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Demos
No doubt about it...we record a lot of demos! Demos are very important for
songwriters and artists because demos represent your creative vision and
musical ideas. We record demos for clients who live here in town, and
through the mail. If you want to record a demo, and you can make it
to Nashville, great! If you cant make the trip to Nashville to record,
you can still utilize all the wonderful talent that is available here.
We work with clients from all over the country and the world! As a matter
of fact, we have a client in England, who, after reading the article
Its A Jungle Out There, (excerpts below) sent us one of his songs to
demo. We cut a great sounding, full-band demo on his song, sent it back to
him within a week, and since then, he has sent us 5 more songs to demo!
The process for a mail-order demo is easy. Send us a work tape of your
song(s). A work tape can consist of you simply singing the song into a
tape recorder, or you can supply us with your own guitar or piano music
and vocal on tape. And enclose a lyric sheet. Thats all we need.
We write out the music (using Nashville number charts) and hire the
musicians. Then we record.
Our pricing is simple: We have 2 types of demos:
A guitar or piano/vocal demo for $200
A full band demo for $600
These demos include a CD master of your song(s).
We have examples of both these types of demos (click Hear, Here) ,
so you know the high level of quality you can expect from us.
(For our demo reel on CD, please call or e-mail us.)
We are not the cheapest demo out there. And we are not the most
expensive. Thats not our goal. We have been in business for 17 years
because we promise, and deliver, a great product, something you will
be proud to play for anyone. The musicians we hire for your demos are
the best in town - they have played for artists like the Dixie Chicks,
Jo Dee Messina, Trisha Yearwood, Steve Wariner, Tom T. Hall,
Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis, Reba McEntire and many others.
And the singers we work with, are the best in Nashville. Wed like
the opportunity to record your demos. If you have any questions,
please contact us.
Its A Jungle Out There...
We seem to get a lot of questions about demos, often because there
are no industry standards for demos, its difficult to compare apples
to apples, and the level of quality varies greatly from demo to demo.
We get so many great questions about demos, that Bob Angello,
our studio owner, wrote an article that was published by NSAI
in their newsletter recently. It helps to clarify some important things
to consider when shopping for a studio to record your demos.
Its A Jungel Out There
excerpts from the published article,
© 2001 Robert Angello
...typically, the first question is, How much do you charge for a demo?
Value in a recording session cannot be defined by price alone.
If a songwriter can get a full band demo for $75, or one for $450,
all things being equal, logic would dictate that cheaper is better....
unless...all things are not equal.
Here are some creative considerations:
Is sounding like the radio a consideration? Most publishers are looking
for radio-friendly material that they can pitch to artists. Your demo needs
to fit that format and reflect that sound. Someone (maybe an intern) who is
auditioning new material for a publishing company may not have the
experience needed to see through an average or below average demo.
Is a real piano a consideration? Ask Billy Joel!
Are real drums a consideration? Feel is everything in music.
Compare the theme of the 80s show L.A. Law to the Ally McBeal show.
Real drums make a huge difference.
Will the demo producer allow creative input from afar?
Beware of the studio that gives you the feeling that you get what you get. Its your song.
Here are some practical considerations:
Does the studio have any kind of longevity in the business?
If they do, they must be doing something right, because of the
competitive nature of the studio business in Nashville.
Do they have a real address or just a P.O. box?
Remember, most demos are paid in advance and it can be difficult to track
down a P.O. box holder in the event of dissatisfaction or non-delivery.
Make sure you know to whom and where youre sending your money.
Do they come recommended by a legitimate organization (NSAI)
or friend who has used their services?
Anyone can buy an ad in a songwriter magazine but a personal or
professional recommendation is much tougher to come by.
Gotta get em right. Its a Jungle Out There...
We look forward to hearing your songs and working with you. |