The Dos and Don’ts of Demos: Advice from Your Rock Recording Studio in San Antonio

You and your band have booked time at a rock recording studio in San Antonio Texas, and now you are all ready to record your first demo—now what? From the recording session to the track listing to sending your demo off to labels, the entire process of creating and distributing a demo is full of big decisions, and potentially big mistakes. Fortunately, by following a few simple guidelines, you can make sure that your demo is as effective as possible, increasing your chances of being signed to your dream label. Here are a few dos and don’ts for the whole demo process: Do research labels: When the time comes to send your demo off to labels, it can be tempting to send it to any and every label whose address you can find. But putting in a little research and finding the labels that are most likely to appreciate your sound—and take a chance on a new band—could pay off big time in the long run. Don’t forget that less is more: Demos are meant to be a sampling of your music that will hopefully leave the listener wanting more. To that end, remember to limit your track listing to a few essential tracks, and do not overload the package with an overly wordy band description. Sometimes less is more, even with rock music. Do choose songs wisely: Now that we have established that you can only pick a couple songs, picking those songs becomes even more important, and more difficult. Sometimes the song you personally love the most will not be the one that grabs the attention of a label employee within 30 seconds. Try to think of a demo as a commercial for your band, and choose accordingly. Don’t record too cheaply: Nobody, not even label execs, expects a demo to sound as polished as a completed album. That being said, they do need to be able to hear it well enough to appreciate your music’s full sound and complexity. That means you will always be better off recording in a professional rock recording studio in San Antonio Texas, rather than on your laptop. Do ask for feedback: Sometimes, you can be too close to your music to be able to accurately evaluate it. Before sending your demo off to the labels, ask a few friends whose musical opinions you trust to give it a listen, and ask them for their unbiased feedback. If you have access to an experienced producer, that is even better. Don’t think you’re above the rules: Many music labels have rules regarding the demo format, length and submission process. If you ignore these requirements, it does not matter how good your demo is, because there’s a good chance nobody will listen to it. We hope this advice proves useful, and we look forward to helping more bands cut a demo and achieve their dreams at our rock recording studio in San Antonio Texas. If you would like to schedule some recording time, please give Windmill Valley Recording a call today.