| The material on the tape should reflect it's intended audience. A 90
minute demo tape for your friends is fine but if you're planning on
sending your tape to record company A&R people include only three or
four songs. These people are bombarded with 100 to 150 tapes a week
and they probably won't listen to 90 minutes worth of material if they
listen at all. I recently helped a friend with his demo tape doing
Linndrum and sequencer programming and producing. He sent his first tape
containing three songs to about 20 different record companies. Most
came back with "We don't accept unsolicited material" form letters.
He prsonnally knows a person in the radio consulting business (She is
currently working with WHTT). She got his tape played at Island records
(U2's label) and they sent him a letter asking for more material.
The second tape was sent last week. It seems that record companies
are especially looking for 'hit' songs. Also send a picture and any
promotional material you have. Record companies are look for 'bands'
so if you're not, pretend you are. You might also want to get some sort
of management company to promote your material. These people know
contacts within the record companies so your tape has a better chance
of being heard be the 'right' people.
Before you send your tape, be sure to copyright your material. It's the
only way to protect your material if someone else records it. It cost
10$ per song but you can submit a set of tunes and call it a set of works
and it still cost ten dollars. Filling out a form and sending it is all
that is required though sheet music or lead sheets are also ok.
The form is called:
APPLICATION FORM PA
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
FORM # 355-306
The copyright office is:
REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
WASHINGTON, DC 20559
Dave
|
| John's right; don't trust the advice of us well-meaning
non-lawyers.
But, I will suggest the following as an adjunct to whatever
else you do; mail a copy of the tape (registered mail) to yourself
and don't open it.
That way, you will have a copy of the tape dated by the
Federal Government. There is debate about whether this sort of
thing really holds up in court, but it can't hurt. The more
protection you have, the better.
,km
|