Contacting Major Record Labels

You're not interested in going the indie route—you want to get a record deal at a major label. Well then! You have some homework to do. With confidence, initiative, and a little knowledge, you can make the connections that will help you get signed.

But contacting major record labels can sound intimidating—what makes you think they're going to read your inquiry or hear your demo amidst hundreds of submissions? It's going to be tough, but absolutely not impossible. You just need to know where to send a demo . Of course, to do this, you need an address or a contact, and you will need to seek these out.

Though getting a contact in the music industry is a lucky break, it may not be as unlikely as you think it is. Do a bit of digging, and you may find that you know a producer or an agent through a mutual friend. Even if this is not the case, continue to promote your band through the web and touring—you never know who will be watching. If you do manage to make a contact, be sure to nurture the relationship; a record industry contact can find information for you that will help turn an unsolicited demo into a solicited one!

Assuming, however, that you do not have such a contact, you must find out how to contact major record labels on your own. Unlike indie record labels , major labels may not release submissions addresses on their websites; and if they do, these addresses often put your demo straight into a thousands-high pile. How to get your demo heard? Your best bet is a music contacts database. These fee-based websites and services provide you with information otherwise unavailable to recording artists, which includes addresses and some industry contacts. Depending on the database you use, you may have an edge over other artists through an address that is not made public—thus increasing your visibility. Find A and R representatives for the labels you are looking for. Once you find out where to send your demo, you can start to make contact with record labels .

You need to find out what sort of materials the company requests and accepts. Some will want only your demo and a picture; others will accept a full package including a cover letter, bio and press clippings. Once you've put together your package, you are ready to send your demo to record companies. Find out if follow-ups are allowed—if not, simply let fate take its course. If they are, try sending a friendly, brief email reminding the representative who you are and asking whether they have heard your demo yet. Don't call unless they explicitly say it is okay to do so. You can follow up infrequently—about once a month—until they reply or it seems your demo will not be listened to. If it was not a success, don't worry—there are many more labels and contacts, and you've gotten good experience in contacting a major record label. But if you're lucky, you may just reach fame from your submission!