Time To Demo

Last month we discussed “When is a Song Done?“. Once you deem a song “done”, it’s time to decide if you should demo the song. The main factor that should be considered is, will you be pitching the song. If the answer is yes, then in my opinion you should demo it once the song is deemed ready. It’s really important to pay close attention to whether the song is truly ready to be demoed before you pitch or spend any money to demo the song appropriately. The best way to do that, is to seek feedback from musical friends who’s opinion you trust (not your momma), unless your momma has churned out hits like Diane Warren. Once you’ve had consistent positive feedback, you may be ready to demo.

Some songwriters have the production, instrumental mastery, tools and vocal quality to produce a complete “pitch worthy” demo. If you don’t have all of these proficiencies or you are a non-performing songwriter, you will need to have a solid demo produced by a studio that can provide the services you may not be able to produce.

If you are looking for a low risk approach to demoing a song because you’re not quite sure the song is ready, a simple (guitar / vocal) or (piano / vocal) demo may be all that is needed to get a better idea if the song merits a demo. There are no wrong or right answers to the demo process. I’ve heard arguments for simple demos (guitar/vocal, piano/vocal) and I heard arguments for full blown demos. My personal opinion is your competing to grab an artists attention, with that said, let the song dictate the demo. If you have a groove based song, you are better off obtaining a full demo (all the instruments needed to fill the sound and groove). If you have a strong lyrical song in the ballad genre, you may be able to trim the arrangement based on the merit of the lyric.

When you send your demo to a studio, you should follow their instructions as each studio has its own processes. One thing that I believe makes or breaks a demo is the lead vocal. This is the upmost IMPORTANCE; let me say that again, the vocal is the upmost IMPORTANCE. I have had awesome instrumentation on demos where the vocal simply destroyed the song. This is not to say instrumentation isn’t important but you need someone to convey the melody.

As the songwriter, it’s imperative you provide the studio with as much information as possible to obtain the sound you are looking to obtain…Provide them with an accurate lyric sheet, your thoughts on the song arrangement, instrumentation, and vocalist notes like…sounds like Trace Adkins etc…The more information you provide, the more likely they will capture what you heard in your head. A solid pre-demo goes along ways to assisting the studio as well.

Demo costs are all over the place. You’ll find simple demos in $100 range and full demos from around $200 up to $700 or $800, so it’s best to check out and research studios. If you are a pop writer a specific studio and demo may be very different than the studio requirements for a country song. Bottom line is, do your homework. Ask for samples of their productions. Check their websites. Listen to other songwriter demos online.

Below are a few quality studios I’ve used in the past with a link to songs they have produced for me. There are many other quality studios and price /quality should be factored in along with your budget.

I have no reservations recommending any of these studios.

The Gator Hole
Song Produced and co-written with owner Galen Breen: Tiny Angels

Panda Productions Nashville
Song Produced: Waiting On The World

The Song Cellar
Song Produced: Simply Love

Song Ocean Music
Song Produced: America, Red White & Blue

The Songwriter Studio
Song Produced: I’d Do It Right

My best,
Ray