Demo Reels?

[hiconfidence]

Anyone have any input about creating and or distributing Demo Reels to potential clients?

I know people have them, but does anyone ask for them? has anyone ever sent them out unsolicited ?

Also, how many songs are enough or too many?

Any concerns about handing out a product that is owned by a band and/or label?

Is that enough questions?

thanks.

[brian beattie]

I think the demo reel is a great idea. I did one once. I put an ad in the local rag and said "ask for a demo disc". I got a sane number of requests, and I got a bit of work out of it. (This was a demo reel of my live to 2 track stuff.)
traditional wisdom says folks have no attention span, so less is better, but I made my "reel" as long as a record, and I assembled it with the same care I would have given a record. ( I had it all mastered and I was careful with the sequencing and spacing.) I wanted to demonstrate my recording abilities, AND my "record" making abilities. My guess is that you need to make a "one size fits all" type of reel, in which you demonstrate the breadth of your recording abilities, so if "singer songwriter A" doesn't like death metal, she can skip that track, and same goes for the death metal dudes skipping the folky crap. Don't worry about pleasing everyone, just dazzle them with quality variety.
I wouldn't send them out unsolicited, but I would offer one to anyone who you wanted to work with.
Specify on the disc that it's "Not For Sale", and ask the bands for permission. I don't see why they'd object. Who gives a flying fuck what the record company thinks.
No one EVER asked me for one until I told them I had one, and then they always wanted one.
The text accompanying the disc (and any graphics) will be just as important as the music. They will explain your philosophy and approach.
go for it! It is worth it, in my opinion.
brian

[@?,*???&?]

Anyone have any input about creating and or distributing Demo Reels to potential clients?

I know people have them, but does anyone ask for them? has anyone ever sent them out unsolicited ?

Also, how many songs are enough or too many?

Any concerns about handing out a product that is owned by a band and/or label?

Is that enough questions?

thanks.

Use :30 second clips only. If they can't tell you're good from that, they can't tell.

[AnalogElectric]

What Jeff said... 30 second clips.

I sometimes go a little further than that. There have been times where I've sent out 3 full CD's worth (one song from each artist I've already worked with within the genre the perspective band is looking for).

Luckily for me, the bands already know or have heard what I've done. If someone does ask for a "Demo Reel" it's just cuz they want a little more to chew-on (solidify).

I'd stick with making CD-R's rather than pressing CD's. A friend of mine pressed CD's of "selected songs" and he shot himself in the foot. He spent way too much money on a CD that when he got it back he was more proud of what he did after the previous master that was pressed. Later he decided (and rightfully so) to do it "per-request" and do it on CD-R with some nice j-cards produced at Kinko's on their color-copier.

As far as Unsolicited Demo Reels, don't bother... not in regards to getting major label attention/jobs. All that comes with word-of-mouth, skills, and luck. If you're not the buzz-word from others then you'd just come off as a bother. It's not much different than being in a band and soliciting without representation.

Regarding how many songs? It doesn't matter, as long as you put the best of what you've done upfront. Think of sales and the bottom line, if you can't sell it to someone within the first 30 seconds to a minute, you're dead in the water.... and you're even lucky if they listen to it at all. ***it's the harsh truth***

-- Adam Lazlo

[@?,*???&?]

As far as Unsolicited Demo Reels, don't bother... not in regards to getting major label attention/jobs. All that comes with word-of-mouth, skills, and luck. If you're not the buzz-word from others then you'd just come off as a bother.

Producer/Engineer management usually facilitates anything going through a major label. Getting a manager is all about socialization and trust into the 'network'. Having been there, done that, it only does so much, but can work well when it's in place. I got management when I was a solid freelance guy working out of my main studio- where I was also a solid assistant engineer for things I was not engineering. I became valuable when I became an engineer who could get a deal on an analog/SSL room.