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The music industry may be changing, but most artists, especially those who are still building their careers, remain interested in signing record deals and being part of a label’s roster.

It may or may not be necessary to making a living in music (depending on who you ask and what kind of music one is making), but it is still something millions of artists aspire to.

 Because of that reason (among many others), getting your music heard by someone at a label can be incredibly difficult, let alone actually landing a deal. 

No matter what anybody says, there is nothing you can do to ensure a record deal is in your future.

You can make the best music, sell a million copies, or even become a viral sensation, but nothing is promised. Having made that clear, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. If there are people out there interested in buying your music, streaming it over and over, and seeing you live, there’s a chance at least one record label is willing to sign you and your band up to some sort of deal.

The first step is getting your music heard by the right people, but it’s a very tricky first step.

 Here are a few tips to help you find out which record labels are accepting demos and how you can actually submit to them.

Look For Submission Policies

Before you start sending CDs out, emailing everybody on staff at a company, or calling the headquarters nonstop, try looking at the websites of all of the record labels you’re considering sending music to. Some of them have specifically spelled out policies regarding sending in demos, and these can either be a hindrance or very helpful.

For example, Sony Music has a page on their site saying the company “and its employees do not accept, or consider, unsolicited sound recordings, musical compositions or any other creative materials.” The statement goes on to add, “For one of Sony Music’s labels or creative centers to review a demo, it must come recommended through an established music industry professional, such as a Manager, Lawyer, Agent, Producer, artist, programmer, or tastemaker.”

That might not be what you were hoping to see, but at least you know. Plenty of smaller companies will also have their acceptance policies written down, and quite a few indie labels (especially those further down the totem pole of popularity) will actually provide you with either an email address or a physical address where you can send things. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll hear back, or that somebody will listen, but if it’s how the company wants to be pitched new music, you should at least start there.

"If you can’t spend a tiny amount of time to look at the company’s website first, they’ll probably ignore your inquiry entirely (and with good reason)."

Ask Them

Once you’ve looked to make sure a specific label doesn’t tell you flat out how and where to send music, your next step is to simply ask. It’s a pretty big possibility if you send a message to a general email address at Warner Brothers or Universal regarding submitting music from a band nobody has heard of, you don’t stand a great chance of hearing back.

Don’t let this discourage you; it’s just how these things go. You will probably have much better luck with smaller, more independent labels. The smaller the company, the better chance you have of receiving an answer to your question, even if it’s a copy-pasted reply that has likely been sent a few hundred times by now (at minimum).

Keep your communications, be they email, mail, or another route, very short, sweet, and to the point. Don’t feel the need to ramble on about who you are, what your band does, and what your music sounds like. A lot of this information is unnecessary in the beginning, as this isn’t when people start sending out contracts. This is just your first moment of contact where you should be primarily interested in finding the right email address, website, or perhaps office where you can ship a CD.

Remember, if you don’t do the most basic research before reaching out to a label, and you ask them how to submit music when this information was already publicly available, you’re getting off on a very bad foot. In fact, if you can’t spend a tiny amount of time to look at the company’s website first, they’ll probably ignore your inquiry entirely (and with good reason).

At the end of the day, this is absolutely not a foolproof way to submit music and to get your work in front of those who can make decisions at a record label, but it’s an incredibly simple way to try. You never know what you can get until you ask for it, and this method should absolutely be towards the top of your checklist.

Do record labels still take demos?

Hugh McIntyre

There is no one answer to this question that covers every company and every record label, but the simple response could be yes.

Record labels are always looking for new talent, for the next great artist, and one of the ways they find these people and bands is via demos. Keep this in mind as you push to be heard by someone at a label–they need you (or someone like you) as much as you need them.

Basically, record labels will let you know if they accept demos or not. Most of the larger, well-known brands will say they don’t, but as the rest of this article explains, there are ways around that answer…even if they’re a bit sneaky.

Those companies that explicitly say they are open to demos do try to get around to listening to what comes in, though you need to be patient. Because they’re open to welcoming new artists, they are likely inundated with submissions, so it may take them quite a long time to get to yours.

It’s also worth mentioning that in today’s all-online world, demos don’t mean what they used to. A CD with your recordings is no longer the only way for a record label to hear you. Your “demo” might actually be an email with links to your Spotify profile, so perhaps that word isn’t a great fit anymore. Instead, think in terms of submissions, as opposed to a proper demo. If this is the case, you might want to do everything you can to ensure your music sounds less like a demo (meaning unfinished) and more like a ready-to-go smash.

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Get In Touch With Their Bands

Once you have your list of record labels you feel may be interested in your music all written out and organized properly and you’ve done your due diligence to see if you can just quickly send over some music, start looking at what bands are signed to these labels. You’ve probably already done this in order to decide which companies might be great fits for you and your bandmates, but you may want to reacquaint yourself with their roster.

Find the smaller bands listed and start reaching out to them one by one, using whatever method you like. You can tweet them, message them on Facebook, contact their Manager, or try to speak with one of the members individually using any platform.

