How Do You Know Which Song To Demo? #AskAmanda
When you write a bunch of songs, it’s tempting to want to invest in a demo, but how do you know which song to choose and if you’re ready?
Here’s the answer I gave to a Songpreneur recently who wishes to remain anonymous.
What’s a Demo
Most people who are reading this Songpreneurs blog already know, but for new readers, a “demo” is a demonstration recording.
Unlike a recording session you do as a recording artist with a record label (major or indie), a demo is just a recording you make to demonstrate what your original song could sound like if someone cut it.
In music terminology, a “cut” is when someone professionally records your song for the purpose of releasing it to the public.
When you make a demo, you are hoping that someone will hear your recording and want to cut your song on their record or release it as a single.
Getting a cut is the goal for most songwriters and for all music publishers.
Background
When my dad Kim Williams started coming to Nashville to chase his songwriter dream, our family was still living off social security and disability payments.
He was naturally very careful about how he chose to spend his savings, and wanted to be as smart as he possibly could about how to demo his songs.
He did a wise thing and enlisted the help of an expert.
He had earned the respect of a few reputable publishers and studio owners in Nashville, and before he spent money on demos, he asked for their expert advice on which of his recently written songs were best.
He would usually have a minimum of 30 songs per month, and would send the best to his experts who helped him to pick the top 4 or 5 to demo each month.
Remember, this was in the early 1980s, and a demo cost about $600 per song, which was a lot for us at that time.
Usually Dad would split the cost with his cowriter, but still the demo bills could add up quickly.
The distribution models in the music industry at that time made it reasonable to spend money on full band demos, because it was an investment with a decent potential for return on investment (ROI).
Even if Dad’s song didn’t become a single, it had a possibility of becoming an album cut, which earned the songwriter about 9 cents per unit sold (the exact royalty rates varied, and started going up during this time.)
If the album went gold, the songwriter would make $0.09 x 500,000 units = $45,000. That was a pretty good payday, and worth risking the investment in a few $600 demos per month.
Now, the economics are much different.
For a songwriter and publisher, the chances of getting an album cut are much smaller, because the album format is not as common anymore.
Most artists and labels release only singles, which don’t benefit as many songwriters as album formats did.
Also, the streaming royalties are much much much smaller for songwriters now than they were under the old physical distribution models.
Recent data shows that a songwriter’s royalty is all over the board, with 5 million streams on Spotify earning only $86 on one statement, and 4 million streams on Amazon Music earning a much better (rounded average) $3000 on a more recent statement.
Obviously, even with the highest royalty payers in the business, Amazon Music closely followed by Apple, it’s still difficult to earn a living wage as a songwriter these days.
Because of these considerations, it’s a different world for songwriters now than it was for my dad starting out.
Here’s how we currently do the demo thing.
Are You Ready To Demo?
Now, the considerations for songwriters are different than in the past.
It’s not always about ROI, return on investment.
Sometimes you have to acknowledge the deep burning human desire to hear your original song dressed up and ready for radio.
It can be so rewarding, motivating and encouraging to hear your songs performed and recorded by a professional band of studio musicians and engineers.
This can be reason enough to invest in a few demo recordings if your budget allows.
Ironically enough, as the music royalty has gone down over the years (by shifting from physical to streaming models), the demo recording costs have remained largely the same.
You can still get an excellent full band demo for around $600. We at Songpreneurs recommend our friends at The 515 Studio for this.
They are great at working with new writers to help them get in the hang of demoing their songs, and they (this is the most important part) actually care.
They remember what it was like when they first got started, and extend the kind, nurturing hand to other people.
I can’t say enough good about Chip Hardy, Rod Lewis, Jesse Lavigne, and their pro staff of musicians and extended family at The 515 Studio Nashville.
These friends will take you through the preparation process for you demo called preproduction, and will help you to feel ready and confident about your recording session.
You can even work with them online if you’re not in the Nashville area, and help produce your demos from where ever you are in the world using their online tools.
They will even help you hire the band and singers for your ideal sound.
Keep in mind, though. As a songwriter creating demos, you are not allowed to release them to the public for sale unless you pay for what is called “limited pressing” or “master scale.”
You can ask about this when you get in touch or read more about the difference here.
Going For It
If you have a song that you think is great, it might be time to start doing a few demos.
Demos not only help you hear what your work sounds like professionally done, but they also help to introduce you to more professionals in the music business.
You’ll be working with seasoned professionals who can help to guide you in the right direction to develop your career and reputable networking circles.
Also, you’ll have the pleasure of hearing your polished recording and playing it for friends, family and pitching it to publishers or artists who can make a decision to cut your song – or maybe just give you some solid feedback for the next time.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you think it over.
Demo Do’s
Do get some expert advice about which of your songs to demo.
The experts will help to guide you in a few areas:
· Any revision suggestions to make the song more commercial or “tighter” as we call it – lyric, melody or production
· Who’s cutting now – which can help you to prioritize which of your songs need to be done first
· Suggestions in general that their expertise can provide to help you
Do be clear with yourself – as in put it in writing – about what is your goal with demoing any particular song.
It can be something as simple as “pitch to Trisha Yearwood.”
Or more broadly for most people starting out, “create a great sounding recording for my humble tune.”
Do be realistic when you’re starting out as a songwriter that you cannot and should not expect to get a big major artist cut right out of the gate.
My dad said it was a numbers game.
Meaning, the more you read read read and write write write, the more songs you’ll have worth demoing. And the more demos you pitch, the greater your chances of getting a cut.
It’s math, and skill and persistence all rolled into one.
Do be persistent and consistent with your own writing, demoing and pitching. It’s the mark of every great songwriter I ever met.
Demo Don’ts
Don’t forget that when your song is professionally recorded, it is going to sound like the best thing you have ever heard.
People who are in the business know how to tell the difference between a great song and an ok song that has a great demo.
Your song will have a great demo for sure, but if you pitch it around a lot and keep getting the same advice, you might want to listen to what the pros are telling you to do for revisions.
The best thing to do is to get a professional song evaluation before you invest in the demo.
Your songwriter group will usually have feedback available for you, and if you’re a member of the Songpreneurs Leadership Community, you can get our feedback on the Forums.
The Demo Don’t take away here is – don’t confuse a great song for a great recording.
The other big Demo Don’t is – don’t release your demo as a commercial single, because you have to have permission to do that in writing.
The reason is because a demo is, by definition, only a “demonstration recording.”
It’s cheaper than a recording you can release, because when you do a demo, you don’t own the sound recording copyright. That costs extra, and usually takes longer, plus you have to do extra steps to make the recording release ready.
If you want to release your recording, just let your studio know that, and they’ll help you take the right steps.
Read more about the difference between a demo and a sound recording master here.
Conclusion
If you’re a songwriter, there’s nothing more enjoyable than creating a great demo for your song.
You may be ready to invest in your first demo, or you may choose to hold off until you can be sure you’re songs are up to the commercial bar.
But if you’re itching to hear what your original song sound like when it’s recorded by professionals, you might want to invest in a demo as a reward to encourage you onward toward your eventual songwriting success.
Happy demoing!
Got a great demo story experience? Leave a comment below >>
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