This has puzzled me for years, how do you turn a unsolicited demo into a solicited.

Everytime you check info or FAQ on some record labels they say you must submit it via a music manager, producer etc. So if you are a producer of music does that mean the demo is no longer unsolicited because you don't want a A&R agent using your demo to stand his coffee on as cup coaster.

 

ok thanks for the info

 

The only good pimp, is a dead pimp. People need to exploit their own skills and work, rather than helping capital and power to accumulate with a small minority. That's how people disempower themselves. Deal direct.

 

awesome stuff, i wonder why nobody's thought of that one yet...

 

Sexual favours?

 

Last edited: Sep 21, 2018

It's a case of "wish in one hand, spit in the other" - it's a lot easier to think of, than to follow through and do it. The drive gets derailed early in the process, by a synergetic mix of laziness and egotism. It doesn't really matter how many people experience or like one's work, but some people seek outside incentive and validation for doing work, creative or otherwise.

 

You could, but I would make sure the demo is very polished, then setup a website that displays your campaign well and is enticing, i've noticed they like checking websites, maybe some trinkets with your name or brand might not hurt to stand out. They also tend to look for people who have been performing in shows and have an active following so an active insta showing your personality seems to help, might depend on your music however since I've known some severe introverts who are doing well. I snuck in the back door at a current publisher after interning for an A&R at another company so building/maintaining relationships is vital. To make it unsolicited you have to contact them beforehand and then follow up in a few days to see if they got it. Do not pester them or resend multiple packages, I heard they hate that. They can tell what polished material is though so make sure you're not sending garbage, otherwise your door with close pretty quickly, don't expect a lot or any feedback on the stuff either, they usually don't unless. Good luck, stick to it, ...is what i tell myself

 

I know companies always ask for steam links they don't take cds or mp3 downloads and if you just send a demo in off your own back then the only place its going is in the bin. I did read a couple of websites saying they only take demos if you send them in via a manager, producer maybe i could try and hit a couple of djs with my demos..

 

I do alot of EDM would love to sign music to a Las Vegas or New York label but unsure of which ones do EDM, House, Trance plus do alot of remixing hence the name mixerman haha lol

 

Enter national radio talent contests. Some friends of mine got signed by Universal Music using this method.

 

Last edited: Sep 22, 2018

KungPaoFist isn't off, @Mixerman , but I have heard first, second and third hand that a lot of labels really are looking at how much of a following you already have built up around you. They are lazy bunch of sonsuvbitches and are far more like to jump onto a wagon filled with shit that has 100,000 Soundcloud followers than a wagon of gold with that has 500 followers....though they might loot the wagon that has the gold and your kicks just to show you how they roll.
I think that smaller labels, as you probably have guessed, are going to be more likely to actually give your stuff a listen.
I, personally, have actually had more luck getting ahold of people who are well-known and connected to labels who have given me advice on how to approach certain aspects of the business side of all of it than contacting any A&Rs or anyone connected with the label in any business sense. Pester some people who have made it or have been in the game for long enough that they know what the score is; Twitter, their Facebook, their sites, most of them aren't too famous to respond.

 

LEGAL is the number one reason some labels refuse to accept demos that do not come from a manager, lawyer or someone they have a relationship with is legal. To be exact, it is the fear of lawsuits. If a label accepts your demo, and an artist that is already signed to the label happens to put out a song that bear similarities to your song you will claim that the label "stole" your submissions. A rule that no "unsolicited" material will be opened serves as a barrier to those situations.

 

off topic deleted

 

Last edited: Sep 25, 2018

To be honest, I don't even know what your reply has to do with what I wrote. I don't even know what you are referring to when you mention sampling.

 

I was referring back to another thread about copyright stuff. I guess was off topic sorry for confusion..

 

I did contact one well known record label and they asked me how many followers I had on Facebook but I told then that I don't believe in facebook very much anti-facebook and what does this have to do with music which they couldn't answer me. I like to create music not post up random pictures of cats on facebook

 

sounds good

 

Everytime you check info or FAQ on some record labels they say you must submit it via a music manager, producer etc. So if you are a producer of music does that mean the demo is no longer unsolicited because you don't want a A&R agent using your demo to stand his coffee on as cup coaster.

 

Last edited: Jul 24, 2019

In this context, 'solicited' simply means invited or pre-arranged.
So:
solicited = wanted and asked for.
unsolicited = not asked for nor wanted.

When somebody invites you to give them your demo, then that would be 'solicited'.
An 'unsolicited' demo would be one that wasn't asked for, expected, wanted nor appreciated by the recipient.
'If theys don'ts asks, theys don'ts wants'.

But it's up to you whether you want to risk sending them your stuff or not.
In the case of physical media, I'm sure most folk have enough coasters to be going on with, and a file attached to an unwanted email doesn't have any use at all..


https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/solicitation
FYI, nobody's ever asked me for that 2nd definition there, I'm prob'ly too fugly.


then there are the folk who confuse the situation when they use phrases like:
'unsolicited demos wanted/welcome'
which is an oxymoron.
they should just say:
'demos wanted'
or
'hey there everybody, feel free to send us your demos'.
But if they did say that, you'd be forgiven for asking:
'what's the catch?' or 'who are these people?' or 'I'm not sure, but this smells a bit... scammy to me.'

ymmv, but not by much I'll betcha..

 

Last edited: Jul 24, 2019