Many signed bands and artists record demos of new songs before recording an album. However, large record labels usually ignore unsolicited demos that are sent to them by mail artists generally must be more creative about getting the demos into the hands of the people who make decisions for the record company. These demos are usually sent to record labels in hopes that the artist will be signed onto the label's roster and allowed to record a full-length album in a professional recording studio.
Many unsigned bands and artists record demos in order to obtain a recording contract. Both Elton John and Donovan gained studio experience early in their careers by recording publishers' demos for other artists since their managers also handled music publishing, as did Garth Brooks, who was so impressed when recording the demo of ' Friends in Low Places' that he asked to release the song himself. Songwriters' and publishers' demos are recorded with minimal instrumentation, usually just an acoustic guitar or piano and the vocals. Demos are typically recorded on relatively crude equipment such as 'boom box' cassette recorders, small four- or eight-track machines, or on personal computers with audio recording software.
