Reasonfreaks

[viba]

Now that I have your attention...u might be interested in this list..adapted from the music academy on line.


"Getting a deal" has long been the goal of many would-be artists and bands. For mostly naive reasons, most new talent feel that by securing a recording contract with a significant major or independent label, success will be guaranteed. (talk about naivete). To get this 'belief system' up and running, many musicians figure all they have to do is send off their music to a label, and a recording contract will come their way shortly.

The following list of '10 Reasons Why Demo Are Rejected' was gathered together after years of listening to comments made by Record Label A&R reps at music industry conferences and workshops; as well as from personal interviews with reps, and from many interviews A&R reps have given to the press. In addition, I can verify that these observations as true, from having personally listened to thousands of demos over the years.

The purpose of providing you with this information is to at least improve the odds that your music will get listened to when you submit your demos. This list will look at the most common mistakes musicians make when either shopping for a record deal, or trying to get the attention of A&R Reps with their demo recordings.

10 Reasons Demos are Rejected:

1. No Contact Information on CDR and/or CDR container
(put your name, address, email, and phone number on both)

2. Lack of Originality
(just because you can record, doesn't mean your music is worth recording)

3. The Music Is Good, But The Artist Doesn't Play Live
( this applies to all genres of music except electroninca and experimental music)

4. Poorly Recorded Material
( So you bought ProTools....so what!)

5. Best songs are not identified or highlighted on the CDR
( give the folks a break, for demos-send only 3 or 4 songs and highlight the best ones)

6. Sending Videos In Place Of CDRs
( keep it simple, in the demo mode, all anyone wants is to check out your songwriting and musicianship)

7. Sending Unsolicited Recordings
(you sent them, but they never asked for them)

8. Sending The Wrong Music To The Wrong Label
(you didn't do your research to find out what labels put out what kind of music)

9. Musicians Can't Play Their Instruments Competently
(this is so basic, but you would be astounded at how incompetant most start-up musicians are)

10. The Music Sucks
( this criticism is as old as music itself. you may think your music is the greatest thing since frappacinos, but most demo recordings the industry receives are.

[bastard_son]

1 check
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10 oh.. now I know.

Thank god it's just that. The title of the topic made me think it was "Reason(made)-demos are rejected".

[viba]

Better check your blood pressure

[theoracle]

Yup, I knew these hehe.Sad but true...the music world is harsh..they will drop you in a split second.

A mate of mine sent over 200 demos in a year and not a single one picked him up.Depressing? Definitely,but did he quit?No way!He got a license deal for his song to be played on an episode of Nip Tuck...and a video game company has just paid him for another track to be on an XBOX 360 game.

I can't remember the statistics but I think it was something like 1% of bands in a year that apply actually get accepted.Being in that 1% is challenging,but dont give up hope.Even Kid Rock went to the end of his rope pulling out all the stops...fans loved him..his shows were sold out..yet record labels didnt want him...finally they caved and be became a multimillionare.

Just more things to keep in mind

[scram]

sticky?

[delegaattori]

Hehehe.

I like the 10 most

(post edited to remove the drunkenness)

[viba]

YEP, THEY ARE ALL CRUCIAL, BUT 10 is the killer

[ahkuilon]

I don't understand 7.
If the label ASKS you for a demo, doesn't that kinda mean that they want you already?
How can you tell if a label wants your demo :/

[dj_sea2005]

some labels want new artists some dont.

[scram]

like, some labels actually put out messages saying like "we want yer demos!!" and give an address, whereas i guess there are some that would rather find people themselves, thru their own a&r guys or whatever.

i would've thought most labels would want new artists, obviously only if they're gonna make em some £££...

