But all too often the home technology exceeds the skills of the operator and the music demo sounds flat and homemade, with too much reverb on the vocals, no punch in the bass and no clarity in the hi end.

The talent of the musician may not translate into talent as a music producer or recording engineer, and so the entire music demo suffers, even though the singer and the song may have been outstanding.

That’s where the skills of a talented music producer first come into play. The music producers experience in the recording studio can save countless costly mistakes and deliver to you a product that sounds professional and polished, which will increase your chances of getting that record deal.

 
The Music Producer
The role of the music producer varies, based on the style of music. For most styles, the music producer makes the technical decisions in the recording studio, helps choose songs and works to get the most out of the artist, showing off the strong points and burying the weak points.

It’s the role of the music producer or record producer to help create the vision for the artist and to make it into a reality.
 
For live rock bands, a music producers role can sometimes be more one of guidance and direction. With a good recording studio and engineer, bands can often achieve decent results on their own and may not need a music producer in the earlier stages, such as recording the music demo. Though for the recording of an entire album, it’s recommended.

For Pop, R&B and dance however, the music producers role is essential. Often, the music producer will help write the music, play some or all of the instruments and be responsible for every aspect of the musical production, from the sonic quality of the recording to keeping things within budget.

This allows the singer to focus and concentrate on giving their best vocal performance and doing what they do best-sing!

A good music producer should make you and your music demo sound polished, explosive and exciting. It should be appropriate for the style of music you’re singing and should sound close to a finished record.

If your music demo doesn’t sound professional, don’t send it out yet. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so you want it to be good.

Making Your Music Demo
The first thing that needs to be established before heading off to do your music demo, is why you are doing it. Bands often need a recording to give to a club before being able to play there. What’s required in that situation is much different than what’s required for a Pop or R&B singer looking to get a record deal.
 
Many artists first thought is to call a recording studio. While this may yield results, most recording studios make their money from selling time. The recording studio provides the space with all the equipment and an assistant and/or engineer to run it all. They charge a set fee by the hour and you’re free to do whatever you like during that time.

If you’re a band, this may be precisely what you need. But if you’re a singer and don’t have any music production skills, this kind of setup will be useless to you. You first need the music before you can record your vocals. Again, this is where the services of a experienced music producer are desired.

Making A Master Recording

So what exactly is the difference between a Master recording and a demo? 

A MASTER is made for commercial release. You hear MASTERS on the radio and buy them in stores or download them from iTunes. A Master is a finished, full production. The quality is superior to a music "demo".

The "demo" (which is short for "demonstration")  is intended to interest the Record label or publisher in investing the money to record a Music Master.  Traditionally, the music demo was something as simple as a vocal and piano. But with the advances in technology it no longer pays to record a simple "music demo". A Master quality music production is now affordable for those serious about their careers.  Record labels are used to hearing finished music productions and that's what they expect.

With internet distribution, a Music Master can be sold, placed in radio, licensed, etc.

Though "music demo" is still a buzz word, any music productions worth doing should be of Master quality and radio ready.

If you'd like help in getting your music demo/Master produced, contact the Skyelab Music Group at: www.skyelabmusic.com

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