I am a singer/lyricist and soon I'm gonna record a demo. I would like 2 choose my best songs and was wondering, how do u choose what r best?, I have over 100 pages of song lyrics, probably more and can't decide what ones 2 choose!. Also most of my lyrics have a Prince/Roger & Zapp/Stevie Wonder vibe so do u think this is a good or a bad thing?,
do u recommend I try 2 find a collaborator, ie some1 2 write the music, or work with session musicians and create the songs myself.

Also how many tracks do u recommend I record, about 4 is average right?, and also is it best 2 record in a studio or on a computer. I'd prefer in a studio but costs r expensive etc. plus I know I'd spend along time on each track. Also how much on average is studio time, and how much does it cost 2 make promotional copies etc. of your music. Also if u record a demo in a studio do u get 2 keep the Master recording or not?.

I'm basically new 2 this and would appreciate some advice, detailed advice if possible as I would like 2 record a good demo which is a showcase of my singing and songwriting ability.
Also I was wondering if any1 else has any stories about recording demos etc. as I'd like 2 learn as much as possible.

Thanx in advance

Studio time costs depends on the studio. it goes from $25 to $100 or more. A good dtudio starts at about $40-45 an hour.
Yes, you get to keep the master after you record. you can even buy the multi tract tapes/CDs/Reels and remix it/edit/re-record somewhere else.
Don't go to a studio unless you got the arrangements already, or else it'll never end and you'll be paying for these recording sessions for the rest of your life.
Get a professional to write the music and do the arrangements (make sure you have the same taste in music and that you think alike when it comes to how your songs should sound), then go with that person to the studio, with session musicians to perform his arrangements. The cost is expenssive, but it'll sound better, and take less time and headaches to record it.
I think the price for a session musician is about $200/session (3 hours).

The costs of making copies is not much, depends on the quantity. the more you make, the less it'll cost per copy. should start at around $1/CD and the price will get lower as the quantity grows. It's better to make more copies in one time, than a few each time. If you're talking about 100 copies, just sit in front of the computer and burn them yourself, it won't be worth going to a factory for that, and I'm not sure many will even accept that kind of quantity.

PS - story about a demo recording:

A good friend of mine, who is a professional guitar player, wanted to record at home. She asked me for advice and I told her what to buy (what kind of computer, sound card, microphone etc.). She started recording some sketches, lots of them. Her brother one day heard some of them and told her "you got to make a demo tape and send it to producers all around the world!!!". She then turned to me and asked me to help her master the mixing that she did to her songs. I heard the mixes and I told her "it sounds ok for a demo tape, but let me mix it again and master it for you". well, to make a long story short, these so called sketches recordings, are now a CD that is being sold in stores, and being played in radio stations.

thetimefan said:

I usually record on the computer first, rehearse with a band and then record in a studio if needed. You really have to be well prepared to enter the studio because, like you said, studio time is expensive.
Usually you get the master from the studio (which is a CD or DAT with the mixes), but not the mother tape (although usually you can buy it from them). When you choose a studio and you decide to record digitally, be sure to choose one that uses a common system or ask if they can convert the recordings to something every digital system can read. You don't want to end up with CD's with raw recordings that no other studio can use. With analogue, it's not really a problem because tapes are standard but analogue studios become less and less common. Don't go for anything less than 16 track 1'' tape though and prefer 24 track 2'' tape (don't go for 16 track on 1/2'' for example, it'll end up as a recording with the obvious 'demo' sound written all over it), and ask how often the studio calibrates the recorder. A badly maintained/calibrated analogue recorder is nothing but trouble. Recordings on a badly calibrated recorder might even sound acceptable on the recorder it was recorded on, but unusable on anything else.
And ask to listen to recordings the studio did! Every studio and every engineer has his own 'sound'. It also helps if you feel confortable with the studio and engineers.
You're right you don't want to record too many songs. Better 2 great recordings than 6 average ones. Creating good recordings and good mixes takes time. Maybe one up tempo one and a ballad or something.
[This message was edited Thu Apr 1 23:52:07 2004 by erikd]

Thanks for answering my questions Heavenly and Erikd.