Should I enter X Factor?

It seems like there are a million new talent shows on TV and with the general music industry stance of they are killing real artists but continue to avoid signing anyone, could it be time for a new look at the format?

Are they really that bad?

We have had a number of quite talented stars emerge from these shows and with the music industry in the state it is, how else can artists  get national and international exposure in one big hit. We know some will say if it’s quick then it’s ___ well you get what I mean. If you take the case of the UK’s own soul man Lemar, he had been trying for a long time before in the now defunct BBC talent show Fame Academy, he even had just lost a major recording deal with Sony before he had released a record!

I personally have the opinion that in the case of  X-Factor the only real winner is Simon Cowell, but who says everyone has to be a superstar? Many of the acts involved in these shows have gone on to have full time careers in music, be it in pop music or the theatre, it’s getting paid for what you love isn’t it?

I’m not going to get into the rights and wrongs of the contractual side because that is a whole other can of worms, but I do want to address another question that I am sure a number of you talented artists may be considering.

Should you enter in one of these competitions to increase your exposure?

If you are thinking about this then for a start don’t be ashamed, it is a serious consideration for an artist, let’s face it pushing yourself online  is great and I wholly recommend getting your online profile sorted, but you need to do more than sit in front of your computer to promote yourself . You need offline activities to drive people toward your online presence and there still is no better way than TV.

Here’s the rub, if you do enter one of these competitions other than sitting, waiting for half your life to audition, if you are successful to a point but don’t win, you could forever be branded as X Factor flop or similar, there are always exceptions to this rule and a lot will depend on your behavior on said show.

If you just want to increase your profile and make some money performing then I suppose this route could work as many near winners are consistently performing at venues and clubs, but if you intend to develop your career to super stardom this turns into a high stakes gamble.

If we look at  past talent shows,  we remember few of the artists that came second. (in fact I’ve forgotten some of the winners too) Another issue to remember is that unless you have an earth shattering effect post competition or generate a story bigger than the show you appeared on, you will always be known as the XXX winner or runner up or loser.

Life is for the living and fortune favours the brave as they say, the key thing is to do something, I cannot say you shouldn’t enter one of these TV talent shows, but remember these are TV entertainment shows, in my opinion these shows are for entertainment first and the stardom of the contestants is secondary. You need to know what purpose you are entering the show for and what you want to get out of it. Remember all that shines is not gold, there are always drawbacks with opportunities such as these, as always you need to know who you are and present that artist, don’t be fake.

Think about your purpose, will associating yourself with these shows be bad for your brand? If you feel it will damage what you are trying to build then avoid them, otherwise you may consider these opportunities.

One final point, these shows will issue you with a very strong contract, make sure you understand what these contracts are saying, never sign on a whim, take it seriously as it could affect your future activities.