Recording a music demo is the most vital step in pursuing a record deal. If you want a record deal, you need to really impress the record label and give them something professional, polished, unique and exciting. Finding the right record producer can be a painstaking process, but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to have a shot at a successful music career. The following are ten pitfalls you must avoid when recording your music demo.
1. Be careful of music producers with no real music industry experience or credits.
Anyone can call themselves a music producer. Calling yourself a music producer requires no experience, no degree, no credits and no skill. Do you want to trust your career with this person? Look for a music producer that has actually worked on records with signed artists and record labels. Valuable and necessary music production skills are acquired only through years of hard work on professional recording sessions.
2. Beware of producers who want to record your music demo in their “home studio”.
Although home recording equipment has gotten better through the years, there is still a vast difference between a home studio and a professional recording studio. Due to space constraints and budget concerns, a home studio will often make many compromises in sound quality and flexibility that will undoubtedly affect the final product. It’s difficult to get a clean sound from someone’s basement. A real full service recording studio has certain professional standards that they must adhere to and cannot make such compromises if they expect to stay in business.
3. Watch out for producers who want you to sing in their closet or bathroom.
When you’re paying hard earned money for your music demo you shouldn’t be shoved into some guys cramped, unventilated closet. How safe would you feel? You need a studio with space to move around and you need to be comfortable when you sing if you really expect to perform your best. In addition, the poor acoustics of a closet will give you a very undesirable vocal sound.
4. Be skeptical of music producers who claim to specialize in 7 or 8 styles of music.
Specialize means to ‘devote oneself to a specific area of study.’ An experienced music producer may do a few related styles well, but beware when they claim to ’specialize’ in Rap, Country, R&B, Folk, Rock, Club music, Blues, Polka, etc. This is like casting a net out to see who bites. Chances are they have no real specialty and will miss the subtle elements of each style. The result is a music demo that sounds stale, stereotypical and boring at best. If you want a producer that will make fantastic music for your specific style, find one who actually specializes in that certain sound.
5. Use a professional engineer to record and mix your music demo, not an amateur.
Engineering is a skill and a talent that takes many years of hard work, study and long grueling hours to acquire. Professional engineers have worked with hundreds of artists and music producers and have learned individual techniques from each of them. They are paid hundreds and thousands of dollars for their technical and creative skill. Engineers are the ones responsible for the sonic quality of a recording. You can have the best producer in the best studio in the world, but with a bad engineer the music will end up sounding like garbage.
6. Be careful with producers who want to charge you by the hour.
While occasionally an hourly rate can be appropriate, it is NEVER done in the real music industry (where we make records, not demos). The music producer is paid a flat fee by the record label to give them a fully produced song for their artist. When a producer charges by the hour, you become the one producing your own track and the producer is reduced to the role of a keyboard player. They count on you making common mistakes and running up the clock because of your lack of experience producing.
7. Watch out for producers who claim they will shop your demo.
Find out exactly what this means. Will they send it to their cousin in Georgia who has a wedding band? Did they meet a guy in the music store who has a cousin at some label in France? If they have any genuine music industry contacts that are really worthwhile, they could not possibly have them very long if they promise to shop every artist they produce before even hearing them. This will ruin their credibility. Do not fall for this one.
8. Be cautious of producers who emphasize equipment over credentials.
All too often people think that by just acquiring some gear they’ll get a great production. Don’t believe it. Buying a paintbrush doesn’t make you an artist. Buying a violin doesn’t make you a musician. Why do people think that buying a mixing board makes them an engineer or a music producer? It doesn’t. That only comes with hard work and experience. As an artist your only concern should be how your music sounds, not whether producers are using class A mic pre-amps, a tube compressor or Apogee A/D converters.
9. Listen to the music.
Listen to examples of their work and see what moves you and which music producer you connect with. Does the music producer listen to you and share your vision? Do you feel comfortable with them? Do you enjoy being in their studio? Do you trust them? If you do, that’s the right music producer for you.
