Helping metal bands find the right record labels

How to Submit a Demo to a Metal Record Label

How to research the right labels, pick the right songs, and put together a demo submission that’s easy for a label to say yes to.

Sending music to a record label is easy. Sending it in a way that gives somebody a reason to actually listen is harder.

Metal labels receive everything from carefully prepared submissions to emails containing nothing but “CHECK OUT MY BAND!!!” and a giant attachment. Your goal isn’t to make the most spectacular submission in the inbox. It is to make yours relevant, easy to understand, easy to hear and appropriate for that particular label.

Find the right record label first

The most important part happens before you write the email.

Don’t send your blackened death metal project to every company that has ever released a metal album. Look at what the label is doing now.

Check:

A smaller underground label that regularly signs developing death metal bands may be a much better target than a huge label whose roster is filled with international touring acts.

That’s also why matching by genre alone isn’t enough. Metal-Labels can help you compare your style, career stage, geography and other factors before you start emailing companies.

How many songs should you send?

Usually, don’t start by demanding that someone listen to your 74-minute concept album.

For an initial submission, one to three of your strongest songs is often enough to introduce the band.

Pick tracks that genuinely represent your sound. If your catchiest single sounds completely different from the other nine songs, it may not be the best introduction.

If you already have a finished EP or album, provide access to the complete release — but tell the listener which tracks you recommend starting with.

For example:

The full album is available through the private stream below. Tracks 2 and 5 are probably the best introduction to what we do.

Streaming links are usually easier

A private streaming link is generally preferable to forcing somebody to download large files before hearing the band.

Depending on the label’s instructions, you might use:

If downloadable files are requested, well-organized WAV files are appropriate. 24-bit WAV at 44.1 or 48 kHz is common professional practice, but there is no universal technical format required by every record label.

Always follow the label’s own submission instructions first.

What information should you include?

Keep it practical:

You don’t need every statistic you possess.

If your Spotify numbers are tiny but you regularly draw 150 people locally, your live history might be much more interesting. If your latest song suddenly generated strong organic growth in Germany and Poland, that may be worth mentioning.

Know who owns the music

Before approaching labels, know:

You normally don’t need to attach contracts or rights documentation to the first email. You simply need to know the situation if a label becomes interested.

Don’t blindly mass-submit

Contacting several appropriate labels is completely reasonable.

Sending the same generic email to hundreds of companies is different.

Research each target and personalize at least the part explaining why that particular label makes sense.

Keep a spreadsheet with:

You’ll thank yourself later.

Before you press Send

Check that:

A good demo submission removes reasons not to listen.

Curious what happens after you hit send? See how a record label evaluates your demo.

Find Metal Labels That Fit Your Band

Compare your genre, career stage, location and other factors with labels in the Metal-Labels database.

Find Labels for Your Band