10 Things you Need to Know about Approaching a Label...

1. Be Personal!
It takes a couple of minutes to find out a name at a label you are looking to send material to. Nobody likes mass mailers, so a nice title along the lines of "Hey its [Artist], just finished this [Name of contact at Label] thought you may be interested?" I've seen so many times unsigned artists, sending an email with a download link to 10 labels, in CC'd!

2. Definately don't attach your mp3
The internet is getting quicker these days, but that's no excuse for attaching 10mb files to emails! It slows down email download label-side and will generally get on their goat - so don't do it!

3. Speak!
Again, its a shame to get through just a link, no intro, no outro, no signature nothing! If your English isn't the best, Google has a very basic translator, you can just paste in what you would like to say in your preferred language, and translate to English. The translations aren't perfect, but it's definately better than silence!

4. Give options.
Label A&R chaps and owners are pretty busy, and they often have lots of demos to sift through. a 320mb mp3 is great, but always give the option for the demo to be streamed. Myspace and Soundcloud take care of that quite well. The guys at the label will more than likely stream before downloading a full version, so give them the chance :)

5. Give Links
In a similar way to the speaking bit, make sure you get yourself a wide spread of the web, and give as many links to your own site as you can in your email. Facebook, Myspace, Soundcloud pages - more the merrier... tell the label about them, it shows a self-promotion potential!

6. It isn't all about the labels
They say a personal reference is the best possible form of marketing. Send your tracks to DJs aswell, and If you can get some plays and feedback from these guys, attach that "reference" to your email, you will stand a much better chance of the demo being listened to.

7. Blogs are Buddies
Labels like to see potential in artists, sometimes over even the material. If you are being talked about online, this will stand you in really good stead. In order to be spoken about online you have to get involved. Send your music to blogs aswell as labels - and get involved with their communities.

8. First Impressions are everything
In the online era, you have the ability to be whatever you want to be. I don't mean that in a philosophical sense, more along the lines of: If you get a good designer to sort out your Myspace/Twitter profile, embed some nice videos in there get some cool pictures taken this will help your online "appearance". I will go into much more detail on that little number in some future posts.

9. Know what you are trying to achieve
One step at a time... open up conversation more than anything, aim to strike a bit of rapport, that will eventually lead to the label listening to your stuff.

10. BE ORIGINAL!
That statement encoaches on the musical side of things, which we will get some decent names to come in and chat to you about, but in general, be inspired by other artists, but don't try to copy them and make your own stamp. Bootlegs aren't a bad way to start ;)


The list above is by no means definitive, but those are our top 10 tips based on the experience we have ammassed at Venga Digital A&R. There are a few that seem madness (CC'ing 25 labels with a blanket emails) but people really do it!

Let me know your thoughts on that little lot :)




Don.