10. You get what you pay for.
Music Demos are NOT like McDonalds hamburgers. They are not massed produced and they are certainly not all alike. While cost is a concern when doing a music demo, you must realize that a bad demo is worse than no demo at all. A bad demo will close doors for you that you may never be able to open again. Like anything in life, garbage is cheap and you pay extra for superior quality. For an experienced music professional, you may end up paying more than that with a bargain basement dirt cheap producer. But if you’re really serious about pursuing a record deal you must present yourself in a professional light if you have any hopes of being signed.
Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
Need to Record a Music Demo? – Learn Ten Pitfalls You Must Avoid When Recording Your Music Demo!
July 18th, 2009 
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Posted in Music 
Tags: Music Career, Pitfalls, Professional Recording Studio, Real Music, Space Constraints, Successful Music 
2 Comments »The Role of Media in Music Teaching
July 5th, 2009 admin
Media and arts influence our society in ways we are often not aware of. Growing up surrounded by television, radio, and movies, we often take the images and information they present for granted. Do you ever stop to think about how your interests have been shaped by what you see and hear through electronic media? Have you ever pondered on how your taste in music or arts developed?
Now, more than ever, the possibility of finding almost any information we are researching for is in media. Various sources such as newspaper, radio, television, Internet, and many others, are available almost anywhere.
Different forms of media, indeed, have become a part of everyone’s life. They shape and sometimes dictate or dominate our culture and interests. The mass media is undeniably of great impact to the society as it instills information in our minds that we use in our daily living.
Mass media has different roles in the society. One of these is its substantial role in the music industry.
How do people become interested in music? What makes them sing or become interested in playing musical instruments?
The answers to the questions mentioned rely to role the media plays in the music scene. Music is heard through the radio; thus, it triggers the music interests of its listeners.
Have you watched any television programs that involve competitors aiming for a singing title or a television singing program that shows the training of the contenders?
Television programs like what I have mentioned are usual these days. We expect music to be played only in the radio but with media around, proliferation of music through television and the Internet (singing competitions, music videos, etc.) are also possible.
Having said much of the possibilities that the media can bring to people, it largely contributes to the music teaching aspect of the industry. Media instruments, such as those mentioned earlier, are highly considered as music teacher resources for it supplies them information regarding music.
There are television programs that show trainings and rehearsals of the candidates. Through this, they can share to the viewers the different techniques of developing their singing talents. Few of these techniques that I have watched are the facial exercises done before the proper singing so as to relax the muscles that affect voice belting. Maintaining proper posture and body alignment while singing are also observed. Air supply is very important to reach low and high notes, and many others.
In general, music teacher resources can mostly be found through media in the form of visuals and audios. Other music teacher resources include personal encounters of music teachers during their classes, and those that are not in media forms.
Learn great facts and tips about music teaching; log on to our Music Teachers Blog.
Music Teachers Resources: How to Handle Adult Students
July 5th, 2009 admin
Music teachers should learn how to deal with students of all ages; otherwise, they might not be as effective as they could be. Hence, they must give time to read some music teachers resources and tips that are readily available online.
Although there are many who specialize in teaching younger students, some still prefer to handle adult students for some reasons.
Generally speaking, adult students have vast experiences and knowledge about a variety of things and issues. These advantages provide a private music studio, a new horizon and window to the world outside. Also, these bring a more pleasurable atmosphere, not only to the class but to the music teachers as well. Exchanging insights and experiences related to the lessons that are certainly important to learning music can be a very good music teaching strategy.
Adult students may vary from one another. Some may just be beginners, while others may only want to increase their knowledge on their preferred instrument. On the other hand, there are some who may already have expertise in playing other musical instruments.
Just like young students, adults can be fast learners. However, there are some of them who may need much time and effort before they can adopt and understand. Thus, most music teaching resources and tips advise that teachers must also learn how to listen to their adult students’ inquiries and suggestions. Further, music teachers must learn how to assess the skills of each of their students and devise the suitable lesson plans for them.
Indeed, adults usually have stronger motivation to learn. They are likewise more inclined to follow the outlined practice schedule. However, they are more articulate and vocal with their concerns, so music teachers should better prepare prompt response.
