Shopping Your Music

Virtually all musicians cower at the prospect of shopping their work. It is an excruciating experience. An A&R person's job is not to deliver polite comments about your material--if you don't have what it takes, they're not shy about telling you. Still if the big guys don't hear your music, you'll never know if you have a shot at the top. Therefore, we are giving you the basic procedure as outlined in a recent Electronic Musician article for submitting tapes or discs to industry professionals. Your career in the music industry is at stake, so gather the guts to make a few calls and drop a package in the mail.

How To Submit:

Never send a tape without first getting approval. Even if a publisher claims to accept unsolicited material, be courteous and forward a query letter before you send off your tape. Query letters should be typewritten and include the contact persons full name ("To whom it may concern" is not an appropriate greeting). Do not put your creative history in the text of the letter. Simply state that you are seeking permission to submit a demo tape consisting of, for example, three songs. Be sure to include a self-addressed (and stamped) reply post card.

If you receive permission to submit your work, compile a well-documented package. First, type a brief cover letter thanking the contact person for his or her interest. Be concise. If a biography is requested, keep it short (one or two paragraphs is ideal) and include a black and white, 8"x10" glossy photo. Be sure that your name, address, and telephone number are marked on the cassette cover and the cassette itself. Don't forget to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope big enough to facilitate the return of all your materials.

Two weeks after you mail the package, call the contact person to confirm the receipt of your materials. Do not badger them or seek a personal critique over the telephone. If they haven't received your package, politely inform them that you'll check again in another week. Also, you should always be sure your package makes it into the right hands.

Once you've confirmed the contact person has your tape, relax a bit. With most industry people, the squeaky wheel gets tossed into the low priority bin. If you don't hear anything within a month, call to inquire about your status. Do not sound anxious or pushy. Youll find that many executives actually apologize for delays and may even offer you a timeline for getting back to you.

If an industry pro rejects your tape, type them a short letter thanking them for their time and consideration. Professionals appreciate such common courtesy--even if they don't reply--and may remember your name fondly when you ask to submit your next demo. (You weren't thinking of giving up after one demo, were you?). When sending out your music, always keep in mind that the person receiving it must find something marketable in the package. No, the music doesn't have to be mainstream, but if the decision makers don't see a market for your music, they'll see no reason to help you out. Also, be sure to follow the procedure on how to submit your tape or disc.

Find area DJs who have a local music hour or a show which features up-and-coming artists. Send them a record or CD (not a tape radio usually won't play it), and then call to invite them to your nearby gigs. Remember to put them on the guest list at the door; they'll appreciate your hospitality. Gavin, publishers of the Gavin Report radio charts, have an affordable service where they will mail a copy of your CD to appropriate radio stations. They even furnish you with information on how to follow-up with the program directors. Call Gavin at (415) 495-1990 for more information.

This is the most obvious place to send your music, but it is usually the most difficult to get results. So do research on a label before sending a package. You don't want to send your latest country ditties to a new age label.

They can pass your demo on to their music business connections. What's the lawyers incentive? If you get attention from a label, chances are you'll need a lawyer then. Try finding one interested in your kind of music, and be wary of those who require a fee to listen to your music. If they're seriously looking for acts, they should do it for free.

Songwriter associations. Many national and local songwriter associations sponsor events where artists can play their music for A&R people who are seeking new material. These are sometimes open-mic events, and sometimes demo derbies where an A&R rep critiques your tape. These gatherings are also good for networking with other musicians. Be sure to read the "Lawyers.txt" file.

Even if a manager is too busy to take on new acts, it is worthwhile to build a relationship. Invite them to gigs and send them your latest demos. In the future they may need a new act of your genre, so keep them informed by sending new material as you record it.

These events attract industry V.I.P.s (including plenty of A&R reps scouting out new talent), and are a great opportunity to get your foot in the door. There's no substitute for meeting an A&R rep face-to-face and asking for permission to send a copy of your music! You can even apply for a live performance slot far in advance by submitting a tape.

More for songwriters than bands, tip sheets offer leads on recording artists who need new material for an album. They are often unreliable (and fairly costly), since many recording artists only accept material from someone or someplace they are already familiar with. Therefore, always call and verify a tip before blindly submitting.

Every week this service gathers requests for original material directly from record companies, publishers, film and TV studios, and more. They compile this information a la the personal ads. When you want to respond to a request, you send a tape to TAXI. They will screen it to see if it's appropriate before sending it on to the industry person who put in the request. You are then notified as to who received the tape. Even if TAXI rejects it during pre-screening, they will return a basic demo critique to you. Call them at (800) 458-2111 for more information. Highly recommended.