p r e - d e m o...c h e c k l i s t
what you need to do and know before you record
Copyrighting your material
It's recommended that you officially copyright your song before unleashing it to the world. Technically, you own the song the moment you set pen to paper, but to be perfectly on the safe side, do it by the book. If you are a lyricist without a melody, you have two options: 1) you can work with a co-writer who will create the melody and then copyright the song together (you both will own it) or 2) you can work with us to write your melody as a collaborator, and the work will be copyrighted as a 50/50 collaboration. This means that Spring Hill Studio Productions would own half of the song and half of the income generated if it is cut, placed, or licensed and earns money. Because we have a vested interest in the song, we look for opportunities to pitch to a recording artist, get the song published or license it for TV or film, all of which can earn the writers money.
For more about copyrights, download Tips for Aspiring Songwriters (it's free).
Get your lyrics together
Put your lyrics into a digital file (.doc, .rtf, .pdf), including these items, in this order:
Song Title
Contact info: mailing address, phone, email address
Verse lyrics in plain type;chorus in bold type
© year writers' names (e.g., © 2009 Tim Johnson and Mara Brown)
Make a scratch recording
If you have a cassette recorder, a handheld digital voice recorder (available at Radio Shack or any consumer electronics store) or a computer with a mic built into it (most recent models have these), you can make a scratch recording to demo your melody. If you play an instrument, a vocal with basic chord accompaniment is all we need. If you don't play an instrument, you can do an a cappella recording. If you only have lyrics and need us to help you with a melody, please email us.
About the song format
Have you decided on the format of your song (i.e., verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) If you haven't, or aren't quite confident in your decisions, we are happy to make suggestions. Of course, the final decision is in your hands.
The instrumentation
Will it be a guitar, piano, fiddle, synth effects or all of the above? Will a guitar/vocal or piano/vocal do a proper job of getting your song across, or will a full-band production do a better job? This is very important if your demo is going to be pitched.
Are you the artist? If your intent is to explode onto the scene, you will need an artist demo with a first-rate band to show off your particular sound/act/personality. If you're a folk/Americana/ballad singer, a guitar/vocal or piano/vocal may let your voice and story shine.
If you're unsure about your demo instrumentation, again, we are happy to guide your decision, making recommendations that will bring out the best in your song. Less is usually more, but not always. It's our job to point out the pros and cons of each option and then give you the space to make a decision.
Describe the vocal style
Examples of how you might communicate this:
Alt-rock, like Daughtry or Maroon 5.
R&B, like Luther Vandross or Alicia Keys.
Urban/hip-hop, like Kanye West or P. Diddy.
Or a blend, like Mary J. Blige singing an Aretha Franklin-style song.
Or a particular vocal style, like Pink or Carrie Underwood.
Nail down your budget
Not sure about your budget? We'll consult with you and outline your needs so you can establish your budget. Here are a few common situations that affect budget considerations:
If you intend to pitch your song to both male and female artists, you may want to consider two demos, one with a male vocal and one with a female vocal. Why? Because it's very difficult for people to conceptualize a "girl" song when it's being sung by a guy, and vice-versa. This would add the cost of another vocalist, plus studio and edit/mix time. If money is tight and you're restricted to one, we can analyze the song and make a recommendation as to whether a male or female vocal would get your song across better.
Let's say you've come to the conclusion that you're going to need a full band for your demo, but you only have a guitar/vocal budget. Our advice: wait and do it right. We can practically guarantee that you won't be happy with the slimmed-down version and will end up doing another demo anyway, so save your money until you can do it the way it should be done.
What's next?
Once you've got all of your ducks in a row, you can proceed to order your demo here. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email us.
