Making music demos is probably the number one way that bands seek to get themselves a record contract. Unfortunately, as is the case with unsolicited manuscripts sent to publishers by aspiring writers, most of these demos will go unnoticed.

The fact is that record company A&R people have a ton of material thrown their way every day and there simply isn’t enough time in the day for them to listen to all of it. When they do listen to demo CD’s sent in by artists, however, there are definite limits to how much time they can be expected to invest.

Demos should essentially give a broad overview of a band, their style and their flexibility in writing and performing music. Each of the CD tracks should be well-produced and have a professional feel. While there is certainly some charm in material that isn’t overly-produced, A&R people need to hear the band unencumbered by poor recording techniques to make a decision as to whether to call the artist or simply toss the CD into the rubbish bin where, sadly, a great many demo CD’s do end up.

Depending on the range of the band, a demo CD should include at least 3 but no more than 5 selections. The three strongest songs a band has should be included on the CD, of course, and should be varied enough to show range and skill on the part of the musicians. Making music demos is as much of an art as is making music in general.

Like a good song, the CD tracks, as a whole, should engage the listener, stick in their mind and complement one another. It’s generally better to have three songs which are somewhat similar in composition, but good, than to have three which are vastly different and show no continuity of sound.

The CD’s tracks should also be selected for length. Having a three song demo where every track is a 10 minute jam band excursion into improvisation defeats the purpose altogether. Generally, A&R people function from the idea that, if something is good, they can tell right away.

Even if they truly like your demo CD, there’s a good chance that they may only listen to one track before deciding to follow through. On demo’s, that first track is of the utmost importance. Make it your strongest one overall.

Where longer demos are concerned, don’t assume that sending five tracks means that the A&R department is going to listen to the entire CD. Making demo CD’s is, essentially, making an advertisement.

Longer advertisements may appeal to people who are already interested in a product but, for those who haven’t been sold yet, they want the advertisement to instantly appeal to their desire to satisfy a need. For record labels, that need is for talented artists who have the potential to sell a lot of product.

If particularly long songs are the norm for you or your band, consider making edited versions for use on demo CD’s. While it may not accommodate the entirety of your artistic vision, there is something to be said for leaving the A&R person wanting more. In fact, when making demo CD’s, that’s the entire point.

Three to five songs of 3 to 4 minutes length is generally ideal. It’s enough to establish that a band is talented and potentially beneficial to a record company and short enough that it doesn’t impose great demands of time upon the A&R person to whom the CD is sent.

Article Source: ArticleClick.com

About the Author: Clare Knight is an experienced copywriter who has helped establish a lot of new indie music bands within the uk. Helping a lot of different best new bands

Do you find it easy to write songs? Too easy? Well, I at least have had a problem with this.

If you would visit our home and my garage you would find a lot of unfinished songs and a lot of manuscript paper with some notes on them showing that I wanted to say something with music but never finished it.

Maybe you always finish your songs, record them or have well documented lists with your songs for easy access. That’s the way I work now but obviously didn’t work before.

Nowadays I have started to realize the importance of finishing songs that I have found enough important to start writing in the first place.

I think it is important for you and me to complete songs we have started to write for the following reasons:

1. It is when songs are complete that other people can benefit from them and you can feel that you have contributed something to the benefit of others and to yourself.

2. It has a positive effect on your subconsious mind to take your composition the whole way to completion. It will give you the realization that you can write songs. It’s that simple!

3. As I mentioned before you will avoid having a lot of unfinished songs hanging around. It can be unfinished recordings or pieces of paper with a few words on them indicating an attempt to create something that probably meant a lot then but now is just words.

If you are signed to a recording company you will be more or less forced to produce things. The product will hopefully be a CD with maybe twelve songs on it and a show for your promotion tour.

It seems like slavery to be forced to produce a product like a CD. But having this obvious goal to work towards and the pressure involved can actually promote creativity.

If you are not signed to a record label you can benefit from working with your songs in a similar way.

1. Set a goal to produce for example three songs and set the prerequisites like writing one love ballad, one uptempo song and a waltz.

2. When you have made the songs record them and burn them on a CD.

3. Learn the songs by heart and sing and play them for your friends.

Doing this will increase your faith in your ability to produce songs and I think you will feel a greater joy and satisfaction in your great enterprise to write songs for the benefit of mankind and, of course, yourself.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play resources at CapotastoMusic.com

Article Source: Artipot