Just a piece of advice: do not try to compare their skills and learning capacity with other students because most adults have greater tendency to be anxious. Instead, try to cite their previous accomplishments and learn how to recognize, appreciate and acknowledge their good efforts. This technique can boost their eagerness to learn and somehow make them aware that you commend their achievements.
In addition, music teachers should give their students an active participation in choosing what type of music they prefer to learn and use in practicing. Practice pieces must be enjoyable and pleasing to their adult students. Or else, they may have lesser motivation to learn and rehearse.
Lessons, resources and tips in teaching music to children and adult students are basically similar. They only differ in the stages of learning: children are more into the developmental stage while adults are more into the integral aspect of learning.
Are you looking for more reliable music teachers resources and tips? Visit this music teachers website.
Realities and Realizations
Subscribe to Music Magazines – Stay Tuned
June 29th, 2009 admin
Music magazines have been known to be useful source of music related information and news for years. Music magazines cover various aspects of music industry and keep their readers informed on different issues. Latest releases, new albums, awards, music charts, regional numbers, singers, artists, lyricists, composers, instrumentalists and many more topics are generally covered on music magazines.
Some of the music magazines have launched websites to help their readers find music news and updates online as well. This is definitely a flexible way of providing information. Websites are accessible from anywhere any time. Hence, you can log on to your online music magazine anytime to find latest music news.
One may ask that when the same information is available on music TV channels, why should one log on to music news websites? The reason is simple: music websites are more flexible than television channels.
When you watch a music channel you have to depend on the presenter. You have to wait for your favorite song to be played on screen. Moreover, you have to stand by commercials and sometimes unnecessary talks of the host. If the host chooses to repeat a song, you have to go with her choice. Annoying!
Now, when you log on to an online music magazine, you have plenty of options. You can go through music charts, archives, listen to your favorite music tracks, watch music videos, pause, stop, fast forward or rewind the tracks as you wish and replay them as many times as you want. Flexible!
Apart from publishing music charts, music magazine websites provide information about music industry, artists, composers, lyricists and others. The archives are searchable. All music video albums are posted in suitable categories. You can search the archive by artist, by composers, by lyricists, by the name of the movie in case the song is from a popular movie or by the first few words of the song.
There are topical music magazines as well. If you are looking for Latin music videos you should look for Latin music websites. Similarly, when you are looking for French songs, you may log on to a French music website to find recent French music releases.
So, if you love to watch music videos and do not want to miss any of the recent releases, subscribe to music magazine or log on to music magazine and news websites. These are more flexible source of information than traditional media. Keep watching music charts, look at the popular numbers, search the archive and watch the music video that you want.
Posted in Music Tags: Charts Music, Latest Music News, Music Composers, Music Websites, Suitable Categories, Video Albums 1 Comment »Music Album: Make Your Own Song Collections
June 8th, 2009 admin
The global music medium is now expanding its reach among the masses. Music has maintained the widest reach across the global boundaries and thus has complemented the way in which the music has seen ever. Music is now available in the market in all its standard formats however these are collected in a super collection called music album. These albums are now the craze among the masses since they allow the music lovers to get the greater feel of the music and bands.
The music albums are very creative tools that allow music lovers to choose from a comprehensive range of music and song to experience their music senses in very broad manner. Music industry is now having maximum bunches of artists, musicians, composers and singers who are very regular to their efforts to make the music a very final reach to the masses.
Music albums are solving various purposes for the music lovers. The very first thing that they offer is an arranged approach of song collections and musical expressions. These music albums are either composed by the individual artists or by the musical bands. One thing that’s common in both cases that both the formats are indigenous and for revenue purposes.
These music collections should be meant for any type of music whether vocal, classical or instrumental. The beauty of the albums are realized in the manner they are being composed are created. If you are getting bored with listening to the same music again and again then it is the right time to find something new and fresh like your favorite music albums. These music albums are made on the basis of the genre, name of the band or particular song combinations.
You can carry music albums with you wherever you go or when you are on the move. Listen to your favorite and desired songs from the music albums everywhere like gym, parks or shopping stores. The best thing about music albums is that you may enjoy the music over and over again with your headphones and on your computers also. Play the music albums through the computer, or plug them into speakers to get the best dose of music from your music albums.
