help please - tips for sending out demos?
spaceghost
605 Posts
my homie and i have quite a few tracks done and we are ready to send out some demos.a few questions.how many songs would you put on a demo?what else would you include with a demo? do we really need a bio? we are not that interesting and nobodies in the music scene. do people actually read these things? is there anything else we should include?any other tips on sending demos out to labels? anything is appreciated this will be the first time either of us have sent our work to record labels.thanks in advance for any advice offered.
Comments
short bio/introduction only helps
made contact first - know who you're sending it to
good luck and don't get discouraged if you don't get responses. shit's crazy out there
we are hoping that some of the labels at least listen to our demo. anyone have some tips to make the demo stand out long enough to get placed in the cd player?
check your PM
All of the above, and the aforementioned 80% connections.
Also,
you are correct.
Also, try to go out and meet people. Go to clubs. Buy drinks. Get your association on. Ball out a little bit.
Also, make sure that any contact info is ON THE CD ITSELF. Cases get tossed.
There's a certain amount of familarity that's involved with getting a deal. Lawyer's deal with these yahoos everyday so if it's sent from a lawyer, he already has a level of comfort with that person. So if there's something actually dope on the demo, some of the questions that will arise when the question of giving an artist the amount of money people are getting to make records will be put at ease.
What you don't know today, you will learn tomorrow with great anguish.
SG
that address is the equivalent of the dump. try to find out contact info for a&r's - u may have to pay. call and introduce yourself to the assistant - not as some bedroom producer but as coming from a management company or indy label. ask asst who's album's they're currently working on and accepting material from. send in demo's with cover letter.
No more talk like that. Honestly would you listen to somebody who said that about themselves? Get your Swag on. To play in the big leagues you gotta talk the big league talk(just remember you better be able to back it up). Plus be smart and cover your bases(lawyer, manager, marketing). Even in talking with and meeting lawyers, managers, agents, labels, ect..., you gotta be on your business in a professional manner.
Without marketing nothing will happen. Image, Image, Image. If you can't get a bio together why would your customer aka anyone that you are trying to sell your product to(see product above) want to invest their time or money into you. I would be looking for the artist that goes above and beyond what the best would do. I wouldn't be lookin for the person who just bothered to show up. Some how you gotta come up with a game plan that sets you apart from everyone else.
You got a deal, dog? I've had a bunch. Saying, regarless of whatever the caliber of the music is, in the Music Business you can't forget the BUSINESS part of it. If one is trying to survive off this shit (which I've done for many years now) you have to learn how to play that part of the game. Doesn't mean to compromise one's "artistic integrity" but more about learning to play the game as the rules have been set. Don't hate the player, papi.
To me there is nothing sadder and more pathetic that musicians/rappers/Djs who are in their 30s or older and are bitter as fuck because they refused to adapt their business philosophy and in not doing so their careers have suffered. That's like 80% of underground rap. Bitter. "Son the industry is holding me down." No they aren't you jackasses, you shot YOURSELVES in the foot.
no more than 4 songs
i've had luck blind sending cdrs out in the past.. got signed off blind mailout (though it eventually fell thru) with no bio
you've got to be very very selective about who you send the thing too though.. check the roster, types of releases etc etc.
my main tip would be screw demos.. press that shit up and mail out whites, get that shit in stores.
if you can't move them, don't get offers from other labels wantign to work with you, than you're probably doing something wrong.
This is exactly our plan. To press up and move the shit ourselves. There's nothing more convincing to a label than sales receipts!!!!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I NEED ONE
Oh shit had I known that was you I wouldn't have been so AGGY!!! Whattup dunnston? You changed your name.
But yeah man, I'm still most hated. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME DREZ!
same here. wed rather go about it in this manner anyways.
Couple things.
First of all, If you have some music that you know is good... make some limited-edition nicely-packaged copies of it yourself. Hire a decent graphic designer (I can think of 5 on this site that probably work reasonable and that do really good quality work...). Get some nice poly sleeves from a place like the lab. Exclusivity is cool. Mini-Cds, weird shapers, stamps, silk-screens. Do up a fresh see-through sticker at the bare minimum. Make a fantastic looking little edition that doesn't break the bank, which you can shop around to the homies, sell at shows, and ultimately feel proud of. You being behind yourself is more important than anything else, because really, there are a million kids out there making music, and there is always going to be someone that has more confidence...
I see it as being very similar to dating.... you got no confidence, you gets no pussy.
After you get some decent material together, get out there and play some shows. Contact local promoters that have their shit together, send them a package. Tell them you are willing to do opening slots for low pay, provided you can actually be seen, grow the chance to little, put in the dues, and eventually get to a point so that you have confidence in your music outside of the product itself.
There is nothing more embarrassing than watching an overnight success shook onstage, and most serious A&Rs will blow off a dood in a minute if they think the show sucks. Try and be creative with it. There are plenty of guys that can stand behind some decks or a laptop and make it interesting with a minimal amount of work. Think about that.
Try and pimp your merch. If people like the show and you have a nicely packaged thing, and are accessible, behind the counter (showing the audience that you are in fact a person) willing to hang out and be on the level, then chances are some people will buy the shit), also, chances are that if some guy who is considering signing you is out there at a show, sees people buying your handmade stuff, they will think it looks good. If not, then fuck 'em.
I know plenty of people that (since the demise of indy rap) have made very solid careers out of just doing the hustle. Getting out there, grinding for little cash, but building a very solid performance that on any given night they can sell a enough cds to cover their expenses and put a little change in the pocket.
I can say as someone who has made a pretty thin living off music for close to 10 years, that in many cases it makes more sense to choke your career a bit than to exploit it. longevity works for Indy artists, having a good show and some product you stand behind goes way farther than a mailer full of herb (although if people send me herb I will listen to their demos anytime...).
Grind it out man...
if someone else isin't willing to get behind you, do it for yourself. The more shit you have going for yourself, the more leverage you have when people step to you with interest.
Thanks Silver but...
Good point!!
{{ Example: PERCEE P }}
Eyh! Nice but I'm a beat maker, or composer, whatever... plus I'm French (foreigner), plus what I do is not that Kanye ish... so...?
just to clarify a few things. i'm not planning on living off of our music. it is a hobby to me, but i would still like to see the music out there and on vinyl. i am much better at other things and those passions are stronger as well, but we have spent a lot of time working on these tracks and most consistently get a good response from our peers. i have been learning the importance of selling myself, but for the majority of my life i have stayed quite in the background and let my work speak for itself.
thanks to everyone who replied. i really appreciate your time.
dude???
advice - step off the feild if you dont want to play the game.
Sorry, I think doing music just as a hobby is probably the best idea if you want to maintain your finances, creativity, and peace of mind.
anybody have tips/suggestions on this?