Part of the topic guide Label, White-Label or API: Which Do You Need?
How to Submit a Demo to a Record Label
A demo is a request. You are asking a stranger for their time, and later perhaps for their money and their name on your music. Labels weigh a demo against their catalogue, their capacity and their plans, so the same tracks can be a yes for one label and a no for another. A careful submission cannot guarantee a reply or a deal. It can make the decision easy to take, and it can keep you out of the trouble that follows from sending music to the wrong place.
This guide covers what to settle before you send anything, how to choose labels worth sending to, what to include, a weak and a better sample message, how to follow up, how to read an answer and what to do if an offer arrives. It also explains what submitting to WBBT is and is not, because the word “demo” appears on our own submit page and it deserves a straight answer.
First, decide what you are asking for
The UK Competition and Markets Authority described three routes for artists in its 2022 study of music streaming: do-it-yourself distribution, artist and label services, and a traditional record deal. They answer different needs.
| You want | You need | So you send |
|---|---|---|
| Your finished music on the stores, with you owning and funding it | A distributor | An account application and releases, not a demo |
| Help with marketing, tools or production for a fee or a share | A label services company | A request for terms, and a look at what the service costs |
| A partner who invests in you and shares the risk | A label | A demo, and later a close read of an offer |
If you only want your music on Spotify and Apple Music, a label demo is the slower road. If you want investment or a team, a distributor account will not supply it.
Choose labels that fit
Do the research that a label would do about you. For each label on your list, check the following before you write a word.
- Recent releases. Listen to the last year of releases. Does your music sit beside them or beyond them?
- How they accept music. Read the label’s own page. Many state that they do not take unsolicited demos, or ask for a form, a link or a particular address. Follow what they say.
- Size and activity. A label that has not released anything for a long time may not be able to release your music either.
- The company behind it. A UK label that signs contracts is usually a company, and Companies House shows its registered name and office. If you cannot find who runs a label, treat that as a warning.
- Artists on the roster. Ask one of them, politely, what working with the label is like.
Fifteen well-chosen labels beat a hundred copied addresses. Sending the same message to everyone, without a name or a reason, is easy to spot.
What to send
| Item | Why it helps | How to do it well |
|---|---|---|
| A short message | It tells the reader who you are and why this label | Four or five sentences. Name the label and one release you like. State the genre. |
| A private streaming link | The reader can listen at once | Two or three tracks, best first. Open the link logged out to check it works. |
| A short bio | It gives context | Three or four factual sentences: who you are, what you have released, where you are based. |
| Links | They let the reader check you exist | Your artist profile on a store, one social account and previous releases. |
| A rights statement | It answers the first question a label will ask | Say that you own or control the recordings, that samples are cleared and whether any AI tools were used. |
| Contact details | It gives an easy way to answer | One email address that you check. |
Keep unreleased tracks private until you have an answer. A private link lets you see that someone listened and lets you take it down.
A weak message and a better one
Both samples below are invented for illustration. The artist, the labels and the places are made up, and everything in square brackets is for you to replace.
A weak message looks like this: “Hi, check out my music!! Link in bio. I am the next big thing, please sign me. Attached are 11 tracks.” It names nobody, says nothing about fit, attaches a pile of files and makes a claim that nobody can check.
A better message looks like this:
Subject: Demo: Nova Reed, melodic house, three tracks
Hello [name], I am Nova Reed, a melodic house producer based in Leeds. I am writing because your last releases, [title] and [title], sit close to what I make, and I would like to send three unreleased tracks for you to consider. The private link is [link], with the strongest track first. My previous releases are at [link]. I own all three recordings, the samples are cleared and no AI-generated vocals are used. Thank you for listening. If this is not a fit for the label, a one-line pointer to where it might be would be welcome. Nova Reed, [email].
It is short, it names the reason for the choice, it makes the first listen easy, it deals with rights up front and it asks for something small if the answer is no.
Before you send
- Rights. Be sure you control every part of the track: the recording, the composition, any sample, any guest and any AI tool you used. If you are unsure about a sample or a cover, settle it first. The WBBT FAQ says to obtain permission for the relevant recording and composition rights before delivery.
- Consistency. Use one spelling of your artist name everywhere, and the same one on your links and profiles.
- Files. Have final lossless masters ready, a square cover and your credits, in case the answer is yes. The files WBBT asks for are in its FAQ: WAV masters, a 3000 by 3000 pixel cover and your contributor credits.
- Collaborators. If someone else wrote or produced part of the track, agree the split before an offer arrives. Royalty splits and payouts shows a split sheet.
Following up and keeping track
Labels differ, and many say nothing to a demo they will not release. If the label states how long it takes to answer, wait that long. If it gives no time, one short follow-up after a few weeks is reasonable. A second is pressure. Keep a sheet, so you know what you sent where.
| Label | Sent | What you sent | Their policy | Answer | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invented Label One | 3 Nov | Three tracks, private link | Form on website | None yet | Follow up once in December |
| Invented Label Two | 3 Nov | Three tracks, private link | No unsolicited demos | Not sent | Cross off the list |
The invented rows only show the habit. Write the policy down, because it tells you whether your message should have been sent at all.