Posted in Music Tags: Bunches, Global Music, Music Album, Music Medium, Musical Expressions, Right Time 1 Comment »Pop Music – History and Facts Revealed
May 31st, 2009 admin
One genre that appeals to most everyone is pop music owing to its light and catchy qualities. Pop music is so aptly called because it is a categorization that is largely based on the popularity of a song. There is no clear and distinct parameters to classify a song as pop music. For the most part, its popularity should translate to records sold and radio air times.
Pop music is a combination of various styles influenced by the evolving music forms. The development of pop music is one that is progressive, rolling over from generation to generation to snowball into its current form. As this is so, pop music has taken so many forms through each decade to reflect the musical preference of a particular generation.
Rich Vocals
During the 50s, popular tunes were those that were vocally rich with a string accompaniment and a vocal chorus back up. Country music and American folk music were great hits along with variations of standard formats. Great American songbook classics, crooners and big band singers adopted other musical techniques to give their music a modern twist. The listening public lapped these enhancements up and caused songs like Mack the Knife and Singing the Blues to top the charts. In contrast to these classics, rock and roll likewise rocked the American music industry with fast and infectious beats of Rock Around the Clock, Heartbreak Hotel, and Tutti Fruitti. These tunes not only rocked the airwaves, they also rocked the dance floors.
All in the Band
The next decade brought in what is called as the novelty song characterized by humorous lyric combined with melodies that are simple yet catchy (i.e. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, California Girls, and Good Vibrations). Worthy of note is the fact that the vocal harmonies and lyrics of these songs revolved around Californias surf, girls and cars. Thus the label Surf pop. Other popular music during the sixties were youth-oriented band music in up-tempo beat, I Want to Hold Your Hand,Cant Buy Me Love, Downtown, and To Sir With Love.” African American music likewise joined the popular music scene with its doo-wop style that gives prominence to melodic sounds and vocal harmonies. Rhythm and blues as well as Motown soul music were also chart-toppers during this period.
Cacophony of Sounds
From the 1970s to the present, pop music is as diverse as they come. A slowdown in musical tempo was seen in the early seventies when folk-based artists took center stage. Popular during these times were songs written by the singers themselves. Tempos picked up again towards in the second half of the decade when disco-dancing became a favorite pastime among the youth. Dance tunes Play That Funky Music, Staying Alive, and YMCA dominated the airwaves and the disco scene.
The 1980s and 1990s music scene was composed of music soundtracks, international hits, rock and roll, and pop icon duets. Another music development in this decade is the advent of charity records where artists put their talents together to raise funds for a cause. Particularly characteristic of the last two decades are the prevalence of songs by female artists like Mariah Carrey, Celine Dion, and pop icon Madonna. The new millennium kept with soulful ballads, hip hop pieces and dance tracks. Movie soundtracks remained chart-toppers.
Pop music is a genre that will always be around. People will always listen to music and music labels and radio stations will continue to track what songs people are listening to. For as long as people are playing and listening to music, there will always be a chart-topper.
Posted in Music Tags: Girls And Cars, Good Vibrations, Mack The Knife, Polka Dot Bikini, Radio Air, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini No Comments »Dave Matthews Band Tickets
May 24th, 2009 admin
Born on 9th of January, 1967, South African vocalist and guitarist Dave Matthews was the initiator of Dave Matthews Band. Till the age of nine Dave had got command over piano and guitar. When his family migrated to Amsterdam , Dave became a part of local music community. After being amazed from the charms of professional music, Dave hatched up the idea of creating his own music band.
In 1991 Dave Matthews decided to put some of the song he had written on tape. He joined forces with Stefan Lessard, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley and Carter Beauford and for the first time the world saw the Dave Matthews Band.
Dave became the singer of the band, Carter took the drums while LeRoi Moore became the first saxophonist of the group. Stefan Lessard came on board to play the bass and Peter Griesar acquired the keyboard. Boyd Tinsley played violin for sometime but within a couple of years he abandoned the band, so did Peter Griesar .
