Sending Out Demos

keithkk16 · 22-08-2014 8:52pm #1

Hey guys
I've only really started to properly push out my music this summer and I'm looking for some tips on what's the best way to send demos to labels and Dj's.

I've sent out a few emails to labels but they haven't even opened the email never mind listened to the songs. Is it just a waiting game or luck that a label might actually open an email?

Also if anyone could mention a few housey Irish labels, that would be great. I only know of two atm

paulo6891 · 23-08-2014 8:23pm

Did you send a link in the email?

keithkk16 · 23-08-2014 8:35pm

paulo6891 wrote: »

Did you send a link in the email?

Yes. I sent private soundcloud links to a few.

Labarbapostiza · 28-08-2014 7:18pm

keithkk16 wrote: »

I've sent out a few emails to labels but they haven't even opened the email never mind listened to the songs. Is it just a waiting game or luck that a label might actually open an email?

A tip I've heard on this recently, is if they don't open the email, it means one of two things. One, they don't source their tracks from unsolicited email. There are good reasons why. The other is the label is defunct - and the emails are just clogging up an inbox that no one will ever check.

paulo6891 · 30-08-2014 11:34am

Send a different link to each label. That way you can see who listened to it

syntheticjunk · 31-08-2014 9:24am

Don't expect that somebody will listen to you music. Especially big names.

paulo6891 · 01-09-2014 1:09am

syntheticjunk wrote: »

Don't expect that somebody will listen to you music. Especially big names.

I think most labels do listen, just don't send them any junk or else they'll know not to listen next time! I'd say some do black list producers...

Labarbapostiza · 01-09-2014 1:34am

keithkk16 wrote: »

Yes. I sent private soundcloud links to a few.

Out of curiosity, who did you send to?

Not the whole list...just a taster

keithkk16 · 02-09-2014 4:32pm

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

Out of curiosity, who did you send to?

Not the whole list...just a taster

I'm only sending private soundcloud links as that's what labels like apparently. I sent a few demo's to Irish labels, like extended play, play it down etc and then a few dj's like Ejeca, Bicep etc. Thinking I'd have better luck with Irish people. Ejeca has listened to a few and a Irish label starting up in the new year has taken a fancy to some of my stuff so fingers crossed.

eviltimeban · 09-09-2014 10:52am

That's about all you can do really. You can also build up a network of contacts, so get on Twitter and start following labels, DJs, producers, etc. Engage with them and get them interested in your music. Get them asking for your demo, rather than the other way around.

I'm in the same boat but I did actually get a label to release my album last year. Doesn't automatically mean you've "made it" though - you've got to sell the thing, promote it, get it reviewed, get it played. I was lucky with some radio play (2FM) and good reviews but it still didn't translate to much sales. Promotion is the key so if you've got a budget set it aside for that - video, decent website, merchandise even. Build up an image and get out there and push it. If you have the capacity to play live, get out and do it.

The key thing is have good tracks recorded well. So move up the scale from "demo" to "master". Send them something finished and well produced - labels won't use their imagination when listening to a half-finished demo. They want the final thing.

And good luck!

Labarbapostiza · 09-09-2014 9:08pm

eviltimeban wrote: »

Promotion is the key so if you've got a budget set it aside for that - video, decent website, merchandise even. Build up an image and get out there and push it. If you have the capacity to play live, get out and do it.

Electronic music is very different. Most of it has a deliberate facelessness to it., but there is another dimension to it that is all in your face promotion; Paris Hilton is now the highest paid DJ in the world. Most videos made for dance music are aimed squarely, at what are called in the dance world, the c***s. The typical plot of a dance music video is a girl stealing an attaché case, then being pursued by some bad guys, then catching up with her girlfriend, who she shares a long lingering flesbian kiss with. If the producer is lucky (or even unlucky), they get to appear as the twat driving the getaway speed boat (you're meant to imagine that once safely at sea, he'll have a ménage with the two flesbians). That's what the more artistic videos are like. More commonly it's some combination of a Ridley Scott inspired nocturnal urban landscape, an ethnic male (a scary but cool black guy), a young woman, some flesbians, gangland youths combatting each other in a break dance battle. But the video concept that has me clawing at my eyes, is the young people running along a beach in slow motion.