[dj_sea2005]

im starting to think that there isnt really a point in record labels anyway.

ever heard of the Arctic Monkeys? they are in the charts over here in the UK, and they are unsigned, they managed to get there via promotion through myspace and iTunes. more and more artists are taking matters into their own hands, myself included.

of course you need to be well prepared, the Arctic Monkeys success was most likely a coincidence mixed with the fact they play teen pop/rock music witch is popular over here in the UK (because our charts are controlled by the average teenager)

however if you have the resources (my dad happens to be an excellent manager/sales manager/promoter/website designer) then i say try and go it alone, in the long run it would be better because you are only locked into the contract YOU make for yourself, plus you get more of the money from record sales. and the added bonus of not having the sony DRM rootkit crap on your CD's

i for one have already started my entrepreneur adventure what with the upcoming sale of my music on iTunes, all managed by me and my dad.

all this recent crap with the RIAA suing everything with an internet connection and the SONY DRM rootkit fiasco has opened the eyes to many artists, and all of a sudden, the thought of being on a record deal with a big company like that one becomes less attractive. because artists are realising that all they want is more money to line thier pockets. therefore leading more people to look for alternative ways of promotion.

what sony (and some of the other major record labels) dont realise is that the internet can either be a very powerful friend, or a very powerful enemy, unfortunately they chose enemy. a choice many artists dont agree with. again, the arctic monkeys are a perfect example of how to use the internet to its best. and thanks to sonys bad choice, artists are fleeing from the record labels old-fasioned ways and looking for alternatives, witch i think is BRILLIANT!

this means less manufactured pop bands (such as hear'say and S club 7) and more quality music. but the best part about this is that you know when you pay for an album. the money will go to the artist, and not to the record label.

my $0.02

[theoracle]

cool point sea.if you do have the know how and the money to do it on your own and want to try it that way then definitely try.unfortunately not everybody has great business sense and contracts extend beyond just record labels.promoters and event managers want money,the PA system operators want money,roadies want money,everybody wants money.

places like the old mp3.com used to offer you something like $.01 or $.02 per play of your track.Sales of your cds were cut in half.For a $15 dollar cd,you get $7.50...it seems great if you can rack out the listens and get enough people to buy your cd's..a band on there called 303infinity did it and made over $300,000 in a matter of a couple years or so.It's just luck really I think.Being at the right place (a place where people want to hear your work and love to hear it and want more) at the right time (a time where the chance of sales are best for you and the contracts are as much in your favour as possible).

Just remember to read those contracts sea and you'll do fine

As for me,I can only wish enough people leap off a certain label I want on haha,makes it easier for me to get on.I think if the talent is there and you work out as good a contract as you can either way whether you're doing it alone or with a label,you're going to have ups and downs.Just to what degree,does a label tell you they want millions off you or does your distributor say they want more money for each cd or find a new distributor or what have you...I've found that once an artist starts to make alot of money,the people who were behind them all the way suddenly wish to renegotiate terms for money...meaning you a little less and them alot more.

this is my thought on some of it anyway...

[dj_sea2005]

yeah, true that oracle.

"making it" depends on being at the right place at the right time. i have a feeling i have chosen my timing to launch my iTunes album pretty dead on, as in the UK the charts are more dominated by downloads than CD sales. kids are internet savvy, they would rather download stuff than listen to it on CD.

my plans aside, the real reason im doing this is because i for one dont like the way record labels treat thier artist AND consumer. i am particularly pissed at sony BMG. taking the money from the artist and leaving a wake of rootkit infected computers behind. this has put me, and many other artists, off the idea of a record deal. and so it should. i dont like sonys business plan, so why should i be forced into thier contract (if i was offered one) the answer, i dont. and im glad more people are realising this.

i believe the future of the music industry lies in the hands of the internet and self promoting.

[ahkuilon]

That would surely make mastering skills a lot more useful. Nah one could just collaborate with some people who can master well. Give them a share of the profit.
....wait a second...

[theoracle]

true sea.you seem to know what you want, i wish the best.i'm not fond of that rootkey either.i've heard many a story of how it's messing up computers left and right.i'd much rather be on XL Records to be honest.Massive independant label.