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Submitting Demos to Record Companies
Listed below are several ideas to get any songwriter, local band, garage band
or indie music act started submitting material to a record company. You
may want to visit the record companies web address and email them, if possible,
to find out their openness to submissions.
A great resource for submitting demos or song pitching to record companies
are the Song Writer's Market books. You can find a link to the Song
Writer's Market books below. This book is a valuable resource to
songwriters and indie music bands because it contains a wealth of resources.
For example, you can find record companies openness to submissions, what
music genre they are looking for, how many songs they accept at a time, how they
prefer CD submissions, if you
need to include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE), or any other basic
information. Here's The most recent version of the Song Writer's
Market Book available on Amazon.
Sometimes a quick email or phone call to the company will give you and idea
of weather they have any need for your music or song writing. Please click
this link to our
Band/Song Writer Resources to find lists of record companies along with
other valuable resources. Also, a lot of companies only deal with certain
genres of music. That is another crucial point to find out so that you
don't blindly send out your music. Also, you should never pay to have your
music put under contract. Check out the
BBB Better Business Bureau if you
feel that a record company is offering something to good to be true. The
BBB is a great resource for record
company complaints issued.
How To Submit Your Band Demo To Record Companies
Cover Letter - A cover letter
should be included in your package, stating the titles of your songs, a short
intro or bio of your act, and most importantly what your intentions are for the
submission. For instance, are your looking to get your band signed as a
rock act, or are you a song-writer looking to pitch songs for single song
contracts, or movie soundtracks. State why you are sending your submission
and make the letter very professional.
Copyright - Any material you submit
should be copyrighted material, and the date of the copyright should show
somewhere on your material along with either the word copyright or the copyright
symbol. For more info on how to copyright your material please visit the
government website
www.copyright.gov . Click on the different types of works that
can be copyrighted, and decide which explanations fit your copyright submission.
At this time you usually have to fill out the corresponding form with your
particular submission, Send a check for $30, and of course send in the material
you would like copyrighted. You may need to send in your lyrics and or
music, and possibly multiple copies of your material. Please
read the website carefully and fill out the forms per the instructions.
Lyric Sheet - A lyric sheet and/or
music sheet, should also be located in your submission package to the record
company. Simply list the songs and lyrics and copyright information in
your submission.
Demo CD, Tape, Flash Drive, or DAT-
Most important is the music you are submitting. Any music company these
days will most likely want a well produced demo. So, your indie material
should be free of distortion, hissing, or any other imperfections that take away
from the actual song. Whether you are a singer songwriter or a local band,
make sure your demo as clean as possible. This will only help your chances
of getting your demo heard by a record executive.
Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE)
- Some, not all record companies will want you to add a self addressed stamped
envelope to your submission. This is in order for the record company to
respond to your submission with feedback. Check with the company to see if
this is in their submission policy.
Don't Pay to get a Contract - Some
companies say they would like to sign one or a number of your songs to contract,
but there's a catch. These companies would like you to pay a fee to
re-record the song. This amount can be significant. If any so called
record company approaches you with this type of contract be cautious. Be
sure to check the BBB Better Business
Bureau to see if this company has had complaints in the past. Make
sure they in fact are a reputable company. If a record company is truly
interested in your music, you should not have to pay an upfront fee. Do
your research when approached with any deals that seem skeptical or to good to
be true. Once you start sending out your music to record companies
sometimes you may start to receive offers from companies asking you to pay
for re-recording your songs. They will ask you to pay for your song to be
added to compilations and other odd solicitations of your music. Be weary
of these offers and as said earlier check out the
BBB, because theses deals are
most likely to good to be true.
Always have your contact information on anything you send in. It's best
to put your contact info on your demo CD, in case someone would misplace your
other material. Good Luck with all your submissions, and visit our
Band & Songwriter Resource Web Page to find some
different websites to possibly submit your material too.
Also, check out the Indie Bible for publications that will review your music
and Radio Stations that may play your songs:
$34.95 US
Available in soft bound and electronic form for only
Click Here to Buy the Indie Bible
The Independent Recording Artist's Number One Resource...
The Indie Bible lists THOUSANDS of places where you can get your music REVIEWED
and your songs PLAYED on the radio. ALL genres of music are covered!
The contacts listed are music reviewers and radio personalities from around the
world that will listen to your music, and if they like it, will present it to
their readers and listeners. The Indie Bible shows you where to promote your
music, regardless of your musical style, and will save you MONTHS of valuable
time!
The Indie Bible is over 330 pages and contains:
4000 publications from around the world that will REVIEW your CD!
3200 radio stations from around the world that will PLAY your songs!
500 vendors and services that will help you to SELL your music!
200 sites where you can UPLOAD your band's music files!
500 useful resources to help PROMOTE your band!
Over 50 articles that will help your career to MOVE forward rapidly! Authors
include Tim Sweeney, Daylle Deanna Schwartz, Jeri Goldstein, Brian Austin
Whitney, Derek Sivers, Diane Rapaport, Janet Fisher, Jodi Krangle, Lord Litter
and many more!
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