concept of a demo

[noos]

I'm planning of making a demo this year and I wonder what the best concept for a demo is. I was thinking to put 10 beats on it. Every beat lasting about 8 or 16 bars, depending on hooks, melody and things like that. After these 10 short beats I make the 10 beats in a whole song with some acapella's on them so the A&R can listen a whole song if they liked the beat at first hand. So in total there will be 20 numbers on the CD.
What do you think of this, did you do something else?
What about the cover? should it be all flashy and stuff or does nobody give a kuff?

[Imy786]

A demo is not what is used to be back in the day. There is too much competition out there. I believe that in order to get signed you have to make a hot track and take it the streets yourself, clubs, bars, friends and family. Be prepared to hustle and hustle hard. That's just my point of view but maybe Im wrong as I haven't really posted demos out to many people reason being I'd rather make myself hot in my hood before I take it to a next level if you know what I mean.

[kid848]

You should always have a demo handy...

Keep it simple

10 Tracks

Your most commercial/marketable upfront (If you can't fill the top 5 w/ commercial stuff, not really worth it)

Depending on how it's sequenced, Intro, Hook, Verse, fade at the begining of the 2nd Hook or Intro, Verse, fade after the first 4 bars of the hook.

If you're playing the cd for them live, include some stuff that you've recorded w/ real artists, that way you can talk w/ them as the track is playing, establish a rapport and show you know what you're doing.

If you aren't playing the cd in front of them, no songs, no remixes, straight beats. Some would argue to put less tracks on a demo, but as a producer, you MUST be able to show that you can make beat after beat that's straight FIRE- remember, you want repeat business.

Hope this helps...