What do I need to know about doing a Demo or short run CD for the purpose of getting bookings?
Typically, a short run or demo CD is used to showcase your ability to other entities, that if interested, could desire a working relationship to develop. This could be you submitting your songs to a talent agent or other soliciting agency. It might also be recordings that you use in the promotional info you send to perspective clubs or venues that you want to perform at. In any event, typically, the level of engineering and “fine-tuning” required for these endeavors is far less than when you want to release a full blown retail product. A studio may elect to do a simple two microphone ambient setup and let the whole band play to capture the energy, while keeping the bill to a minimum. Most demo and short run CDs include 3-5 songs, which can generally be recorded and mixed to an acceptable level within 2-4 hours per song. This can be a very cost effective direction to choose if you are new to the studio environment, or if your checkbook is currently thinner then you might like it to be.
