7 EDM Record Labels Who Will Listen to Your Demo in 2017
Are you tired of EDM Record Labels not replying to your demos? It can be quite frustrating for an up and coming artist to spend hours compiling emails and filling out submission forms only to receive no replies. There are many reasons why you may not be getting the type of response rate that you’d like to see and we will be diving into several of the top reasons why EDM Record Labels have not responded to your demo. Reasons you haven’t been receiving a reply can range from simply looking in the wrong places to a lack of branding and social presence.
As an up and coming artist, it is paramount that you understand how the industry works and care about all aspects of your brand if you want to be taken seriously. Focusing on your production is and always will be the most important aspect of your career, however, to neglect the remaining, essential pieces, you are missing opportunities that you didn’t know existed.
At EDMGhostProducer.com, we have producers with releases on major record labels in the industry and have multiple BeatPort top 10 releases under their belts. We’ve spoken with some of our top producers as well as Record Label Owners to bring you crucial information you should know before submitting your track to a record label. Below we’ve compiled a list of common issues and some critical advice from top producers as well as a list of 7 EDM Record Labels Who Will Listen to Your Demo in 2017.
Number 1. You don’t have a professional Mix and Master
If you do not have a professional mixdown and professional audio mastering, you are likely to be automatically disqualified from consideration by any serious label. Speaking with Label Owners, this was a major problem they cited. If the track isn’t properly mixed and mastered, they won’t even consider the track, even if they like the overall idea. You need to compare your demo to tracks that are already released on the label you are targeting and make sure your mix and master hold up.
Most artists releasing on Top EDM Labels do not mix and master their own productions, so why are you? When you spend a lot of time on a production, you can’t properly mix and master a track with fresh ears.
TOP QUALITY MASTERING SERVICE
Don’t miss the opportunity of a great first impression by sending a track without a professional mix and master. This tip made our number 1 because of the consistency it was mentioned when talking with label owners.
Number 2. Your track doesn’t have a high enough production quality
This may sound like a no-brainer, but the inboxes of EDM Record Labels are filled with demos of sub-par tracks. It can be difficult to listen to your track objectively after spending many hours in the studio, but it is absolutely important. Often, sending your tracks to friends and family won’t prove effective as they won’t or may not be able to give you honest feedback. Even seeking feedback in your producer circles, although very useful, isn’t enough as these producers may not be qualified to provide constructive feedback.
EDM Ghost Producer works with artists that have released their own productions as well as ghost productions on the industry’s top record labels. Let us provide you honest feedback 100% free of charge. You will have your track listened to by professionals with the qualifications to advise you.
Number 3. You don’t have your branding figured out.
Think from the perspective of a top EDM Record Label. You don’t want to have to do all of the work building a new artist from scratch. As an up and coming DJ, you want to make a record label’s life easy by doing as much of the ground work as possible BEFORE you start submitting to them. You want to come across as professional as possible with a brand already in place and just needs the right outlet to thrive. This includes things that may sound basic, but after speaking with some top Record Label Owners needs to be mentioned.
You should already have your artist name selected with your social profiles claimed. At the bare minimum, you should have your SoundCloud, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages set up. You should have your biography and contact email available as well as at least 1 professional picture.
Now would be a great time to get a professional logo if you do not already have one. Your logo is important because it helps tell your story. You don’t want to be cheap with your logo and kill your brand before you get off the ground. Record Labels want to see that you have a professional brand in place, not a doodle on photoshop or a cheap logo you clearly got for $5. There is a reason most brands spend thousands on their logo to make their product appealing to their customers. Record Labels are the customer for your demo.
Your branding and track should tell a story and a professionally done Track Cover can be the difference between a label buying into your story and passing over the demo. You won’t see a track released on a serious record label without custom track artwork. If you come to a label with a professionally done cover, they are much more likely to buy into your story and want to support the track.
Recap Checklist:
-Brandable Artist Name
-Social Profiles Filled Out
-Professional Logo
-Professional Track Artwork
PURCHASE PROFESSIONAL LOGO AND BRANDING SERVICES
Number 4. You aren’t targeting the right types of labels.
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” – Les Brown. If only this popular quote held true in the context of record label demos. If you don’t aim in the right places, you won’t hit your target, likely you won’t hit anything at all. Sending your first record label release to a top 5 label will most likely just be a waste of your time. Behemoth record labels like Spinnin and Sony are so flooded with up and coming artist’s demos that they won’t likely ever receive yours let alone give it serious attention.
No one starts at the top. You want to look for opportunities to realistically take a step forward with a label that will actually listen to your demo. We’ve compiled a list of our Top 7 EDM Record Labels That Will Listen to Your Demo in 2017:
Record Label 1 – Nest HQ
The first on our list is Nest HQ. With a SoundCloud following of 120k music enthusiasts, they are a perfect mid-level label to help you jump-start your career. They cater mainly to Deep House, Drum n Bass, Glitch Hop, Pop, House, and Experimental. The label is a sub-label owned by Skrillex, but support many unknown artists.
