Starting A Band, Stage 4- Getting A Record Contract

Welcome back my budding rock-starlets; right then, where were we? Hopefully, by now you should….[deep breath] know how to form a band, know some stuff about how to rehearse effectively and maybe even how to put on a great gig.

So what now? Well, I guess the final part of the pop-puzzle would be some help and advice on recording your first songs, and some pointers on where to send your masterpiece - sound good? Right, read on….

In an ideal world, you hopefully will have made a bit of cash from the gigs you've played, and hopefully you will have put that money into some sort of "band fund" right?

Well, even if that is wishful thinking, it's at this stage in your musical venture that you're gonna need to cough up some dough - because recording a demo is not cheap.

(Unless that is of course you're going to record your songs yourself on your own equipment - but hey! We haven't got time to go down that road, so I'm just going to concentrate on recording at professional studios ok?)

"But what exactly should we record! We've got loads of cool songs!"  - you're no doubt worrying your little head over.

Well, I s'pose it all depends on why you're recording a demo - if it's just for a bit of experience - to play to your mates and family and stuff - then just record whatever you want and have fun. If, on the other hand, you are recording a demo to get some kind of industry interest, then there are a couple of rules to adhere to….Stick a maximum of three tracks on your demo - A&R people won't bother to listen to anymore…keep it short and sweet.

1. Put your bestest, most catchily brilliant song first - You have to grab the listener's attention right from the start.

2. Get some decent photographs of the band done, write a brief biography and list of gigs etc. and some contact details to send off with your songs - but nothing more. This is all the information that people will need at this point (ok, so it's not exactly a musical tip - but it's really important to have good presentation at this vital stage)

Now, you're obviously going to know your own situation better than I do, so exactly how you go about finding a suitable studio to record at is mainly up to you. Through experience however; I can tell you about a few things….

Firstly, make a list of all the recording studios in your area from the Yellow Pages (find them under Recording Services: Sound or Recording Studios - duh!) Phone them up first before you even think about visiting (no-one will be in anyway) and ask them:

1. How much they charge (don't pay anymore than £15 an hour at this stage).

2. What sort of music they specialise in.

3. Who they have recorded for in the past.

From this sort of conversation, you can ascertain exactly who you're dealing with - and it will help you to eliminate all the studios from your list who you've found out charge £750 a day, or those who only record death-metal bands (unless that's your bag baby).

As this will probably be your first stab at recording properly, you should be able to record your tracks in about a day and half - typically spending the first day recording all the different instruments and parts, and the second mixing them and doing all the tweaking.

Now, I shouldn't have to tell you that recording time is very valuable - not only because it's expensive, but also because it's really good experience for you; so make sure you're well rehearsed and that you don't waste your time while you're in the studio.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and take an active role in the whole recording process; yeah OK, the studio engineer might not exactly be your kind of person, but he/she will be able to offer loads of constructive advice - so listen to what they have to say and take it all on board.

(Also, don’t take it personally if you don't get any kind of critical feedback from the engineer - they will never comment on the actual songs, so don't bother asking them!)

The experience of recording in a studio should be really exciting for you, and as you'll have professional help while you're there - I won't bother offering any advice or tips - you'll get plenty of guidance from a professional person, so I'll just say, "good luck!"

So, you've got your brand spanking new CD or tape in your hand, with three of the greatest songs the world has never heard on it. So how exactly, do you get your music out there?

Well, I'm almost out of advice on this area - and I can only suggest what you do next, however what about….

1. Sending your demo to record companies? (find their addresses in the Showcase International Music Directory available from your local library) target those companies which have artists that are similar to you for a better chance of acceptance (mark your envelope A&R Dept - this is the place where the A&R, artist and repertoire, people are - and they're the people who are on the lookout for new acts).

2. Sending your demo to music venues? More professional venues will want to hear a demo before they book you, and you might even get to support a signed band or play at a really prestigious venue if the promoters think your demo is cool.

3. Entering "new band" competitions? - The major ones (where most of the A&R people go) are often advertised in the music press, and these are a sure-fire way of getting noticed….if you're good enough.

4. Getting your music on the Internet? This is a really good way of getting exposure and sites like www.peoplesound.com, www.popwire.com and www.getoutthere.com are completely free and will give your band some great publicity through pictures, sound-files, contact details and gig listings etc. Of course, if you're clever enough, then you could set up your own-web site but if you're clever enough to do that; then you certainly won't want any more advice!

Well, I guess at this stage, there's no more advice I can give you really. Of course, there are loads of different things you could do to get yourself noticed - but if you've got this far, then you're gonna be as clued up as me on the whole situation.

So thanks for reading my band guide, hopefully it's been helpful, and maybe even inspirational for those of you who have been thinking about putting a band together.

Oh, and just one more bit of advice - just keep on rocking, yeah?

Read: How to get your band started,

Read: How to plan your first gig,

Read: How to make your first demo,

- Eddy Vista