How to Make a Demo CD
Write songs., Choose your best songs., Decide where your band is going to record., You can record at your home studio., Or you can record at a professional recording studio., Keep the tracks down to two or three, nobody will listen to your demo CD...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write songs.
Your demo needs at least two songs.
You can add more if you like, but don't overdo it.
No one's gonna listen to a demo with 20 songs.
They can be original or cover songs but at least a couple of them should be original. -
Step 2: Choose your best songs.
Best doesn't mean your most popular songs, it's your best.
- The best performed, best sung, best written, with the strongest chorus and the best structure and format.
They should all be in the same style.
To choose your best songs, don't ask your fans.
They most likely don't know much about composition and arrangement.
Besides, they're gonna say they're all great, because they're your fans, remember?! Instead, you should ask someone more in the industry, such as your manager, a publisher, a band that has a record deal, a lawyer and if you can't find any of these try asking a local club owner, a DJ, or a small record store manager. , The general dilemma is cost.
If you want to record for $500 to no money, you can record at your home studio.
If you're ready to spend more, you should go to a recording studio, because it will be better quality.
If you're going to record at your home studio, read step four.
If you're going to record at a professional studio, read step five , Obtain some recording software.
Audacity is a great program which you can get for free at .
If you can afford it, buy Pro Tools, Cubase, or the software that comes with your sound interface.
Make sure you have the hardware Mics, amps, an audio interface, a mixer (if you can) and lots of cables! Keep it as simple as possible.
You can record guitars and bass directly or by miking the amp with one microphone.
Vocals can be recorded directly too.
The several drum mics can be run through a mixer and then through the interface.
For best recording quality (and just if you already have one) run instruments/mics into a preamp, between the mixer and the interface.
Learn to record into an .mp3 or .wav file.
Record the drums first.
The rest come easier with more precision. , Look for small studios.
Some of them will do anything for your business, with some of the studios charging as little as $100 dollars a song.
Since your demo will have about three songs, that equals to just $300 for the whole CD! , -
Step 3: Decide where your band is going to record.
-
Step 4: You can record at your home studio.
-
Step 5: Or you can record at a professional recording studio.
-
Step 6: Keep the tracks down to two or three
-
Step 7: nobody will listen to your demo CD if you provide your epic 20-track mega collection that has ten minute solos on each track.
Detailed Guide
Your demo needs at least two songs.
You can add more if you like, but don't overdo it.
No one's gonna listen to a demo with 20 songs.
They can be original or cover songs but at least a couple of them should be original.
Best doesn't mean your most popular songs, it's your best.
- The best performed, best sung, best written, with the strongest chorus and the best structure and format.
They should all be in the same style.
To choose your best songs, don't ask your fans.
They most likely don't know much about composition and arrangement.
Besides, they're gonna say they're all great, because they're your fans, remember?! Instead, you should ask someone more in the industry, such as your manager, a publisher, a band that has a record deal, a lawyer and if you can't find any of these try asking a local club owner, a DJ, or a small record store manager. , The general dilemma is cost.
If you want to record for $500 to no money, you can record at your home studio.
If you're ready to spend more, you should go to a recording studio, because it will be better quality.
If you're going to record at your home studio, read step four.
If you're going to record at a professional studio, read step five , Obtain some recording software.
Audacity is a great program which you can get for free at .
If you can afford it, buy Pro Tools, Cubase, or the software that comes with your sound interface.
Make sure you have the hardware Mics, amps, an audio interface, a mixer (if you can) and lots of cables! Keep it as simple as possible.
You can record guitars and bass directly or by miking the amp with one microphone.
Vocals can be recorded directly too.
The several drum mics can be run through a mixer and then through the interface.
For best recording quality (and just if you already have one) run instruments/mics into a preamp, between the mixer and the interface.
Learn to record into an .mp3 or .wav file.
Record the drums first.
The rest come easier with more precision. , Look for small studios.
Some of them will do anything for your business, with some of the studios charging as little as $100 dollars a song.
Since your demo will have about three songs, that equals to just $300 for the whole CD! ,
About the Author
Kimberly Miller
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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