If you look at the beatport charts, the top ten is the heavily promoted carni acts. Martin Garrix, Afro Jack, etc. The music is only a tiny part of what their whole thing is about, they're the visible front for the rest of the stuff, which is about lights and fire works, and ****. Outside of the top ten, the music is largely there on its' own merit.

The updated, Brush Shiels, advice to kids who want to make it in de rock business. Go on facebook, go on twitter, spam your friends, spam your mam, get them to spam their friends and their mams. If image is important to you, desperate spammer is not a good look. If you went to school with someone who's now working in RTE, get them to squeeze you into some incredibly naff television show. You'll get loads of exposure; like a flasher on O'Connell street....And will you look naff? oh no, no, no, no, no.

The key thing is have good tracks recorded well. So move up the scale from
"demo" to "master". Send them something finished and well produced - labels won't use their imagination when listening to a half-finished demo. They want the final thing.

If you can create the "final thing" without a record company. What do you need a record company for?

paulo6891 · 10-09-2014 12:05am

If you can create the "final thing" without a record company. What do you need a record company for?

Promotion.

But record deals are worthless unless the record companies are amongst the biggest around. No point getting signed to any 'ol record label because they probably won't have the contacts in place to get you legions of followers or plays by the biggest DJs around. I don't even bother with the lesser-successful labels.

This is just my opinion.

SuprSi · 11-09-2014 1:54pm

Paris Hilton is the highest paid DJ in the world? Now that's depressing.

eviltimeban · 11-09-2014 4:38pm

SuprSi wrote: »

Paris Hilton is the highest paid DJ in the world? Now that's depressing.

Nope, its Calvin Harris - $46 million in 2013.

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45eljlk/1-calvin-harris-46-million-7/

Then Tiesto, Guetta, SHM, Deadmau5, Avicii, Afrojack, Armin Van Burren, Skrillex... no sign of Paris Hilton.

paulo6891 · 11-09-2014 4:56pm

I'd say a lot of that list would be down to sales though. A lot of it is possibly 'guess work' too since many of the DJs have come out and said that they earn nowhere near that kind of money!

keithkk16 · 11-09-2014 6:14pm

Some of you guys are mentioning a lot of big names and how they work, that's not the way I want do things at all. I'm not really doing this for money, more in it for fun and to hopefully to get more gigs if I ever do get something released. I'd be focusing more on independent labels and non commercial djs. I'd say I listen and play out a lot of stuff from underground/independent labels or whatever you wanna call them, I hate trying to label stuff. It seems the way it works with most of those labels is once you have a good song and it starts to do the rounds you start getting gigs and that's how most djs/producers I like are making money. Even if you're a **** Dj and your song is doing well you'll get gigs, for example Cyril Hahn.

eviltimeban have you a link to the album to listen? How did you go about getting your stuff heard at the start?

eviltimeban · 11-09-2014 7:58pm

keithkk16 wrote: »

eviltimeban have you a link to the album to listen? How did you go about getting your stuff heard at the start?

Well... I don't want to be seen to promote myself on this thread, but since you asked... the link in my sig is to my website, and there's music, videos etc there.

Basically I researched a couple of labels, found one that seemed to fit based on their other releases, sent some tracks with an email and that's how the process started.

We didn't get huge sales or anything but I got good reviews and even last night Dan Hegarty on 2FM played one of the tracks... that's what being on a label can do, it just makes it all a bit more "legit" when it comes to radio / reviewers / bloggers etc. Rather than just some guy with a few mp3s.