The band rose to the music scenario by performing its first gig on 11 th May 1991, at a private rooftop party at Charlottesville . In no time words of the groups catching new sound spread over the region like a wildfire. Clubs began to crowd up, tours began to cover more terrain and their fan club was enhanced appreciably. The band conducted several tours across the country, concentrating on college campuses. Dave Matthews Band popularity was swelling gradually but they realized that for being paid with fame over the globe they needed a block buster hit. Their first album “Remember Two Things” did marvelous business and was the chart topper on College Music Charts. The young men were attracting the attention of influential persons. Meanwhile the band kept on touring the country, conducting several concerts. Dave Matthews Band lovers were increasing considerably.
Towards the fall of 1993, the band hit its first official world tour. During a year-lasting tour, Dave Matthews Band held successive concerts across Europe and their own country. The band was crawling towards the ultimate fame. It was not until the unleashing of their second album “Under the Table and Dreaming”, 1994, that their fame took a sudden high lift. The album sold over a million of copies and the band hoard billions of dollars worldwide. It has also been certified four times platinum by RIAA.
“Crash” was the next super hit album of Dave Matthews Band, released in 1996. It hit the top on Billboard 200 Music Charts and quickly went platinum. The band continued with a steady schedule of touring throughout 1997. North Americans were the next admirers of Dave Matthews Band, as the group had done exceptionally well there.
Despite the great efforts they made in music, Dave Matthews Band also commenced an attack, in concurrence with the Federal Government, on the bootlegger companies. Their targets were the stores which were selling semi-legal discs of live performances. Their exertions culminated in mass arresting of almost all the foreign bootlegging companies, in 1997. It marked the cessation of the entire underground industry.
Near the end of 1997, Dave Matthews Band spawned their first official, double-disc live album “Live at Red Rocks”. It was an out of the blue success, unveiling at number three on the charts. Hundreds of thousands of its copies were sold out in the first five months of its launching. The band’s sensational touring proved that Dave Matthews Band had developed from a grass root occurrence to one of the hottest bands in America .
Dave Matthews Band fans were electrified with the initiation of the third album of Dave Matthews Band, “Before these Crowded Streets”, 1998. This thrilling album is considered to be the most ambitious album of the band.
Dave Matthews Band was busy in extensive touring up till 2000. Matthews played electric guitar for the first time in his album “Everyday”. It was a super hit, like ever.
Matthews released his first solo album in 2003,”Some Devil”, which was more or less successful. Its single “The Gravedigger” won a Grammy Award in2004.
In early 2005, the band launched a website to keep their fans in touch with them. The website provides ample information about the progress reports on the next albums, video demos and sound tracks. The latest album of Dave Matthews Band hit the shelves in May 2005 and is still a big seller.
For More Information Visit:
http://www.ticketluck.com/concert-tickets/Dave-Matthews-Band/index.php
Posted in Music Tags: Chart Topper, College Campuses, Guitarist Dave, Music Band, Professional Music, Stefan Lessard No Comments »Chicken Fried Ringtone ~ Zac Brown Band
March 14th, 2009 admin
The Zac Brown Band has produced their new hit single called Chicken Fried who is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini (fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, vocals), Coy Bowles (guitar, organ), and Chris Fryar (drums). The band has toured throughout the United States, including a slot on the 2006 Bonnaroo Music Festival and support slots for bands such as The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and B.B. King.[1] They have also recorded four studio albums, and charted one single on the Billboard country charts.
Download Instant Ringtone Here
If you are looking for a hot new ringtone for your cell phone, the Chicken Fried tune is a perfect choice because of it’s catchy music throughout the song. Other people that got this ring tone downloaded more popular songs that were on the top of the billboard charts like the hot 100 and itunes most bought tracks after first downloading Chicken Fried. You can easily download the this ringtone in under 30 seconds by entering your phone number after you click on the links above or below and it will be sent to your cell after you confirm your PIN.
You Can Download Instant Ringtone Here
Zac Brown Band will be seeing his new hit song topple some of the artists at the top right now like Rihanna or Katy Perry in the next week or two to come. Songs like this are quickly played on the radio a few times for premier playing and then users catch on as the song gets played over and over again.
