dexter tex tao wrote:
Tips on what to do and what not to do when sending your demo to record companies. What to check for what not to do and what to include.
Make sure it is okay to send the demo to the company, call them get confirmation from someone in charge that it is okay to send the demo. This is important because without permission or request most companies won't even look at what you send them. Professionalism is a must!
If you do get permission, be sure to include any photos of yourself professional quality not necessarily from professionals though just your head shot and a full body shot of just you in the picture. Also include contact information like your telephone number, email address , web page where they can see more or all of your demo's/works. All of these are important because some record companies will call some rather email you first. In case where they want to see more material they would rather not speak to you because they haven't decided on anything. It really varies which is why it is important to give them all of the information also leaving the best time they can contact you on each. As well including all of these would mean actually having a web page up if you don't have some sort of face book or MySpace or sound click account you are ten steps behind about a half billion of people that want to succeed at the same thing you're doing. Web pages are a way to create a fan base it is harder to sell a nobody so if you already proved to be likeable that could be the selling point.
Get your demo's online, Get your Photo's online as well as your contact information as well write some blogs or articles about your craft show off your intelligence in the field this will help obtain customers if you offer songwriting beats to others. As well it will give any record label that is looking at your site a opportunity to see what all you know and what all you think you know but actually don't! So be sure do research all of this will do nothing but help you polish up on your craft.
Be sure you have picked out your best work. If you have selected a particular demo why? Get out a pen and paper and write everything you can find wrong with it down. If you don't find anything after a few hours of picking send it. If you find anything try to correct it before you send it. If you have away to record at anytime go back and try to write to the beat or create an entire different song or hook record that and pick it apart. Be sure your sending your best and don't be so quick to think your something you're not. As an artist you have to be your biggest critic.
Only include about three songs at most on your demo for the simple fact that's about as many songs that will be giving a chance your first three if you put any more on it. As well when you send a demo you want to send them three of your hottest showing them your ready pretty much to put out an album you want to send them your first three singles for the album you plan to finish recording. Record companies are mostly looking for artists with the work done already. They don't want to have to take them to the booth and write and try to come up with hits because of your voice they want to have your unique voice with smash hits to go with them.
Each song on your demo should have the best part of the song up front on a demo you want to get your hooks in their first usually. If you have hard hitting, catchy hooks this will grab their attention immediately the better the hook the better chances for radio play so when sending your demo to record companies send only demo's that will be able to get some radio play.
Make sure that if your song was written by yourself or anybody else all the lyrics make sense and you're not dissing yourself or sounding completely foolish. While editing you want make sure that all of your syllables are in perfect rhythm. That they are even from line to line or most likely every two lines.
Usually after listening to a demo for a while and memorizing the words you are able to perform the song better if you can try to re record your demo weeks after listening to it. This will also help to realize any mistakes or parts you might be off.
Make sure your demo can play in different places, check your car stereo your friends stereo your cousins stereo, different computers. Record company executives talk about receiving cds that don't work in there system all the time and you know what happens it gets thrown out!
After sending your demo follow back and let them know the cd is coming and its time of arrival. This is so that they get your name in their head again pretty much you want to try to say the same things you said in the first call, name shoot your contact where you're from and let them know the product info demo title how many demo on the cd and if any more demo's are available.
Brilliant advice, especially about playing your demo on as many different systems as possible.
