Purchasing resources for Country Music Record Labels

You’ve got a song, you let it out . . . now what? Just what does it take to get picked up by country music record companies? And with so many country music recording labels out there, from major country music record labels to independent country music record labels, which ones should you contact and what should you send them?

While more and more independent artists have signed record deals from exposure on MySpace and the like, the traditional route of getting a demo in front of a country music record company is still the road often traveled by many top recording artists. To get your songs heard by a country music recording company, consider the following:

1. Work with a professional to create a high-quality demo of your very best songs before submitting anything to a country music label.

2. Hire a music agent to help get your demo in front of major country record companies.

3. Consider peddling your music to country record labels on your own.

Spend time on a demo before contacting country music record companies

Nothing will turn off country music recording companies more than an amateur-sounding demo. Don't let your talent be overshadowed by poor quality production; spend the money to do the demo right.

Hire an agent to help you get in front of country music record labels

Just like most areas of the entertainment industry, it's not what you know, but who you know. Well, music agents and other professionals have the connections with country record labels to get you one step closer to a country music publishing contract.

Contact country music record labels on your own

If you decide to attempt to get a record contract with major country record labels or independent country record labels, be sure to send a demo with three to five of your best songs (with your best, most commercial-sounding song first); an 8X10 high-quality photo of yourself or your band; and a biography that discusses your goals and experience as a musician - local reviews, show dates, etc. The more professional the demo package, the better.

• Now that every band in the world has a MySpace site, the old-fashioned route to get the attention of country music label A&R scouts still makes a lot of sense: Get out on the road and tour and build a real audience.