I have a couple of tracks that I would like to have a label to release them (hopefully). I have a thought and investigated on potential targets, considering my style of music and what I think their expectations are.
Now I would like to know if anybody here has alredy been signed by a label and what would be your best advice on how to approach them with your tracks…
Most of the lables have soundcloud dropboxes. Would you suggest any special approach or strategy? Do you usually send 1 or more tracks?
And finally for the ones that have been signed or have more knowledge about this:
According to your experience or knowledge, are labels serious when releasing your tracks? Do you feel that there is no other way to actually get your tracks out there(known and promoted if they are good)? I mean I know the sites that will get your tracks on an infinite online stores but, maybe this path seems too hard to get you tracks known.
Any comments are apreciated, as I have 0 experience in this area.
Hey,
I run a small label and get lots of demos, my advice:
Make sure you know the style of music the label releases, you’ll be surprised how annoying this is when I get hard trance demos, not knocking trance but I don’t release that stuff (I’ve even had rock/metal demos).
Send a well presented cd with nice artwork and simple letter, not fancy artwork that looks pro as it might scare some people off.
If I have a cd I 100% listen to it, and more than once as I can take it to car or different rooms in house. I’m always a little reluctant to throw a cd away so give it quite a few listens to be sure. MP3’s are easily dismissed.
An email with a mp3 link gets listened to if I’m not busy, otherwise it will be marked unread for future hearage. I can have these emails waiting for months!
Try contact by email first asking if ok to send a cd and to what address, this can introduce yourself and when the cd arrives they’ll recognise you and give it a listen.
Labels are serious about releasing music. When I release a cd I have to pay for it from my own wages of my 9-5 job, not label profits like Sony, EMI, etc.
My artists get paid for every release sold and I eventually get my money back, if I wasn’t serious about selling the music I wouldn’t get my money back. MP3 only releases are different and not something I have done yet.
That is a great response, and great advices also. An input from a person who actually runs a label is really optimum. This can be very helpful to all the starting producers looking to get released
I will look into creating a nice neat art work as you recommend and following your advice for sending my cd. And hopefully it will be listened.
i got contacted by myspace if i want to release few of my tracks. it will be digital only.
i think it’s 50% of luck if your mp3 will be listened to when you email it. maybe soundcloud is a bit better as now i think label managers give some time to listen to all new demos in one place. it’s convenient. tho i don’t really like soundcloud .. yet
my advice would be to try to get in touch with labels you like, get to know people and keep sending to all different labels show us your demo!
cool how does that work?? was it based on the amount of plays your tracks got or what.. i’ve never heard of that before, i didn’t know that myspace was interested in music distribution as well.. good to know thanks for sharing!
nothing to do with the amount of plays. the label just liked my few tracks and asked if i wanted to release them on their label digitally. simple as that
my first ep should come out on september if everything goes by the plan.
and i released few remixes for larry tee on ultra. i just got in touch with the artist himself and asked for the parts. they liked my remixes and released them with the singles.