Posted in Music Tags: Brown Lead, Chicken Fried, Fryar, Guitar Vocals, King 1, Zac Brown Band No Comments »Austin, TX – the Live Music Capital?
February 10th, 2009 admin
Austin, Texas is renowned as the live music capital of the world touted as having the most musicians per capita of any city in the world. With over one hundred live performance places there are always scores of Austin, Texas bands to see any time of year of all different styles from country to rock, to a variety of eclectic styles that can be heard no where else.
Austin, TX is also the host of the South By Southwest music conference which is a nationally known music festival showcasing 1,800 bands of all styles booked from across the whole world in over eighty clubs in Austin over a five day period. South By Southwest was originally just a little music festival that grew into an enormous live music fest with bands participating from around the entire world and continues to grow each year. There are other world renowned emerging music festivals in Austin as well, such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Urban Music Festival, and the Fun Fun Fun Fest. The Austin City Limits Music Festival happens once a year in the fall and is a three day music extravaganza with over 130 bands of all genres on eight stages. This event has been known to attract over 65,000 people and bands from all over the globe. The Urban Music Festival started in 2006 and drew a crowd in excess of 9,000 to hear some of the top Urban Music bands. Some of the performers of the Urban Music Fest have been Cameo, Boyz to Men, and the Sugar Hill Gang. The Fun Fun Fun Fest Is another yearly music festival that started in 2005 and has showcased a wide scope of artists over a few days on four stages. A few famous artists of the Fun Fun Fun Fest have been the Bad Brains, All and The Dead Milkmen.
How Austin, TX came to be the home base for so many Austin bands is still a mystery but as the music scene grew through time in Austin, the stigma that it was the place to get discovered and make it to stardom started to draw a stampede of talented musicians from across the nation. The bands and musicians that came to Austin looking for fame soon found that there wasn’t any music industry to sign them there aside from the brief visit of industry professionals during South By Southwest music conference and the great supply of musicians and Austin cover bands only made finding gigs even harder because of all of the stiff competition. The number of Austin, TX bands far exceeds the number of rooms offering jobs so only the best sounding bands end up getting the jobs thereby furthering the popular perception that Austin bands tend to be the greatest in the state. Many musicians that had come to Austin hoping to make it in the local scene headed back where they came from to face less competition and found that being a big fish in a small pond was easier and more productive than slugging it out with tons of bands in one town for the few jobs there were amidst such a competitive music marketplace.
There are many musicians that come from Austin, Texas including Robert Earl Keen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Willie Nelson, Dangerous Toys, Pat Green and Los Lonely Boys to name a few. All these things add up to make Austin, Texas a town that has been renowned as the “Live Music Capital of the World”.
Posted in Music Tags: Boyz To Men, Eclectic Styles, Music Fest, Sugar Hill Gang, Talented Musicians, Urban Music Festival 1 Comment »Collecting Authentic Music Memorabilia Online
January 26th, 2009 admin
Are you a dedicated collector of music memorabilia? You search throughout the internet as well as visiting store after store to collect your favorite memorabilia. It sometimes becomes very difficult to find the right items that you actually love. But you will find a wide range of items especially on the internet.
Even a simple ticket of a successful concert can become a piece of memorabilia. Other options are the autographed items of a favorite artist or a music band or even an instrumentalist. These autographed items comprise of posters that are signed, album covers with the signature of the artist, instruments that are autographed and ticket stubs that are signed.
Those items which have an original and authentic autograph are the most wanted items and are quite sought after by the lovers of music. Autographed memorabilia is also a good investment for the future. The value of these items increases when the artist dies or the band breaks up or even if the artist or the band gains much more popularity with time.
Again if you love musical instruments more than songs then you will be interested in signed musical instruments. You will feel great to hold a guitar or any other instrument which was once held by the great artist who played it.
But before you buy anything check the authenticity of the item. Make sure that the signatures are original and the store or the website is not selling you something that is not authentic. Collecting music memorabilia is a good way to surround you with the feel of music other than just listening to the music. Go and collect your music memorabilia now.
Posted in Music Tags: Authenticity, Instrumentalist, Listening Music, Music Search, Options, Posters No Comments »
