Advice on sending demos

At Richmond Live we receive loads of demos throughout the year from bands looking for gigs at our shows. Like record companies and other music organisations we just don’t have the time to listen to them all. What follows is advice on how to send demos, not just to Richmond Live, but to anyone involved in the music industry

Presentation

Presentation is everything and first impressions really do count! Demos that are badly presented don’t get played! First impressions of any band are formed by how the demo is presented; a blank cd with a hand scrawled band name and contact no. just isn’t going to get played. If you can’t be bothered to package and present your work professionally why should I be bothered to listen to it? With modern technology it isn’t hard to produce a demo which looks every bit as good as the CDs you see on the shelves in record shops. Produce a printed CD cover with track listing and contact details Use a printed CD label which has on it the same information Choose artwork that reflects the band’s sound and image. If you can’t do this yourself find a friend who can. Do whatever you can to make your demo stand out!

Sound quality

Make it the best that you can afford but don’t worry if the recording quality doesn’t sound great – good songs and playing will always shine through.

Keep it short

3 songs maximum. This is all that is needed to make a decision about a band.

Song Choices

Choose your strongest, most effective songs. Songs with a strong start which grab the attention early on. Don’t rely on your own instinct – ask as many people as possible for their views on what your strongest songs are. You might have written some brilliant slow burning songs with epic intros but a demo is no place for them!

Pictures

1 good quality, full band shot is enough

Bios

Keep them short! All we need to know is how you would describe the music you play, who your main influences are and how much gigging experience you have had. (don’t worry if you are a young band with no gigging experience – Richmond Live is all about offering opportunities to young musicians)

Keep Trying!

We don’t accept follow up calls but don’t be put off if you don’t succeed first time. Be politely persistent.

Sending demos to Record companies

Major Labels - Don’t bother! None of the major labels accept unsolicited demos and they all end up in the bin! Indie Labels - Check out their websites for genre and demo policy. Many indie labels are genre specific – choose the labels that sign bands that play similar music to yours then check their demo policy. Some of the best advice for ambitious, up and coming musicians can be found in ‘The Unsigned Guide’ Check it out online The Unsigned Guide

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