Choose three or four of your best songs to record. A demo recording should contain no more than four songs that highlight your best musical attributes and demonstrate what you have to offer the music business.
Practice your songs to perfection. The more you have your vocals and instrumentation down to a science, the less time you will need to spend recording, which can save you a great deal of money if you plan to use a pro studio.
Decide how you want to record your demo. You can buy time in a professional studio, where engineers will gladly help you to get the best possible mix, or you can record your own demo at home using a digital audio program like Pro Tools, Logic or Cubase. Note that unless you have experience with music engineering and access to a relatively soundproof environment with good acoustics, a home recording will typically not give you the same quality as a studio recording. Therefore, you may want to invest in real studio time if you can afford it.
Record your demo.
Write a brief biography for your band. If submitting as a solo artist, focus primarily on your musical goals and achievements. Keep your bio under one page and mention how the band came together (if applicable), number of years active, venues played, notable collaborations with other artists and any other information that a promoter might find useful.
Create a fact sheet. As opposed to the biography, which appears in narrative format, this will outline very basic, fundamental information in list format. It should include the names of all band members and the instruments they play, as well as any album releases, recent tour dates and relevant contact information. The website GetSigned.com also recommends including your hometown and the names of studios where you have recorded.
Scan any relevant press that your band has received. If a local newspaper has reviewed one of your concerts, or if you conducted an interview with a music magazine, include scanned pages with your press kit.
Prepare a cover letter with three to five paragraphs. This will introduce promoters to your band and explain your reasons for submission, whether to get signed to a record label or get booked at a concert venue.
Place all of your content in a transparent folder or presentation folder.