Labarbapostiza · 11-09-2014 10:08pm

eviltimeban wrote: »

Nope, its Calvin Harris - $46 million in 2013.

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45eljlk/1-calvin-harris-46-million-7/

Then Tiesto, Guetta, SHM, Deadmau5, Avicii, Afrojack, Armin Van Burren, Skrillex... no sign of Paris Hilton.

Yep, Forbes, the cool cats in the know.

Deadmau5 spoke about that article when it came out. It's just the Forbes guys pulling figures out of their holes on a wet Wednesday.

The big names, and this will explain something about the Beatport top ten too, for the big shows, they only get 10 to 20% of the take. They're the faces for the carnivals.

Paris Hilton is in a much better position because she's not signed to a record label, and doesn't need them. If she can claim a 100% fee for an appearance, she doesn't have to do a 90% 10% split with anyone. So her fee can be much lower than her boyfriend's (Afrojack), but she'll earn more.

Labarbapostiza · 11-09-2014 11:05pm

keithkk16 wrote: »

I'm not really doing this for money, more in it for fun and to hopefully to get more gigs if I ever do get something released.

Doing it for the buzz is the only way of doing it really; if you get a buzz, and someone else does from it, you have made the world a better place. The indie band members tend to want fame over anything else; including money. They have a sadness and sickness about them.......And they have that crazy look in their eyes.

I'd be focusing more on independent labels and non commercial djs. I'd say I listen and play out a lot of stuff from underground/independent labels or
whatever you wanna call them, I hate trying to label stuff.

Think of it this way; that you're like a screen writer. If you write a horror film, you take it to the people who produce horror films. If you do a romantic comedy, the same....well not the same...the people who make romantic comedies, not horror films.

It seems the way it works with most of those labels is once you have a good
song and it starts to do the rounds you start getting gigs and that's how most djs/producers I like are making money. Even if you're a **** Dj and your song is doing well you'll get gigs, for example Cyril Hahn.

That's the interesting thing about this whole thing. You could get a call from Russia over a track next to no one bought, to come DJ, and they'd pay you and pay for the flight. .....That doesn't happen to indie acts......I believe most of this happens completely by accident

eviltimeban · 12-09-2014 9:27am

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

So her fee can be much lower than her boyfriend's (Afrojack), but she'll earn more.

Fair enough.

eviltimeban · 12-09-2014 9:28am

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

That's the interesting thing about this whole thing. You could get a call from Russia over a track next to no one bought, to come DJ, and they'd pay you and pay for the flight. .....That doesn't happen to indie acts......I believe most of this happens completely by accident

Probably because they only need to get one guy over, with not as much equipment, compared to 4 or 5 guys with amps, drums, etc.

seannash · 17-09-2014 11:01am

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

That's the interesting thing about this whole thing. You could get a call from Russia over a track next to no one bought, to come DJ, and they'd pay you and pay for the flight. .....That doesn't happen to indie acts......I believe most of this happens completely by accident

You could but its very very unlikely you will. You might get some gigs based in Ireland I reckon so his strategy of looking for Irish labels is probably best if hes looking for gigs as he might get label nights or something.
If his goal is internationally then more recognised labels are the only way I think. Its fairly pricey to get someone over to get them to play if they dont think someone has heard of him and he can draw a small crowd.

Its unfortunately not about how good of a dj you are anymore either.

Labarbapostiza · 18-09-2014 12:00am

seannash wrote: »

You could but its very very unlikely you will.

My experience in life is that the very very unlikely, happens to the most unlikely people.

If his goal is internationally then more recognised labels are the only way
I think. Its fairly pricey to get someone over to get them to play if they dont
think someone has heard of him and he can draw a small crowd.

It is the most international form of music there ever has been. And I think internationally they're booking DJ's to keep their clubs fresh, not as name draws. Where in Ireland they're booking people from Geordie shore, or Tallifornia, to hand out jelly shots, at Dixie's Mullingar, with Micko spinnin' up the disks; a sound track to your finger and a shift. Foster and Allen to a disco beat.

