Some of you may wonder how to send your demo to a label. Here are some advice on how to do it correctly.
1. Don’t send anything unless you’re sure it’s completely finished (apart from the mastering)
It may be obvious but it’s always a good reminder. Send your best works, the ones you’re the most happy with. You can put a limiter on the master to push the volume a little bit but don’t squash your track.
2. Choose the right label
It is really important to think about the label that fits best with your style and aesthetics. You may also want to match it in terms of identity. For instance, Dispatch looks for deeper vibes, while Eatbrain provides neuro bangers. Souped Up is known for its Jump Up rollers whereas Pseudoscience focuses on the more experimental stuff. To know more about the labels, you can follow them on social medias, on their website or go to their parties.
To provide you a quite original example, here is a future beats track by Deft on Ivy Lab’s label 20/20 LDN. See how it perfectly matches with their hip hop inspired refreshing sound.
3. Try to have feedbacks before sending something
You can ask your friends and also try to reach producers who have already released tracks in concerned labels through parties and social networks.
4. Don’t only send one track
Try to send at least two or three tracks. The label will be able to choose what’s best for them and may advise you on how to do better. They may even ask you for more tracks. Moreover, try to always have an idea about what music you could do next. You might expect to be asked for more tracks and a deadline if the label tries to sign you
5. Write a little something for the label
You don’t necessarily need to make a very long message, it is at your convenience. For example, you can describe yourself a little bit, explain why you’ve chosen your alias. Maybe give a word or two about your tracks and why you think your work matches their identity. You could also tell them why you like or support them. Try to take care of your writing style and orthography as well. And of course, be polite. Salutations, closing formulas and a signature are not optional!
6. Don’t send your tracks to multiple labels simultaneously
I would suggest that you wait for an answer from the label you’ve written to before sending your tracks to another. If you receive no answer, try to estimate the popularity of the label you’re writing to, to know how long you will have to wait before considering sending your tracks to another one. You can ask producers about the time the label that catches your attention takes to answer to demos. Keep in mind that the bigger the label, the more demos they receive, and the more you may have to wait.
7. Don’t be in a rush, take your time and be patient.
Remind yourself that you will have to wait and that labels have queues. Most of the time, tracks are sent months, even years before releasing. Just remember about Flashizm. This track has been heard for the first time at Imagination Festival 2014 but only released on Critical Music on November 4th, 2016.
Of course, these are only advice and you don’t have to do exactly as told here. But try to stack all the odds in your favor!
You can find a list of the Drum & Bass labels here.
You can also send your demos to Studio Drum and Bass!