Here’s the hard truth, you must do some serious heavy lifting to attract the attention of any record label. Whether you are targeting a major label like Universal or simply wanting to sign up with the backyard firm in your neighborhood, it is essential to show potential. For any company to invest in your talent, you must convince it that you’re the real deal. If you are just getting started, you may want to first acquaint yourself with how to get your music heard by record labels. First, you must show interest in the work of the record label you want to sign up with. Unless you are already a “huge” artist, it is improbable that any company will be the first to approach you.
Secondly, work hard to ensure your company of choice finds interest in your work organically. Within the music industry, forced conversations are only good at making wrong impressions. The best you can do is to send the company an email and inform them of your interest. Also, show up for their gigs and events, shake hands and learn how they do things. Dive in for more tips to ensure a record label listens to your music.
- Introduction
- 7 Solid Tips On How to Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels
- Simple Tricks to Get Your Music Demo Heard (By E-Mail)
- Conclusion
7 Solid Tips On How to Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels
Investing time and effort in self-promotion can attract the attention of reputable record labels. Unfortunately, this alone cannot guarantee that a company will be eager to sign you up. Here are more tips on how to get your music heard by record labels:
Be the Best Artist You Can Be
The first and most crucial step is to make great music. Write new material, keep your flow of ideas and lyrics fresh and get to know your fan base. Even record labels that receive thousands of sign-up requests from artists will always be looking for new talent. You have a good chance of grasping their attention if your work shows that you can evolve, grow, and consistently produce new material.
Creating mind-blowing music doesn’t happen by chance. You want to take your time to write the best possible material. Additionally, record your rehearsals and keenly listen to them over and over again. Before you release any single or album, you must ensure that it is nothing short of mind-blowing. An easy way to polish your skills is to dig up information about the unique styles and strategies of some of your favorite artists and songwriters.
How To Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels; Increase Your Live Performances
Another tip on how to get your music heard by record labels is to perform regularly. Each gig you attend will establish your brand, enhance your social skills, increase your network and most importantly, spruce up your musicianship. Furthermore, most record labels send out talent scouts to singing contests, local music festivals, and popular venues. If the scouts love what they see, they are likely to approach you with a deal.
One sure way to propel your music career to the next level is to build a network. As you perform, you are likely to meet different people face to face, perhaps even essential players in the music industry. If you meet experts from the record label you are interested in, for instance, you will have the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your talent as well as your fantastic personality.
Work On Building a Solid Fan Base
There are numerous ways to promote your music and reach a wider audience. Apart from increasing your live performances, you must also do more activities on all your social media platforms. The idea is to have people talking about your music and the events you attend. Just about everyone these days has access to the internet. Consequently, creating fans across the globe has never been easier.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can help you increase your following. Most importantly, they can also draw the attention of record labels. Such companies will always consider artists who have an authentic following of excited fans.
Write a Superb Bio
If you’re working on how to get your music heard by record labels, building a solid fan base is not enough. It is also crucial to ensure that you present your brand online correctly and professionally. Learn how to write the best musician bio detailed with links to all your social media pages. Also, don’t forget to frequently update your bio, just to show that you are an active project.
A solid brand name, an interesting bio, and impressive photos can quickly increase your exposure and popularity. When done right, such activities can drastically increase your clicks and likes. It may just be the first step towards ensuring that record labels listen to your work.
Think Like Record Labels
Record labels need to receive your music via mail to listen to it. Unfortunately, no one will bother to listen to your music if you send out the good old-fashioned MP3s. Such files are notorious for clogging up emails and crashing email programs. You must think like a record label and make use of the latest tools ideal for sharing music. For instance, you can share your audio files using SoundCloud or Dropbox. Moreover, begin by sending the files to someone whose opinion you trust. Therefore, this should ideally be someone who can give hard but truthful criticism if necessary.
Another essential thing to do is show you the capability of marketing, branding, and promoting yourself. We live in the digital era, and there are more than a few ways to put yourself out there. For instance, simply ensuring that your music is available on major streaming platforms may be enough to convince record labels that you are worth their investment. Again, you must not underestimate the importance of growing your fan base.
How To Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels; Be Relevant
Irrespective of how good or decent your music sounds, some record labels will just never have an interest in your work. If you want to get your demo heard, you must send it only to labels interested in your music style. Instead of blasting all labels with never-ending emails, focus on just a few companies that are likely to resonate with the excitement you have about your work.
In addition to sending your music to the most relevant record labels, don’t forget to present yourself creatively. Record labels receive bulk emails from artists every day. Some of these emails are from artists who are just as good as you or maybe better. Therefore, give your email an edge over the competition by choosing the right words to ensure you sound professional.
Submit Your Demo
The final tip on how to get your music heard by record labels is to send your demo. Select two to three labels at a time and pitch your work. Unfortunately, not all companies will send you a positive response, but don’t be upset. Remain true to your course and pitch your work to another label. Don’t forget to send the companies that reject you another demo once you create another track.
A smart way to go about sending demos is to submit work that your fans love. The idea is to use your demo as your brand resume, so you have to choose the best songs representing your style and creativity. It is equally important to present yourself as a serious and fully formed music artist.
Simple Tricks to Get Your Music Demo Heard (By E-Mail)
So, you have a well-produced demo that is ready to be released. You want to send it to a few reputable record labels and hopefully receive the much-needed publishing and distribution assistance. The big question is, how do you ensure that your work will make an excellent first impression? Remember that record labels receive numerous emails daily, meaning they may not bother to listen to an artist that makes a dull first impression.
Here are more tips on how to get your music heard by record labels, mainly when you send a demo via mail:
Keep it Short and Sweet
Record labels, including small-time indie firms, often receive demos from hundreds of artists each year. As such, they may not listen to every demo they receive. A simple way to draw attention to your work is to create a short and sweet package. Here are three crucial things to do:
- Create a short demo with no more than three of your best songs
- Label your demo correctly and include your name and email address
- Include a short professional bio that only highlights vital facts about your journey as an artist
Keep Everything Dead Simple
Again, record labels receive numerous demos, and they may not dwell on one email for more than a few minutes. That said, the last thing you want is for your demo to crash their email service. Avoid sending MP3 files and instead, consider using Soundcloud. It makes streaming easier, increasing the chances of record labels listening to your music.
How To Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels; Personalize Your E-Mail
Did I mention that record labels don’t spend more than a few minutes on one email? Well, the experts are likely to delete your e-mail if it sounds more like a mass mail. It remains imperative to give your demo a personalised touch and address the receiver properly and professionally. It may not be the ideal time to jump straight to “hit the link to check out my demo.” Be polite enough to throw in a “Hello X” and leave a “Thank you for your time” at the tail end of the email.
Follow Up!
Last but not least, getting your music heard by record labels via e-mail is to do a follow-up. Sometimes, record labels don’t go through each email they receive. It could be that your timing was wrong, or someone checked your e-mail and forgot about it. In short, there is no harm in sending a second e-mail to ask whether the experts received your first one. Do this after about a week and give it another week before sending a third follow-up e-mail to request a response before you move on to the next record label. Don’t bother sending a fourth e-mail unless you have a new demo.
How To Get Your Music Heard By Record Labels; Be Persistent But Don’t Be A Stalker!
We have discussed 7 of the most effective ways on how to get your music heard by record labels. Of course, these are not the only viable methods that work. You could also try asking an artist who is already working with a specific label to do the introductions. The key to success is to remain persistent. If you send demos to 3 companies and receive no response, don’t despair. Continue making great music and growing your following as you wait for a reliable label to discover you.