Keep it short and be very respectful, making sure to note you’re a fan of their work and that’s why you want to learn from what they have done. Ask how they went about securing their deal. Those you hear back from will likely have different stories, as there is no surefire one way to get a record deal, but any advice or lessons you can learn are going to be valuable.

Sometimes they’ll be brief, while others may go so far as to give you names of people or detailed descriptions of how they went about contacting somebody at the firm and making the kind of relationship that eventually led to a deal.

Again, this is going to be very difficult when looking at major labels or even the bigger indies, but it’s a possibility for those artists who are also just getting started (but who are signed).

It’s a shame, but everybody tangentially connected to a record label gets inundated with requests like this, and there are only so many they can tackle (if they do at all). If you’re lucky, and you’ve phrased your message in a way that is quick to read and extremely polite. . . you might hear back and get the info you were looking for.

Chat With Someone Directly

This can get tricky, but if you’re polite, respectful, and courteous (not to mention concise, which I’ve mentioned before) about your ask, you might get a response, and hopefully it will be helpful.

Use platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to find out who works at record labels and what they do. You might be surprised how many names you’ll be able to keep track of after just a quick look, but afterward comes the difficult part: contacting them. You’ll need to track these employees down on social media or possibly find their emails and actually reach out to them. Most record labels are also listed in the A&R Registry sold at The Music Business Registry.

Remember chances are, whoever you are contacting is not the person who will be able to hand you a deal, and they may not have any sway when it comes to convincing anybody your art is better or more commercial than anyone else’s. But that’s not what you’re looking for at the moment.

Your ask is small: How can you get your music in front of somebody? Is there an email address that works well, or might they have any suggestions to help your package stand out when you mail it or drop it off at an office?

Most of the time, these people will not respond to you, because they have heard this all before. It’s a shame, but everybody tangentially connected to a record label gets inundated with requests like this, and there are only so many they can tackle (if they do at all). If you’re lucky, and you’ve phrased your message in a way that is quick to read and extremely polite (I can’t stress this one enough), you might hear back and get the info you were looking for.

How many songs should be on a demo?

Hugh McIntyre

Again, this question is centered around the idea of a traditional demo, which may not be what every record label is looking for these days. Instead of a CD with a handful of tracks that represent what you and your group are all about, they may be much more interested in a link to a website with a few tunes, or your page on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp, where they can press play and quickly decide whether they’re into it or not.

But let’s return to the time-tested demo for a moment. If you’re set on going this route, or if some record labels you’re interested in have stipulated that this is how they want to discover new music, how many songs should you include? According to The Balance, a demo can be considered complete with three or four songs. They can be unfinished, but the tracks featured should show your best work, as well as a variety of sounds.

Of course, this is somewhat old-school thinking. These days, it’s easier and cheaper for artists to master, produce, and release their work, so sending in a finished EP might be a better option than a demo, for example.

Just Send It!

If everything else has failed and you haven’t gotten the information you need to properly submit your demo to a record label, just send it! Find a general email address or the physical address where the company operates and just go for it.

This is almost certain to result in no action and no response, but if there weren’t any suggestions when it came to submitting music and this is your only option, it hopefully won’t be viewed as a nuisance. After all, these companies likely see this happen all the time.

Do your best to make whatever you’re sending, be it an electronic missive or a package containing your CD (and perhaps other goodies) stand out in any way. Colors, packaging, a headline that catches the eye…do whatever you need to up the chances somebody will actually see your attempt and perhaps give it a listen.

Again, please don’t think you’ll see a high success rate when it comes to this way of operating, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and try! There are plenty of examples of bands that ended up succeeding in this fashion, so give it your best and don’t expect the world.

Are record deals still needed?

Hugh McIntyre

Sorry to always be replying to questions with non-specific answers, but…yes, and no.

For much of the history of recorded music, if a musician or band wanted to make a living from recording original music and releasing it to the world, they needed to do so via a record label. Now, thanks to advancements in technology and changes within the music industry, that’s no longer the case. In fact, it’s becoming easier and easier for artists to make money from their work without the help of a major label.

Musicians can now complete entire albums in their bedrooms, from writing to creating the music to recording vocals and even mixing, mastering, and engineering (if they have the skills to do that). A recording studio isn’t necessary, and anyone can upload their tunes to streaming platforms, digital storefronts, and social sites like YouTube. There are countless cases of acts building a fanbase and founding careers for themselves all on their own.

Having said that, there are still things that seemingly require the assistance of a major label. Sure, artists can create, release, and monetize their songs on their own, but can they score a huge hit? Major labels still have most of the power, resources, and connections to promote a track to the top of the charts. The vast majority of charting hits and albums are delivered by major labels, as it’s simply too large an undertaking and far too expensive for most acts to manage.

It’s possible to become a working musician without the help of a major label, but it’s nearly impossible to become a charting star without one.

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