top record companies spend thousands on building new state-of-the-art studios, licensing, publishing, marketing and management teams. they want big, fast and safe returns on their investments. they are looking for original artists with genuine talent. this is where alleyways strive: we are original and unlike anyone else. most record labels will skip through demos and listen to roughly ten seconds in total, if you're lucky, before deciding if it's worth a second listen.
product:
investing thousands into a demo is a waste of time. cheaper, and sometimes better, recording technologies allow unsigned artists to make killer recordings in their bedrooms these days. all that is needed is a decent microphone, pre-amp, compressor, some software and a PC/MAC. start with one song only - and if the product sounds good - only then commit to more. our debut ep, whilst not entirely recorded yet, is of great quality - fast in my car sounds very professional.
placement:
the next step is to find an online home for your recording. most records executives periodically scan for talent online. instead of spending days of manually submitting physical CDs and trying to impress with album art and design, spend that money on building your online presence. it's not just about your music. top record labels for an ACT to sign and sell, at a profit. marketability and presentation is key. make sure all social media profiles are complete and up to date (ours are!). most music service sites are social media enabled and synchronise with each other. examples of platforms that we will make our music available on are:
- soundcloud
- bandcamp
- ourstage
- itunes
- spotify
promotion:
before submitting a demo, do some promotion yourself to build a fan club. start with friends on facebook. give one or two songs away for free and ask fans to rate them in order to make it easier deciding which song should be submitted to a label. connect with small, local radio stations and ask them to consider playing your song. use a soundcloud or bandcamp link when submitting your demo to a record label - whether they be major or independent.
i found this article very useful. it gives an insight into how the 'bigwigs' of the music industry treat new, unsigned bands and gives very helpful tips onto how to get into the spotlight a little bit. we will use this tips in order to launch alleyways to stardom!