First of all you need good music. Yeah there is a lot of really good music out there and it has become hard to stand out in the eyes of industry people like myself. The overnight artist success stories are probably one in a million. It takes hard work, diligence and absolute dedication. Just be the best at what you do, and do it with passion and professionalism. A black or blurry thumbnail on your video will easily be overlooked.

Artists also need to be proactive. That starts from building your own fanbase, creating strong messages on Socials, generate press coverage and so on. No one is going to build it for you. 
Treat your music as a business! If you have a poor online presence or poor content to share, you  won't create any noise and you will also be easily overlooked.

I love my friends and I love it that they think of me and point out artists that they think I will like. Yes, I do check them out, but not all of them are what I am looking for.
Ok, so WHAT am I looking for? Well, Rock, Pop, EDM, Dance, Indie Pop, Soul, RnB, HipHop and sometimes Rap too. BUT hey, it needs to be good. Uhm, what does THAT mean now?
To be good has many aspects. Taste is an aspect as well.
Then there is the production, the voice, the melody, the recognition effect.
In short, if you ‘produce’ your song in the bathroom with your mobile phone….umm nooooo.

Your voice, be honest, are you off key? Are you hitting the note? Singing too high and it hurts your ear? Well, guess how I feel? I click the stop or next button. Worst case, I shut down my computer, no, that actually has never happened before 😉.

The melody has many different factors, such as “Hey, that sounds exactly like XYZ”, um!  Is that good or bad? Well, if you copy the melody of a famous song… it is not new apart from copyright issues that you may end up with. Or if one cannot distinguish where the actual chorus starts and the verse begins…what? hang on, where?...Structure is important as well.
Yes, it is your song, your style, and no, not every song is a chart-breaker and yes again, so many aspects.
BUT – NEVER GIVE UP! It is your passion as it is mine. Keep making music, keep contacting people and keep sending it to me. You can reach me under www.claudiaerecords.com via the SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC button or connect with me via Socials below.

​Next time I will let you know what I need to consider when listening to new songs. My taste alone does not give you the ‘Thumbs Up’. I know, I am sad about it too, but watch this space and you will get a better idea. See You next time.
Thank you for your support and keep the music coming.