Reading an answer
- No reply. Move on. It tells you about the label’s capacity, not your music.
- A pass. Thank them and ask whether they can suggest a better fit. Do not argue.
- Interest. Ask what they have in mind: a single, an EP, a licence, a long-term deal. Ask for the proposal in writing.
- A request for money. Stop. A request to pay to be signed, considered or promoted is a reason to ask questions, check the company and take advice, not to pay.
The UK’s voluntary Code of Good Practice on Transparency in Music Streaming says labels and publishers should strongly encourage artists to get independent legal advice before signing. Take that advice seriously, and read record deal terms to check before signing before you answer an offer.
What submitting to WBBT is, and is not
WBBT Records is a distribution service. Our submit page leads to creating an account at app.wbbt.net and sending a release. It is not a label signing and it carries no advance. Here is how it works in practice.
- People review account applications. The FAQ says the team checks that the applicant and catalogue are genuine and that you hold the rights needed. It suggests preparing a demo or catalogue link and relevant artist or label profiles.
- People review each release for quality, metadata accuracy and platform compliance. The comparison on the pricing page lists the approval on the Free plan as manual review, on Basic as priority review and on Pro as fast review. This guide quotes no review time, because the plan pages are the place for that.
- A rejection comes with a reason in your account. The FAQ lists rights conflicts, metadata mismatches, unsuitable artwork and audio problems as common causes. Fix the cause. Do not resubmit unchanged files.
- Review is separate from a store accepting your release. A review is not a recommendation to a playlist or a label, and nothing at WBBT guarantees streams.
- Ownership stays with you. Distribution does not by itself transfer ownership of your recordings or songs, so read the agreement and any collection mandate you accept.
If a label wants to release your music, they will ask you for the same details a distributor does. The distribution guide shows them in the order the Release Wizard asks for them.
A one-evening checklist
- Decide the route. Distribution, services or a label deal.
- Pick five labels, not fifty, and read each one’s submission rules.
- Choose two or three tracks. Best first.
- Check rights, including samples, guests and any AI tools.
- Write the message, using the better sample as a guide. Name the label and one release.
- Test the link logged out, and make sure downloads are off if you do not want them shared.
- Send, log it, and set a reminder for one follow-up.
- Keep releasing. A catalogue you release yourself is the best demo, and it can be the next thing a label hears.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending the same message, with no names, to every address you can find.
- Attaching a stack of large files nobody asked for.
- Describing yourself as the next anything.
- Posting the tracks publicly while they are still under consideration.
- Paying for a promised signing, placement or review.
- Signing something without independent legal advice because the offer feels exciting.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send a demo to a label or use a distributor?
It depends on what you want. A distributor delivers music you already own and fund to the stores. A label is a business that chooses to invest in an artist, and it can say no for reasons that have nothing to do with the music. The CMA describes do-it-yourself distribution, artist and label services and a traditional record deal as separate routes, so decide which one you are asking for before you write.
Is submitting to WBBT the same as sending a demo to a label?
Not quite. The WBBT submit page leads to an account application for distribution. People review the application and each release, and the answer can be a rejection with a reason. It is not a promise of a label signing, an advance or a particular response time, and review is separate from a store accepting a release.
How many tracks should a demo include?
Send what shows your best work and your direction, and no more than the label asks for. Two or three strong tracks, with the best first, usually say more than a whole catalogue. If the label states a limit on its own submission page, follow that, not this guide.
Should I send MP3 attachments or a link?
Follow the label’s instructions first. Without any, a private streaming link is easier to open and does not fill an inbox, and you can see whether it works when you are logged out. Do not send large files unasked.
Is it safe to pay a label to listen to my demo or to sign me?
A request for money to be signed, to be considered or to be promoted is a reason to stop and ask questions. A genuine label invests in artists; it does not usually ask artists to buy their way in. Ask for the terms in writing, check the company on Companies House and take independent legal advice before paying or signing anything.
What if the label says no, or says nothing?
A pass says that this label cannot or will not release this music now. It rarely says anything about quality. Many labels do not reply at all. Keep your tracking sheet up to date, move to the next label that fits and keep releasing music.
Sources and next steps
These are the primary pages behind the points above. Read the current wording before you act.
- Music and streaming market study, final report: executive summary, Competition and Markets Authority, 29 November 2022 (accessed 25 October 2026).
- UK Voluntary Code of Good Practice on Transparency in Music Streaming, GOV.UK, Intellectual Property Office (accessed 25 October 2026).
- Find and update company information, Companies House, for checking who is behind a label (accessed 25 October 2026).
If you run a label yourself, the hub guide label, white-label or API compares the tools, and how to start a record label covers the paperwork. Compare the WBBT plans, read the WBBT FAQ, look at the music distribution page, and submit your music when your release is ready.
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