Its unfortunately not about how good of a dj you are anymore either.

I've always wanted to call up a few wedding DJs and see what they charge. I think they're mostly taxi drivers who lost their PSV licence after getting on the sex offenders registry.

seannash · 18-09-2014 11:07am

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

My experience in life is that the very very unlikely, happens to the most unlikely people.

It is the most international form of music there ever has been. And I think internationally they're booking DJ's to keep their clubs fresh, not as name draws. Where in Ireland they're booking people from Geordie shore, or Tallifornia, to hand out jelly shots, at Dixie's Mullingar, with Micko spinnin' up the disks; a sound track to your finger and a shift. Foster and Allen to a disco beat.

I've always wanted to call up a few wedding DJs and see what they charge. I think they're mostly taxi drivers who lost their PSV licence after getting on the sex offenders registry.

Fair enough, I don't think were going to agree on this one as to me your points are slightly unrealistic. However the OP is free to take advise of whoever he pleases

eviltimeban · 18-09-2014 11:32am

There's a difference between being a DJ playing records and a "DJ" who also makes music.

If OP is trying to do something with his own music, then it would be a different approach.

One way to start would be to look at the kinds of labels that do compilation CDs and maybe try and get a track on one of them. It could get picked up by other DJs and get played in clubs, if he can't get in the club to play it himself.

jiltloop · 18-09-2014 3:40pm

eviltimeban wrote: »

Well... I don't want to be seen to promote myself on this thread, but since you asked... the link in my sig is to my website, and there's music, videos etc there.

Basically I researched a couple of labels, found one that seemed to fit based on their other releases, sent some tracks with an email and that's how the process started.

We didn't get huge sales or anything but I got good reviews and even last night Dan Hegarty on 2FM played one of the tracks... that's what being on a label can do, it just makes it all a bit more "legit" when it comes to radio / reviewers / bloggers etc. Rather than just some guy with a few mp3s.

Fair play to you on getting discovered. I remember you posting up an album for free here. I downloaded it and found it very impressive. I still give it a listen every so often.

The label you approached were a good fit to your music as well I think. I think that with a combination of hard work and finding the right label, the last obstacle is having good music. You had good quality music that definitely has your own sound and I'm delighted you've had some success.

eviltimeban · 18-09-2014 4:39pm

jiltloop wrote: »

Fair play to you on getting discovered. I remember you posting up an album for free here. I downloaded it and found it very impressive. I still give it a listen every so often.

The label you approached were a good fit to your music as well I think. I think that with a combination of hard work and finding the right label, the last obstacle is having good music. You had good quality music that definitely has your own sound and I'm delighted you've had some success.

Thanks so much! Appreciate the comments. The difficult part is actually promoting the damn thing. Its all well and good getting a deal, and having the music, but getting it out there is the real challenge.

I'm in the same boat as the OP in some ways, I want the next album release to be a little bigger. I'd like the chance to do vinyl, also get some reviews in magazines and the like. Very hard to get that to happen without a decent promotion budget.

jiltloop · 18-09-2014 5:18pm

eviltimeban wrote: »

Thanks so much! Appreciate the comments. The difficult part is actually promoting the damn thing. Its all well and good getting a deal, and having the music, but getting it out there is the real challenge.

I'm in the same boat as the OP in some ways, I want the next album release to be a little bigger. I'd like the chance to do vinyl, also get some reviews in magazines and the like. Very hard to get that to happen without a decent promotion budget.

No problem. They're genuine comments. I seem to remember you tried a mono e.p too if I'm not mistaken?

How much promotion do the label leave up to you as a matter of interest? How involved are they in the promotion? Do they mainly just provide the contacts?

I suppose I would have imagined that once you had the label you could kind of take a back seat a little bit with that side of it.

