Once you've written that great song or completed your writer/artist masters or demos (demonstration recordings), you face the prospect of getting heard by the music industry. You take off your creative songwriter hat and put on your marketing hat. For some of you, this is an exciting challenge. For others, it runs a close second to major surgery. Like anything else, though, it gets much less daunting when you have some practical information. Let's start by understanding the barriers you may encounter when trying to get through the doors of the music industry.

Why Is It So Hard To Get Through The Doors?

To be able to deal with this problem effectively, we need look at it from the point of view of the publishers, producers, record company A&R representatives or managers who are your most prominent "targets." They have two major concerns: finding great talent/songs in the most time and cost-efficient way possible, and protecting themselves from lawsuits.

In the first case, if they have an open-door policy, most companies are deluged with demo tapes and CDs. In fact, even with "no unsolicited material" policies, they're still deluged with solicited demos (those referred by other writers or industry people they respect). The biggest problem for those with open-door policies, particularly for producers and record companies looking for songs for specific projects, is that most of the songs they receive are totally inappropriate for their needs. Usually this is because writers who are sending in tapes haven't taken the time to do their homework on the project (more about this later). Consequently, those listening to demos already know that more than ninety percent of their time will be wasted. Pretty bad odds for someone who may have only one or two assistants who can screen demos.

Time is another barrier keeping industry professionals from listening to unsolicited demos. Music publishers who may just be looking for great songs or writer/artists for development will have a broader scope of material they're seeking, and it may take more time to evaluate the songs they receive because they're listening for more than whether the song will work for a current project. They're also looking for writers who have potential for future success who they can work with and develop.

The legal barrier is also a formidable door-closer, as most companies' legal departments advise them against accepting unsolicited material in fear of potential copyright infringement suits. A key factor in determining infringement is proof of "access." In other words, if a copyright infringement suit goes to court, the prosecution has to prove that the accused has had the opportunity to have heard the material. Proving that someone at the company has opened the package containing your song is, of course, proof of access. You may wonder why an infringement lawsuit can't result from solicited material? Of course it can, but the odds are much lower because industry people already know that most infringement suits are brought by writers who are not seriously pursuing a career as a songwriter. These are referred to as "nuisance suits" in which, on scant evidence and understanding of copyright law, a writer says "I wrote a song called 'I Love You' that contains the line 'I love you more than life itself' and that new hit by Joe Rock contained the same line and I can prove I sent it to his publisher-producer-A&R rep last year so I'm suing you." This is an oversimplification, but not by much. The hitch is that Joe Rock could have heard that line in a song while he was still in the womb and in many other songs thereafter. He didn't have to hear it from a demo in his publisher's office. Since a suit has to be dealt with by the company's legal department, it uses up valuable time and resources.

Is this fear of lawsuits why many companies ask you to have an attorney submit a demo for you? No. Certainly, your attorney could document very definitely the publisher's "access" to your demo. But most industry pros do not believe that submission of a demo by someone with a law degree guarantees its artistic and commercial quality. Not that there aren't entertainment attorneys whose musical tastes are respected, but it isn't the law degree that insures it. So why is it that they ask you to do it? After pursuing this question for years and asking a lot of questions of a lot of industry people, I've come to one conclusion: they want to know that you're serious. On countless occasions I've heard industry people say things like "I don't accept unsolicited material but if someone is really worth hearing, they'll find a way to get to me or I'll hear about them." This is sort of a "survival of the fittest" philosophy that, like it or not, has some merit. They figure that, if you're serious enough to pay a couple of hundred dollars an hour to have an attorney shop your tape/CD, you're serious enough for them to listen to.

Getting Through The Doors

Showing the industry you're serious is the key. One of the most important things you need to do is research. Become aware of the industry people involved in your style of music. Read the credits on the recordings of your favorite artists--find out who produced them, who wrote and published the songs, the record label and possibly even the record company A&R representative who works with that artist. If the A&R rep's name isn't on the package, call the record company's artist relations department or A&R coordinator and get his name. You can also get the phone and fax numbers of the artist's producer and manager. You should also study the artist in order to "cast" the right song so you can be reasonably confident it will be appropriate. Casting involves knowing the artist's style and, if it's an established artist, being familiar with the artist's most successful recordings. Know their vocal range. Artists will often have a special place in their range that highlights the uniqueness of their vocal sound or style. It's referred to as their "sweet spot;" give them something in that place to enhance their style. Try to determine what it is that makes the artist's music successful and make sure you have that quality in your writing. Is their attitude positive, negative or spiritual? Do they sing about lost love or hopeful love? Are they victim songs, songs of strength, rebellion, sarcasm, cynicism or alienation? Look as much for the absence of these as you do for their presence.

Another thing to remember in casting is that there may be a couple of years before an artist's next album so you don't need to copy their current production style or your demo will be dated. Try to imagine how you'd like to hear the artist develop in their next album and produce your demo accordingly. This is tricky, but creative. Whenever possible, try to find out from the artist's producer, manager or record company if there's a change in the artist's direction. If you're pitching for a new artist, get information from those same sources or find a tip sheet.

If you're pitching yourself to record companies as a self-contained artist or group, it's more complex. The same no-unsolicited-material policies exist here too. You're much better off if you have some performing experience. All the better if you've got good reviews, have been on the road and are used to traveling. Record companies want a band or performer to have been field-tested, if not test-marketed regionally with some success. If they're going to risk (in the case of the major labels) at least half a million dollars to record and market you nationally, they want to know you can handle it.

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