Don't Be Anti-Social

Whenever I come across people who have artistic talent and want to pursue careers as music artists, dancers, actors, or models, I ask them where I can find samples of their work. Are you on Youtube? What about Instagram? Do you have a Facebook page? Surprisingly, I learn that many aspiring entertainers don't have a good, consistent online and social media presence. Many do not even have websites. This is very puzzling considering that entertainment companies find talent on social media. It's how Justin Bieber, Souljah Boy, and a host of others were discovered. Record companies have long since gotten out of artist development, and they don’t want to spend a lot of time, money, and effort building an audience for artists.

From a record company's perspective, they want to sign someone to a record deal where they will get the most return on their investment. In other words, record companies would rather pour gasoline on a fire instead of creating the fire from scratch. Today, record companies are not only concerned with whether or not you have talent. They are looking for entertainers who are likable - those who already have a fan base. I understand that many undiscovered artists have full-time jobs and are moonlighting their talents: however, being "anti-social" can cost you that chance to have your work sampled in a song, an audition for that part in a movie, or being featured in that coveted magazine. Therefore, creating social media profiles is a must not an option.