There are tons of bands out there trying to make it. In order to see if you have a chance, see if you meet these criteria:
1. You must have good music. This may seem pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised how many bands never get signed and don't understand that this is the reason. We're not talking about "good" as in taste;we mean "good" in the sense of talent and experience.
2. You must look "signable." No one will want to sign you unless you're going to make them money. As such, you and your band must be confident, experienced, dedicated, and have it together (in other words, you must look like you will bring in money).
3.You must have a professional-looking demo package. In the music industry, image and first impressions are the name of the game; for the unsigned band, your demo package is the first (and usually only) impression a record label will have of you and your music. As a result, it should be as attractive, informative, and to-the-point as possible. For a good tutorial on how to make an effective and attractive demo package (also referred to as a "press kit" when sending it to press or radio accounts) pick yourself up a copy of the book The Billboard Guide to Music Publicity by Jim Pettigrew, Jr.
4. You have to understand that most record labels are only interested in your music in so far as whether or not they can sell it. Your band may very well be brilliant, but to the average record label, your CD is just another product. So we suggest that you read as much as possible about the music industry and how it works.
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW get signed to a record label?
