What exactly are songwriter demos?
A songwriter demo can be a simple guitar/vocal or a full band production.
It can be produced at a home studio utilizing very basic equipment or recorded in a state-of-the-art facility.
It is one of the few ways for a songwriter to audition his/her songs to publishers and recording companies.
How good does this demo have to be?
Remember, above all, as the songwriter you want to sell the song.
So the demo should be "clean", (recorded on good equipment)
with a good lead vocalist and a steady rhythm track that supports the singer.
Do you need the most expensive musicians and singers on the market? No!
Remember, we are talking demos here. If your song is accepted by a publisher or
recording company it will be re-recorded with world class musicians at a world class studio;
with a budget of tens of thousands of dollars.
The demo singer should be "right" for the song. Vince Gill, for instance, has a very sweet voice, but sometimes
a Johnny Cash type voice might be what the song needs. How much instrumentation should you use?
Normally, I would say at least 4 - 5 instruments. Every once in a while there is a song that comes
along that might be suited for a guitar-vocal. (A song that comes to mind is Kenny Roger's 'The Gambler'.)
Great lyrics, a simple melody; I think a guitar-vocal demo would be just fine for this song.
Under most circumstances, however, a full band recording will be the way to go.
Also, for the most part, I do not recommend a long instrumental part;
As the songwriter, you want listeners to hear your melody and lyrics;
not somebody wailing away on a lead guitar for half a minute (as good as that guitar playing may be.)
And I'm not talking about a guitar riff that is an essential part of the song either.
(Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman' comes to mind;) That unforgettable guitar line was as
important to the song's success as the lyrics and melody.
How much should I spend?
Spend what you can comfortably afford. Do you need to spend thousands of dollars? No!
My studio can give you a good basic demo for way under $200; And there are a few other studios
that do a good job for about this same kind of money.
In the past I've worked with pro songwriters that want to be involved in
every aspect of the demo creation process. They want input on each individual musician's part.
If this is what you want then I advise you to hire the musicians yourself
and rent the studio per hour. However, having this 'control' comes with a price;
be prepared to spend a lot of money!
SAMPLES OF OUR SONGWRITER DEMOS