How to Submit a Demo to a House or Melodic Techno Label
You’ve spent hours upon hours working on your music, and now you want to submit a demo to a label and get it out there. This process can be confusing and stressful for a new artist who is just entering the music industry. Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward when submitting your demo.
Research Record Labels
One of the main things you want to do when sending a demo of your music is to make sure the label you are submitting your demo to is relevant to the type of music you make. Also, it's not just about genre; try to find a label that matches what you value as a musician.
There are some people who use a “spray and pray” method. That means submitting demos using generic templates to a large number of labels. The issue in doing that is that your demo could get accepted by a label that doesn’t really care about you or your music. That means low support for you and potentially limiting the reach of your music. Choosing quality labels that fit your style of music is better for your music and the label.
Where Do You Send Your Demo Submission?
Depending on the label you are submitting to there may be different ways to submit your demo so make sure you find out the best way. Some labels, like our label, Defined Sound Records, offers a demo submission page. There are times when you want to find the A&R, or the Artists & Repertoire of the label. The A&R is responsible for finding new talents and reviewing demos. You may need to email your submission to the A&R of the label. Who that person is depends on the label. Smaller labels may have the label head doing the A&R duties.
What to Share When Submitting Your Demo
It is preferable to send links to music rather than files. This is because there are many advantages to a link. It is easier to listen to as there's no downloading required. You won’t run into any issues with file sizes through email. Also, it gives the flexibility for the person reviewing your submission to download the song if they want to.
Private SoundCloud links are the preferred way to send demo links. Make sure that you have the download option enabled when you share your private SoundCloud link.
What Your Demo Submission Message Should Look Like
Your submission message should be informative while also being concise. A few sentences about yourself, a paragraph about your track and how you plan to promote it, and a link is all you need. Here are a few things to include:
Talk a bit about yourself and the music you make. Including your achievements or collaborations that you want to highlight is a great idea as well. It is good to be honest about your music and your goals.
Include information about the track and how it fits with the label.
Talk about the stage the demo is in currently, if it is mastered yet, etc.
Personalize the message by including the name of the label in your email.
How you plan to promote the track, through live shows, social media, etc.
Make sure that you send your submission through official channels. Even if you know the personal contact information or social media accounts of staff at the label, they do not want to get those types of messages on their personal accounts. People like to separate business from their personal lives.
Be Patient
One of the greatest virtues in submitting demos is patience. People reviewing your submission have a lot of songs to go through. Constantly contacting them for updates can leave a bad impression and is a surefire way to get your submission ignored. Follow up after two to three weeks, but don’t expect a response. There is a chance you may not receive any feedback at all.
Submitting Your Demo to Defined Sound Records
Defined Sound Records is a house and melodic techno label. We want to help artists reach new audiences. Our team works closely with our roster to ensure each release gets maximum impact and long-term growth. We accept house or melodic techno demos that have professional mixing and mastering. If needed, we also provide mixing and mastering services. If your music fits that, send us your demo today!