Pulse Music presents tips for you to consider when recording a demo or even a mixtape.

Prepare

Before you hit the studio, prepare. Decide what songs you’ll be recording. If you record in a studio,  discuss with the studio engineer what direction you would like the song to go and the results you expect.

Do a home recording

Before hitting the studio, rehearse at home. When you are working on a new song, you can record it with a smart phone or a handheld recorder and edit with software like GarageBand and Logic.

Studio sessions are expensive and can cost almost N20, 000 per hour. If you can’t afford this, you can always use your home recording or use a Digital Audio Workstation at home.

Be original

Relax and remember to be yourself. Don’t try to copy another musician’s style of music because what works for them might not work for you.

Pay attention to the details

After you record your song, go back to it and decide if to record live instruments or multitracking. It’s a demo, so no one expects it to be perfect but the music should be of good quality.

It’s best to keep the tracks short, the demo should consist of only your best songs.

Distribute your demo in different formats

To ensure your demo is available to fans, potential investors and A&R, it should be available online and also physically.

You can upload your demo on sites like SoundCloud and Hulkshare. Or burn your recording to a CD you can easily hand out.

Ensure you include your contact details.