How to send a demo to a record label
A good demo isn't the perfect one. It's the right one, sent to the right label.
Sending a demo to a record label is the first concrete step a music project takes to introduce itself to the world. There is no magic formula, but there are habits that help the listener grasp the value of what you're offering right away — and others that, on the contrary, send a demo straight to the wrong end of the pile.
This guide brings together the point of view of the people who receive demos and listen to them: the A&R team at Mhodì Music Company, an independent record label based in Catania, Italy, that has been selecting artists for its four labels since 2008. It applies to submitting to us, but just as much to any other label.
Five steps to submit your demo, in the right order.
- 01
Pick the right songs
Two or three tracks, the ones that represent you best. You don't need a master: you need the songwriting, the voice and the identity of the project to come through. Your strongest song goes first.
- 02
Write a short, honest introduction
Who you are, where you're from, what you've done and what you're looking for, in a few lines. A brief, sincere bio is worth more than an inflated press kit. Add the links that matter: streaming, live videos, social profiles if they tell a story.
- 03
Choose the right label
Listen to the catalogue before you submit: a targeted demo starts ahead. Within the Mhodì group each label has its own world — pop and singer-songwriters, jazz, Mediterranean folk, rock — and the form lets you say which one you're addressing. And be wary of anyone promising a release in exchange for money: a serious label invests in the artist, not the other way round.
- 04
Submit through the official channel
The scouting form is the most direct route: it reaches the A&R team with no middlemen. Avoid heavy email attachments and copy-pasted messages on social media: they are easy to spot, and they don't help the project.
- 05
Give it time
Submissions are listened to one by one, and timing depends on how many come in. Silence is not a rejection; a polite follow-up after a few weeks is fair. In the meantime, keep writing.
Which Mhodì label to send your demo to
Each label in the house has a voice of its own, and a targeted demo starts ahead. Mhodì Records looks for pop and Italian singer-songwriters; Anaglyphos for jazz, contemporary classical and instrumental research; d00b for rock and alternative, in Italy and abroad; Comusì for Sicilian-language music and Mediterranean folk.
The scouting form lets you choose the label you're addressing. For pop and singer-songwriters, Mhodì Records also receives songs through Groover.
What artists ask most often before sending a demo.
- How many songs should a demo include?
- Two or three, your best ones. People who listen to demos every day decide within the first thirty seconds whether to keep going: three strong songs beat ten uneven ones. If one track represents the project better than the rest, put it first.
- Does a demo need to be a finished master, or is a rough recording enough?
- A well-recorded rough version is enough. The people evaluating it are listening for the songwriting, the voice and the identity of the project, not the mastering. An honest demo is worth more than an expensive production of a weak song. If a more polished version exists, you can link it as an extra reference.
- How do I send a demo to Mhodì Music Company?
- Through the official form at https://mhodi.com/en/scouting, choosing which of the four labels you are submitting to: Mhodì Records (pop and singer-songwriters), Anaglyphos (jazz and contemporary classical), d00b (rock and alternative), Comusì (Sicilian-language music and Mediterranean folk). Mhodì Records also receives songs via Groover.
- Are demos actually listened to? How long does it take to get a reply?
- At Mhodì every submission is heard by the A&R team, with no automated filters. Selection is based on artistic quality, not social numbers or current trends. Response times vary with the volume of submissions received: not hearing back right away does not mean no.
- Do I need followers or a manager to be considered?
- No. An existing audience helps a project, but it is not an entry requirement: independent labels exist precisely to invest in what the numbers game overlooks. What counts is the music, the writing and the identity of the project.
- Can I send the same demo to several labels?
- Yes, that is standard practice, as long as every submission is targeted: pitching jazz to a rock label wastes everyone's time. What matters is disclosing any existing commitments: current record or publishing contracts should be mentioned up front.
Ready? Let us hear it.
The scouting form goes straight to the A&R team. Every submission gets listened to: the music counts, not the numbers.
Send your demo