-120k SC Followers
– Dubstep, Deep House, Drum n Bass, Glitch Hop, Pop, House, Experimental
– Skrillex owned sub-label, catered to upcoming and unknown artists
Record Label 2 – Good Enuff Records
Good Enuff Records is another sub-label under Mad Decent, owned by Diplo, that helps many previously unknown artists. Starting with one of a major label’s sub-labels is a great opportunity to climb your way up to the major label itself. With 54k followers on SoundCloud, Good Enuff Records is a great opportunity for up and coming artists.
– 54k SC Followers
– Dubstep, Trap, Future Bass, Future House, House, Pop, Moombahton, House
– Sub-label under Mad Decent, which is owned by Diplo
Record Label 3 – In Rotation Records
Although this label is owned by the heavyweight in the festival circuit, Insomniac Events, it still made our list because of its willingness to shine a light on up and coming artists. This label is open to many different genre types and is an obvious gateway to not only larger labels, but to possibly getting some festival bookings and the attention of Insomniac.
– 40k SC Followers
– Deep House, Trap, Dubstep, Future Bass, House
– label created by Insomniac Events (creators of EDC, Electric Forest)
Record Label 4 – TNC Recordings
We love TNC Recordings and have seen the power of promotion they bring to the table. Not only do they give up and comers a chance, but they back each release with some serious SoundCloud promotion. Their releases often have no trouble passing 100k plays and if you follow Revealed Recordings, you’ll definitely see some familiar names since many of the up and comers of Revealed are also releasing here.
– 34k SC Followers
– Big Room House
– Label imprint of The North Collective
Record Label 5 – Recall Records
Though a lesser-known label, Recall Recordings is headed by two up and comers themselves, Silent Riot and Contrvbvnd, they are a sub-label of the Electrostep Network that has almost a quarter of a million followers. The exposure they are able to bring on SoundCloud is one of the many reasons they made this list.
– 47k SC Followers
– Big Room House, Trap, Dubstep, Techno, Deep House, Progressive House, House
– Headed up by artists Silent Riot and Contrvbvnd, sub-label of Electrostep Network
Record Label 6 – Audiophile Records
Next on our list is Audiophile Records which is one that you may have heard before. They have no problem helping newcomers with their first releases and can help with backing some great promotion. It is a good idea to try and get a release here under your belt to build your release resume.
– 65k SC Followers
– House, Indie, Nu-Disco, Future Bass, Future House, Electro-House/Complextro
– has several sub-labels linked on SC page for Techno, House, Garage, Minimal, Tech-House
Record Label 7 – Chill Trap Records
We’ve chosen to highlight Chill Trap Records as our number 7 of the list. With a YouTube following of over 100k subscribers, they are able to bring some serious promotion with their releases. Although they advertise that they don’t reply to every demo, they are still worth a shot if you’ve got a track fitting their profile.
– 72k SC Followers
– Trap, Future Bass
– Large YouTube channel with over 100k subscribers and several sub-channels
We hope you’ve found this list helpful in your search for small-mid sized labels that can help you take your career to the next step. We’ve decided to add 2 additional labels that you may find useful.
Bonus Label 1) We are highlighting Bearded Man Recordings, a sub-label of Armada, as our first bonus label. They focus on more upbeat Pop, Future Bass, Deep, Future and Tropical house. As a sub-label of Armada, this is a great step on the ladder to start to get noticed by some big labels and artists.
– 43k SC Followers
– Pop, Future Bass, Deep House, Future House, Tropical, focuses more on upbeat and chill-out music
– Sub-label of Armada, which was founded by Armin Van Buuren
Bonus Label 2) Also a sub label on Armada is Armada Deep which almost exclusively focuses on Deep House. Though this is also one of the bigger labels on the list, it isn’t as much of a stretch for a newcomer as you might think. It is definitely worth submitting to if you think your track fits here.
– 55k SC Followers
– Almost exclusively Deep House
– Also (obviously) owned by Armada
Though some of these points may seem pretty obvious, a surprising number of artists fail on one or more of these points. When you really get into a label owner’s shoes you can understand why they love to see artists with this checklist complete. They can provide gasoline on the fire of a good brand, but they won’t want to take on the challenge of setting one up from scratch. Make sure you are approaching labels with a brand they can identify with and help build.
Remember that no one starts at the top. Building your way to the top by taking advantage of ambitious, yet realistic opportunities is the best way to build a sustainable brand. Through smaller-mid size record labels, you will start to grow your following and help you get the attention of the big labels.
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Disclaimer: EDM Ghost Producer does not have any affiliation with any of the above record labels.