How to Write a Demo Submission Email

A simple structure for a demo email a label will actually read — subject line, intro, music link, short bio and a full example.

Your demo email doesn’t need to sound like it was written jointly by a lawyer, advertising agency and motivational speaker.

It needs to answer four questions:

Who are you? What do you sound like? Why are you contacting this label? Where can they hear you?

That’s most of the job.

Use a useful subject line

Good:

• Demo Submission — HOLLOW SHRINE — Death/Doom Metal
• HOLLOW SHRINE — New EP Submission
• Demo: HOLLOW SHRINE / Death Metal / USA

Bad:

• URGENT!!!
• THE NEXT BIG THING
• YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS

And if the label specifically requests a certain subject format, use it.

Introduce yourself immediately

Don’t make them search paragraph four for the band’s name.

For example:

Hi, we’re Hollow Shrine, a death/doom band from Cleveland, Ohio, currently preparing our second EP.

Then explain why you’re contacting this label:

We’ve been following your recent releases from X and Y, and the darker side of your roster seemed particularly relevant to what we’re doing.

One specific sentence tells the label that this isn’t a random mailshot.

Put the music near the top

Don’t hide the important part.

Private stream: [link]

If there’s a password, put it right there.

And before sending, open the link in an incognito/private browser. You’d be surprised how many “private streams” actually lead to:

REQUEST ACCESS

That’s probably the end of that listening session.

Keep the biography short

One paragraph is usually enough for the initial email.

Include genuinely useful things:

• location
• genre
• release status
• important shows/tours
• previous release
• meaningful press
• relevant audience growth

Do not include:

• every lineup change since 2014
• every concert you’ve ever played
• twelve copied reviews
• the philosophical meaning of every song
• claims that you’re “the future of metal”

Your EPK can contain additional details.

A simple demo submission email example

Subject: Demo Submission — HOLLOW SHRINE — Death/Doom Metal

Hi [Name],

We’re Hollow Shrine, a death/doom band from Cleveland, Ohio. We’re currently preparing our second EP and thought it might fit your roster, particularly because of your releases from [relevant artist].

Private stream: [link]

The five-track EP is fully recorded and mastered. We’ve recently supported [artist] in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and are planning regional shows for the fall.

Band/EPK: [link]
Bandcamp: [link]

Thanks for your time,

Alex
HOLLOW SHRINE
[email]

That’s enough.

Avoid giant attachments

Unless explicitly requested, links are easier.

Huge email attachments can:

• trigger spam filters
• clog inboxes
• download slowly
• make mobile reading miserable

If a label wants WAV files, provide them through a clearly organized download folder.

And name your files like a functioning adult:

HollowShrine_01_TheGrave.wav

rather than:

NEWMASTER_FINAL3_USETHISONE_REALFINAL.wav

Respect the submission system

If the label says:

Use our submission form.

Use it.

If it says:

No unsolicited demos.

Don’t hunt down an unrelated employee’s private contact information in an attempt to bypass the policy.

A beautifully written submission that ignores the label’s instructions is still a bad submission.