Labarbapostiza · 18-09-2014 7:16pm

seannash wrote: »

Fair enough, I don't think were going to agree on this one as to me your points are slightly unrealistic. However the OP is free to take advise of whoever he pleases

There really isn't any realism to any of this. Just as an example, take Sasha. He was just a kid who happened to be playing the disco records at the Hacienda. Because he was a kid who would just take less money than the other guys who played disco records in night clubs. He just happens to be there at a point in time, that no one could predict or work towards, where it went in a split second from fat girls dressed as Robert Smith doing their cure dance to Morrissey records, to football whistles and glo sticks. The first time you take ecstasy, any DJ sounds like the greatest in the world. After that, every other DJ you realise is just a guy playing records. But if you happen to be there at the point something like that happens, and not across town, getting paid more, and playing to people you think are cooler than the crowd who hung out at the Hacienda, you will be in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one has control over any of this.

And Tiesto has a very similar story. And I'm sure they all have a similar story.

You can go to a swanky private school, get a cool hipster tat on your arm, get the twats you went to school with (who are now working in the media) to bang on about how you're the coolest DJ in Dublin......It will seem to work, for a few minutes....but it will be more like people who jump off buildings feel like their flying...initially. Yes, if you're mixes are really good, and there is something there, you could do well. But, if they are in fact miserable and made by a poseur who has no sense of music, and lacks even the talent to rip off good mixes, then not even your cute hipster dreads will stop gravity from wining.

seannash · 18-09-2014 7:49pm

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

There really isn't any realism to any of this. Just as an example, take Sasha. He was just a kid who happened to be playing the disco records at the Hacienda. Because he was a kid who would just take less money than the other guys who played disco records in night clubs. He just happens to be there at a point in time, that no one could predict or work towards, where it went in a split second from fat girls dressed as Robert Smith doing their cure dance to Morrissey records, to football whistles and glo sticks. The first time you take ecstasy, any DJ sounds like the greatest in the world. After that, every other DJ you realise is just a guy playing records. But if you happen to be there at the point something like that happens, and not across town, getting paid more, and playing to people you think are cooler than the crowd who hung out at the Hacienda, you will be in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one has control over any of this.

And Tiesto has a very similar story. And I'm sure they all have a similar story.

You can go to a swanky private school, get a cool hipster tat on your arm, get the twats you went to school with (who are now working in the media) to bang on about how you're the coolest DJ in Dublin......It will seem to work, for a few minutes....but it will be more like people who jump off buildings feel like their flying...initially. Yes, if you're mixes are really good, and there is something there, you could do well. But, if they are in fact miserable and made by a poseur who has no sense of music, and lacks even the talent to rip off good mixes, then not even your cute hipster dreads will stop gravity from wining.

I hate to break it to you man but its not the 90's anymore. All those stories have no real relevance today. I'm sure there might be someone out there who recenly still made it that way but those are the very very small minority.
But as I said the OP has heard both of our opinions so there's not really much more to say.

Labarbapostiza · 18-09-2014 9:23pm

seannash wrote: »

I hate to break it to you man but its not the 90's anymore. All those stories have no real relevance today.

No, you're taking me up completely wrong. The point is not about them, or the 90s, the specifics of what happened to them. If what happened to Sasha had been a clear path to fame and glory, then there would have been hundreds of wannabees banging on the door of the Hacienda, to play for free, or even pay to play. Instead they were in bad Smiths rip off bands, banging on the door of the Hacienda to be allowed play there.

The time period or even the kind of music is irrelevant.

I'm sure there might be someone out there who recenly still made it that way but those are the very very small minority.

No, it will be different every time. But there will always be some weird fluke element to it. It just looks like there was a plan after the fact.

If I picked more recent DJs I could sound very bytchy when it comes to people mimicking them in the present with the hope of success. But the flukish ways things work, that might work for them.

Sending Out Demos

Comments