A guide of Submitting unsolicited Demos to Records Labels.

[Mono-xID]

I don't know what the type of music you make has to do with lazy 'wanna be '-labels. As if every DnB label is decent....

[Mslwte]

[Wiu]

I've never personally sent out any demos or contacted any labels about releasing anything I've produced. I'm aware that what I do isn't all that good or groundbreaking but I simply have great fun doing it. It's just nice to do something creative with some of my spare time. The sense of accomplishment for me is when I finish a track and have learnt something from the process of making it.

I guess I just think that maybe more people should come to terms with the fact that they're probably not doing anything truly original or groundbreaking and just realize that 99.999999999999999999999999999% of people simply don't give a fuck about listening to yet another bedroom producers amateurish productions let alone release them.

[Dubiosity]

There are very few labels really in it for the music. It's a hard conclusion, but it's the world we live in currently. 95% of the labelheads are in for personal gain. To get their Berghain or Tresor gig, to get something back out of it. I encountered some good ones too, but mostly, bad ones. No respect for the artists whatsoever. I had to fucking buy some vinyls I released myself on some labels (ask Mattias too)...

[mainst09]

[Mslwte]

lol !

[Mslwte]

Raptor says yes

[Lost to the Void]

[ross-alexander]

366-mustnt-grumble.jpg (44.19 KiB) Viewed 1986 times

[Hades]

I'm gonna hang this one up in my studio tomorrow !

just fucking perfect !!

[Hades]

I've never personally sent out any demos or contacted any labels about releasing anything I've produced. I'm aware that what I do isn't all that good or groundbreaking but I simply have great fun doing it. It's just nice to do something creative with some of my spare time. The sense of accomplishment for me is when I finish a track and have learnt something from the process of making it.

exactly.
this pretty much sums up how I feel about it as well.

I guess I just think that maybe more people should come to terms with the fact that they're probably not doing anything truly original or groundbreaking and just realize that 99.999999999999999999999999999% of people simply don't give a fuck about listening to yet another bedroom producers amateurish productions let alone release them.

if only more people could be able to underrate their music instead of overrate it and feel the need to spam the internet with it.
If you click on the average person's SC page, you can hear so many tracks that are so amateurish that they shouldn't even be up on fucking SC for christ sakes.

[Mattias]

Trick is to find the labels you connect with on most levels, good relations with the owner, other artists, like what they do and so on.
As stated earlier, 95% of everyone who runs labels today shouldn't. 90% of those 95% who runs labels today do it because they suck at both making music and connect with people or lack the greater wish to actually make music for the sake of making music, not for glory & fame. Those people can't usually get their music out on proper imprints, they do it themselves and spam.

Wiu and Hades have some truly good points here in the end.

[wapwap!]

is it relevant to send unsolicited demos?
if you don't already have a name or a connection?

i think i will never send again any unsolicited demo, it's a waste of time.

[Mattias]

You can definitely do that. Just consider most everyone is spammed with demo music today.
It's probably better to get in touch without presenting your own music at first.

[Lost to the Void]

You can definitely do that. Just consider most everyone is spammed with demo music today.
It's probably better to get in touch without presenting your own music at first.

This and one hundred times this. I have already mentioned this in this thread.

You won`t (probably) buy anything from someone who knocks at your door randomly trying to sell some shit, so why expect a label to respond AT ALL with an email that says

"I like your label, blah blah, I make music, here are some links".

I get these kind of emails and messages every day, what do people really think they will achieve by doing this other than provoking a "delete" finger click.

Make a connection first. Human to human connection, because if you want to connect with a label you need to connect with the people or persons behind it, especially if you want to develop some kind of relationship to do more than one project together.

[wapwap!]

on a larger scale, are labels relevant today?
at the vinyl age they were usefull but now?

most of them don't seem to make promotion, they barely make the mastering.
why give them your music?

[SquareTheCircle]

on a larger scale, are labels relevant today?
at the vinyl age they were usefull but now?

most of them don't seem to make promotion, they barely make the mastering.
why give them your music?

whats the alternative?

[Mattias]

on a larger scale, are labels relevant today?
at the vinyl age they were usefull but now?

most of them don't seem to make promotion, they barely make the mastering.
why give them your music?

Serious labels will always be relevant.
The others, you can do without them! With more options coming selling directly to customers via streaming services etc and stuff like Bandcamp it's better to do it yourself mostly. Pay for mastering and artwork (if needed) and fix a page and you're done.

[wapwap!]

Serious labels will always be relevant.
The others, you can do without them! With more options coming selling directly to customers via streaming services etc and stuff like Bandcamp it's better to do it yourself mostly. Pay for mastering and artwork (if needed) and fix a page and you're done.

yes but serious labels don't really listen to demos unless they know you, i'm sure they miss good material.

if you release on an obscur digital label it's not interesting, better off making a bandcamp page as you said.

[BandoftheHand]

I like to stalk the label. I spend several months learning everything I can about them. Label address, home address, girlfriends address, all social media accounts, life history, the usual stalker things. Then I start sending 'demos' of my work. Feedback is always positive.