Can you just hand a demo to an artist?

[Christhee68]

I’ve written a few Contemporary Christian type songs and would like to get an established CCM artist to record them. There is going to be a show in town with several big time CCM bands. Can I just go to the meet and greet and hand them a CD with my songs?

 

Or is it better to get a publisher and go through that route?

 

Obviously I’ve never sold a song, so pardon my ignorance on the subject.

 

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Johnny-Boy]

That would be a little tacky Christhee68. However, you could ask them how to submit songs to their band (have a CD with you just in case).

 

John

[Christhee68]

 

That would be a little tacky Christhee68. However, you could ask them how to submit songs to their band (have a CD with you just in case). John

 

 

That was going to be my approach. "Hey, I really love your music. I've written a few songs and I was wondering the best way to submit them to you guys."

 

"Just send you a CD? Well, I just happen to have one right here!":thu:

[daddymack]

Typically, most artists will not accept anything from an unknown entity for fear of potential lawsuits. X-ians should, of course be more trusting...

[sventvkg]

Find out the types of publishers who deal with this kind of music and call them, make an appointment and try to pitch the tunes to them.

[3shiftgtr]

Bugging an artist is something they are used to and they file 13 the majority of them just due to the volume of submissions they get. "Yeah thanks. I'll take a listen." Unless you make an incredible personal impression on them.

 

Another more accepted thing to do is to approach either their FOH guy or their stage manager (roadie). If you can chat with them for a minute, they are MUCH more open to listening to something and passing it on. Then you have the credibility of someone in the organization behind it if it makes it to the artist.

 

The key is KNOWING your stuff is 'the stuff', knowhatimsayin'? If you hand it off and it ain't stellar, amazing, head turning, "Wow" stuff, you will be just another good musician that can write a decent song. That stuff doesn't get a chance this way cuz their thinking is "Work your way up like the rest of us." But if it is "Wow"....you might have a chance.

[Christhee68]

 

Another more accepted thing to do is to approach either their FOH guy or their stage manager (roadie). If you can chat with them for a minute, they are MUCH more open to listening to something and passing it on. Then you have the credibility of someone in the organization behind it if it makes it to the artist.

 

 

I took your advice, and talked to the stage manager after the show. I told him I was a songwriter and had some demos and asked what was the best way to get them to the band.

 

He said he’d be glad to pass my songs along to the band. I gave him a CD and he said “Thanks a lot; I’ll be sure the guys get this,” and put it in his pocket.

 

Where the CD ends up from there we may never know. At least I know the band MAY hear the songs. They never would have heard otherwise.

 

I’m sure it’s not the most “professional” way to get songs recorded, but it could work, you never know.

[JiggDrummer]

 

I took your advice, and talked to the stage manager after the show. I told him I was a songwriter and had some demos and asked what was the best way to get them to the band. He said he’d be glad to pass my songs along to the band. I gave him a CD and he said “Thanks a lot; I’ll be sure the guys get this,” and put it in his pocket. Where the CD ends up from there we may never know. At least I know the band MAY hear the songs. They never would have heard otherwise. I’m sure it’s not the most “professional” way to get songs recorded, but it could work, you never know.

 

 

You're right. You never know. It's definitely better than doing nothing.

[Kramerguy]

you really should go through the proper channels- publishers work with managers to put hand-picked songs into the hands of the musicians, the musicians are part of the end-process, not the beginning. Not only would shoving a CD in their hands be tacky, but would be considered as an attempt to skirt the "system" where everyone else plays by the rules. You can also submit your music into libraries and multiple producers for better luck than just attempting to dazzle ONE artist.

[techristian]

 

Can you just hand a demo to an artist?

 

 

YES.

 

Back in 1988-1989 I finished a demo tape. We were going to an all day christian concert in the An Arbor Amphitheatre. Degarmo and Key were playing and DC Talk (Toby Mack) were just the back up band at that time. It seemed stupid at the time to hand them a demo, because all of their stuff was rap but my wife prompted me to do it.

 

About a year later Toby finally contacted me. He said that he had been playing my song "Things of This World" over and over in his car stereo, but my name and address were almost bleached off of the cassette from the sun. Anyway, to make a long story short, a rap version of "Things of This World" was included on the Dc Talk "Nu Thang" CD.

 

Dan

[daddymack]

I think that is a great story, and I hope you made out well on the royalties, but the music world became much harsher in the last twenty years....odds are you would not have had the same outcome today.