*This article may contain links to affiliate products & services. We have reviewed these services to try and ensure the highest quality recommendations*
Written by Omari
Interscope records is one of the most highly recognized modern music labels, and has been operating for over three decades. The brand is owned by the Universal Music Group and has around 150 artists currently performing under its label, some of the most well known including the Rolling Stones, Lana del Ray, Dr. Dre, Ellie Goulding, Billie Eilish, Avicii, Lady Gaga, and more.
As such, achieving a partnership with the label for your work could be a game-changer for your career. Still, a successful demo submission with Interscope Records isn’t necessarily easy to achieve. With this thought in mind, we’re looking at some of the key things you need to know about Interscope’s demo submission process and how you can ace this accordingly.
If you want to make yourself known, signing on with Interscope Records could take your career to ever greater heights. However, this isn’t necessarily something that’s at all easy to do, which is why planning out your demo creation procedure is integral.
Fortunately, we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know about making your work stand out as follows. It might just give you the best chances of signing on with Interscope Records.
Before we go further, it’s important to consider where Interscope Records is located and whether this could align with your work. Interscope Records is located in Santa Monica, California, although they work internationally to release music.
They often say that first impressions are everything – and this is undeniably true when it comes to your first demo submission with Interscope Records, too. Indeed, submitting a demo with Interscope records can allow you to grow your career, but it’s important to consider that you’ll hardly be alone here. In fact, Interscope Records receives a substantial number of demo submission applications on a weekly basis.
As such, making yourself stand out from the crowd is integral to ensure that Interscope gives your application a fighting chance. Finding something new is essential in this regard. Remember: if your new demo doesn’t immediately kick off with something bold and new, you may struggle to hook Interscope’s attention later on.
A common mistake that many people make when submitting demos to brands such as Interscope is to assume a demo is a “work in progress.” However, this is not the case at all. In fact, your demo content should be a snippet of the finished work – so don’t send it in until you’re completely happy with the song as a whole!
While this can seem frustrating and time-consuming, it’ll leave a significantly better impression on the teams reviewing your demos, making it far more likely that you’ll achieve good results.
Interscope Records is a highly experienced business that provides incredibly thorough support for individuals from across the music scene. They originally launched to focus on Hip-Hop, but many of their artists nowadays are more closely focused on Pop music. As such, when attempting a demo submission with Interscope Records, be sure you’re sending in a song that matches with their and their artists’ expertise.
If you don’t have a presence in the music industry already, we’d strongly recommend taking steps to increase your popularity and fame before attempting to join up with Interscope Records. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to make yourself better-known within the music industry, even if you have been having trouble with this so far. Some key tips and ideas you could try to increase your fame in the music industry include:
Reach out through social media. When releasing new singles or writing new songs, make sure to reach out through social media to ensure that as many people as possible can hear your work. This will allow a greater audience to see what you can do – and may begin getting your name out there, too.
Don’t send a demo submission before your name is known. It’s tempting to send in an Interscope demo submission as soon as it’s done. However, no matter how proud you might be, try not to rush into this; getting feedback from other people can help you perfect the demo even further and find the most optimal solutions for your needs.
Partner with a promotion team. If you’ve been struggling with your efforts to get new outreach for your work, be sure to reach out to a professional music outreach team – such as ours here at Omari – to make things a little easier. Professional teams are in a unique position to support outreach with your business. This step allows you to focus on what matters instead: making your music the best it can be.
When submitting a demo track, it’s easy to use a generic tagline or message to accompany it. However, this shows a disconnect and lack of interest in the music, limiting your chances of the demo getting heard at all.
So, try to demonstrate how much time you’ve put into the song by briefly explaining the background and themes in an accompanying message; this can help ensure that the person listening to the demo knows what to expect and – critically – sees how important this is to you. It can make a surprising amount of difference!
As a final tip, you absolutely must be professional when sending a demo submission to Interscope Records at all times. Under pressure, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this isn’t a casual chat but an official job opportunity; therefore, make sure to use only your official contact details, such as a LinkedIn or professional Facebook Business account, during the application. This will help Interscope take your application for a demo more seriously accordingly.
Making a new Interscope demo submission is always a huge step, and this can understandably feel like a somewhat scary and nerve-wracking process. With this thought in mind, we strongly recommend that you consider the tips we’ve given for Interscope demo submission today to help inform your decision. After all, demo submission with Interscope Records can be a tough and brutal process; they’ll only take on the best, so make sure to set yourself apart from the crowd!
Interscope is owned by Universal Music Group, so whenever you have followed the steps in this article, you can submit your music here.
When your song is ready to go, it's time to start promoting it to potential fans! Omari has the best organic promotion services money can buy. With packages for Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we will get your music the traffic and attention it deserves! Click below for more information.
Join the No-Nonsense Music Marketing Newsletter to get the most valuable weekly case studies and strategies to grow your music business!
5 replies to "Interscope Records Demo Submissions: How To Stand Out"
i want to send 5 songs via email because thats the only way i can do it
FBB TP IS A YOUNG KID THATS IS UP NEXT PLEASE CHECK HIM OUT ON ALL PLATEFORMS….
What a joke – these thieves won’t support you unless you give everything to them and become their slave.
Wake up, they ARE ‘the MAN’ – and they will fuck you as they see fit. All of interscope are filth. Want to be a slave – go to them – OR – be free and go independent. If you can make a ‘demo’ for these thieves, you can go independent and remain free. You won’t be free with these scumbags!
It would be next to impossible to chase up response & feedback for a recording artist that is outside the USA.
Which makes sense to pursue the local scene wherever you are presently.
Hey Omari,
This is great information, however, per universal, and on behalf of any of their labels, they do not accept unsolicited material. Here’s per the link you provided:
“Demo submissions should be directed to UMG’s record labels, but kindly note that they are unable to accept unsolicited material. Typically, demos are recommended to one of our labels’ A&R departments by a manager, agent, producer, radio DJ or other industry professional. Another option for unsigned artists is UMG’s site, Spinnup, which offers both digital distribution and has a network of scouts who have a relationship with many of Universal Music’s labels.”