Pick your songs. It's best to start with 3 songs for a demo CD. This is because it will show the range of your voice or instrument without taking up too much time. Make sure that you pick songs that are in your genre of expertise. This should be combined with variations with each song, such as having a fast song and a slow song.
Put together the arrangements. Once you know what you will be recording, you will want to put together the instrumentation by finding others who will work with you on the demo CD. With a demo CD, it is acceptable to only use a piano, or you can find a complete band to help you put together the music. Making sure that you find the instrumentation to compliment what you are doing will allow you to get a better sound.
Find a recording studio. If you don't have the equipment to put together your own recording, you will want to plan recording sessions with others who can help you to put everything together. When you begin with a recording studio, you will most likely record the main instruments first, then the solo instrument or voice. Planning for an average of 8 hours to completely record and master all of the songs will give you a complete start to getting your demo CD completed.
Put in the final touches. After you have the final recording of your CD, you will want to make sure that you put everything together in order to show it to those who are interested. Putting together a cover to the front of the CD with photographs, for example, may peak someone's interest and will most likely move them towards listening to the CD.