How to Send a Demo to Record Labels: 3 Crucial Steps for Artists

Sending a demo to record labels in the electronic music industry can be an exciting yet daunting process for aspiring producers.

It can be demoralizing when you don't get a response and aren’t sure if your demo has even been heard. With the right approach though, you can easily stay on top of the progress of your demo submissions and catch the attention of A&Rs. 

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of sending a demo to record labels, providing valuable tips and insights along the way. And with LabelRadar's innovative digital submission platform, the process has never been easier or more efficient.

Preparing Your Demo:

• Choosing the right songs: If a track is still a sketch and needs more work, hold off on sending until it’s more or less there - an A&R will want to hear the track in a near-finished or finished state so don’t rely on their imagination too much by sending tracks too early.
• Recording quality: Clean, well-mixed, and well-mastered tracks will stand out from the crowd and are more likely to leave a lasting impact on an A&R. You don’t have to get your track professionally mastered before submitting of course, but the more you can do to polish it so that it stands the best chance of grabbing the A&R’s attention when they listen, the better. 

Research and Target Record Labels:

• Conducting research: What kind of style/genre is your track? Identify record labels that specialize in your genre of music. LabelRadar has filters that will automatically help with this, but then it’s over to you to research their previous releases, and the artists they have signed, to make sure it’s a fit for you. Whether you aspire to get signed by the likes of Armada, Toolroom, Monstercat, Blanco y Negro, Enhanced, or the many others that use LabelRadar, look for labels that align with your musical goals, values, and vision!
• Spread Your Wings: Not sure which label specifically to send your music to? No worries. You can always use LabelRadar’s “One To Many” submission functionality to make your demo available to all the labels on the platform instead and let them approach you.

Put Your Best Foot Forward:

• Choose a compelling clip: When you submit to labels of LabelRadar, you are prompted to choose what you think is the best 20 second clip of your track. They can still check out the full song too, it just means that you control the first impression, which is a very powerful advantage, so try and choose a part of your track that is most likely to excite them.
• Make the best first impression: LabelRadar can help get an A&R to listen to your music, but from there it’s important that you have filled out your artist profile so that you can make the most of any label interest, as it’s often their first next step after listening to your track. Give yourself the best chance of success by adding your artist branding, social links and a link to a previous release that you’re proud of if you have one.

Then sit back and wait while the platform works its magic. You can always check out what other artists have had to say about their experiences on LabelRadar here too.

Conclusion:

Sending a demo to record labels is an essential step for musicians pursuing a career in the music industry. By following this step-by-step guide and utilizing LabelRadar's game-changing tools, you'll be giving yourself the best chance of success (and also saving a lot of time!). Good luck on your journey to finding your label!

LabelRadar is part of the Beatport Group of companies, alongside Loopmasters, ampsuite, Loopcloud, Plugin Boutique, and more. 

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