Mark Henderson answered
When you have signed a record deal you will record and promote an album! This will involve hours of writing, recording, mixing and mastering. Then you'll play lots of gigs to promote the album and attend other promotional events.
What Happens Next, After You Get A Record Deal?
- Recording
- Mixing
- Writing
- Mastering
- Gigging
- Promoting
Publicity!
The publicity department of a record label is responsible for establishing you as a credible artist, and arranges for magazine and newspaper articles to be written about you and your material. You may also have your own independent publicist who (together with the label) will co-ordinate your radio and television coverage. This will involve playing live on TV, appearing on the radio and being interviewed by music journalists.
A and R
The A and R (artists and repertoire) department will have a significant influence over your material. After all, they signed you and it's their fault if your record is a flop.
They will assign a producer employed by the label to you, who will have a huge amount of influence over the sound, direction and feel of an album. The producer will also give feedback to the A&R executives about how the recording process is going, and how the record is shaping up. A&R may instruct a producer to make your record sound more mainstream in an effort to increase its appeal.
