5 Quick Tips On Submitting Your Audio Demo

We get our share of unsolicited audio demos each week at Backbone Entertainment. Between Rob (the other audio director at BBE) and myself, I’d estimate we receive an average of 5 emails/CDs/DVDs every week, containing audio demos from people looking for full-time work, internships, or contract work. And although we’re not hiring for in-house audio positions at the moment, Rob and I always try to listen to all the demos that come across our desks or inboxes.

Having seen/heard many demos in my career, I thought it might be helpful to provide 5 quick tips on submitting your audio demo to video game companies. Disclaimer: This is based on my 10+ years of experiences and preferences; remember, each audio director is a unique and beautiful snowflake. With that said…

1. Know Your Audience

Last week I got a demo from a Country & Western artist, looking for opportunities in the game industry. While I don’t discriminate against using non-traditional types of music in our games, I suspect that the record label representing this artist sent out hundreds of CDs to a list of companies without really considering who they were sending the demos to.  The blanket approach might work well in some cases, but it generally doesn’t make sense for the independent composer or sound designer. Take some time and research the companies and people that you want listening to your demo. Are their audio needs handled in-house by an audio department? Are they a smaller company likely using contractors? What kind of games do they develop? Your chip-tune music is cool, but you probably shouldn’t send a whole CD of it to a development house that specializes in first-person war simulations.

A bit of google research will save you time and money, as well as the time of the person you’re hoping to reach.

2. Know Your Goals

“My goal is create engaging and emotionally compelling audioscapes for video games, in either an internal position, or as a contractor.”

This is a paraphrased example of many an objective statement I’ve seen on resumes and cover letters. The problem isn’t the first part; it’s the last part that’s unfocused. When I see this kind of sentence, I instantly think “amateur”, because an experienced or motivated contractor is going to tell me in a more specific way why I should consider hiring them for my audio needs:

“This year, my main focus is to show developers like you why I’m the first contractor you should be thinking of for your XBLA, PSN and WiiWare audio needs.”

Likewise, an experienced or motivated person looking for a full-time job is going to be specific about why they should be considered for an in-house position. I know it’s tempting to be more generalized in order to keep your options open, but don’t do it. It just makes you seem less professional.

3. Keep It Short

I’m sure you’ve got a lot of interesting music/SFX that help illustrate your talents and abilities. Here’s the thing; most audio directors aren’t going to spend a great deal of time listening to your demo. They either have plenty of other demos to get through, lots of other tasks to focus on, or likely both. Don’t send out a 10 or 15 track demo of full-length songs, because the majority of people will only listen to the first 10-30 seconds of your tracks.

What I love most is getting a single track, 1-3 minutes long that contains a collection of your best work. Consolidate snippets of your coolest stuff into a single track that I can cue up and evaluate. Alternatively, give me 2 or 3 tracks of the work you’re most proud of, or the genres you think you’re strongest in.

You might be worried that audio directors aren’t getting to hear the full “you”, but if they’re interested in your work, they’re going to ask for more.

4. Put Your Best Foot Forward

Since you know that the people you’re sending demos to are busy, make sure your best stuff is heard immediately. Those dramatic 30-second buildups might be wonderful during an in-game cinematic, but on a demo they’re just too long. I want to hear the good stuff, and pronto! Any weak music or sounds should not be a part of your demo just for the sake of making your portfolio look bigger. Less is more in this case.

This tip dovetails nicely with tip #3: Keep It Short. If you follow that tip, you’ll be forced to follow this one.

5. Keep It Online

Haven’t you heard? It’s cool to be green! Every time I get a big fancy audio demo package, I cringe. I can’t help but think about how many resources were spent to manufacture, print, and assemble that glossy monstrosity. Sure it looks cool, but in the end it’s all about the audio, isn’t it? Eventually I’m going to have to dispose of your packaging and marketing materials, your screen-printed CD and your fancy metal CD case — well, I try and reuse those CD cases, but a lot of that extra fluff ends up in the trash waiting to decompose in landfills.

I would much rather have a link to your online portfolio. That way if I like it, I can easily pass the link on to my colleagues and coworkers. Also, if you’re the kind of person who networks at places like GDC or IGDA meetings, you’re likely to meet artists, engineers and people from other disciplines who work at the companies you’re trying to reach. They’ll be more apt to remember to forward an emailed link to the audio department than pass on a business card or demo CD.

Coda

I’m a firm believer that you really don’t need a lot of flash or fancy presentation for a good demo. The people you’ll be targeting are busy with the day-to-day business of making their games, so try to respect their time as you do your own. Let your music speak for itself, and make evaluating your demo enjoyable and simple task instead of a chore. You’ll have a much better chance of being heard.