On this page you will find some common questions about EastCraft and the demoing of songs. If you can't find an answer to your question here then feel free to Email me at: clientinfo@eastcraftdemos.com
Your very low prices would lead one to believe that your quality is less than professional. How can you offer a demo that can compete with other demo's costing hundreds of dollars more?Very good question. Years ago, while performing as a studio musician, I learned that recording studios have very little over head besides the investment in equipment. The only other overhead, and most expensive, is the musicians that the studio hires to perform the music. In my part of the country a studio musician is paid about 50 dollars per track. Lets add this up. Acoustic guitar = $50.00 plus Bass = $50.00 plus Drums = $50.00 plus Piano = $50.00 plus Lead Guitar = $50.00 plus Steel Guitar = $50.00 plus Lead Vocal = $50.00 plus 3 background vocals = $50.00 x 3 = $150.00
This would take about 3 hours at EastCraft but at other studios the musicians would take much longer because it's difficult to have everyone in at the same time. So, I will assume that the tracking time will equal about 5 hours at a rate of $50.00 per hour for the studio time. You will have invested about $750.00 in your demo. At EastCraft I perform all the music and produce the demo myself. As for the example above, I can complete this demo in about 3 hours. And the final result would be a better demo because I am not limited to just 6 instruments. I can add as many instruments as I think needs to be added to achieve the sound your looking for without any increase in price. EastCraft's equipment is state of the art, 24bit digital audio and along with 20 years in the studio, we're not limited in any way. By eliminating all the overhead, we can produce a professional recording at a fraction of cost.
How long will it take to complete my demo's ?You should have your demo's back within two weeks. Clients that submit more than 2 songs at once, may see a delay that exceeds the two weeks but they are notified of this fact when their songs are received. But usually, they too, will have their demo's within two weeks.
How do I know that my songs will not be stolen and used without my permission and that your business is on the up and up?EastCraft has been in business in the same location (North Carolina) for over 20 years. EastCraft has serviced almost 1000 clients world wide. All EastCraft's clients are treated with the utmost respect. EastCraft is a demo facility and nothing else. At EastCraft, once a song is finished it will stay under lock and key and will go no where unless you order it to be sent somewhere else. Besides, when you copyright your song, before I receive it, and I encourage all clients to do so, it is protected by the US copyright office in Washington DC. If someone used your song and made profits they would be liable to you for the profits received plus any fines imposed by the court system. This is your guarantee that your song is your property. As a second guarantee, EastCraft can provide a demo agreement .
What is the best format to have my demo mastered on?This will depend upon many factors. If your intent is to shop your song to publishers in hopes that they will sign it, I would suggest either CD or MD with CD being the preferred choice because of it's wide spread use. You want your demo to sound as good as possible. You don't want the ears of the reviewer to be dulled by any tape hiss. But, if your budget won't allow CD or MD then cassette is the only other choice. We also provide mp3 down load from our server.
Can you offer any help or advice on shopping my demo?
I would suggest you do some research. BMI's web site offers a searchable data base of publishers. I would start there. Select a few publishers and ask their permission to submit your songs for their consideration. Most publishers want no more than three songs. After hearing three songs they will know if you have what they want. DO NOT submit to a publisher if they have not granted permission to do so. Your demo will either be returned, unopened or be thrown into the trash, with the later being the most likely out come. If you are asked to sign with a publisher I would suggest letting a lawyer look over the agreement. If not, be sure to read the fine print and make sure you understand everything you read. It has never been easier for writers to have their music heard. This is due to the internet and it's musical outlets, which is another way to be heard. It has the record and publishing companies bumping into each other while looking for new talent. The time has never been better for writers than right now. But, above all, be prepared for rejections because it is part of the game. Tenacity will pay off in the long run.
If after I receive my demo, I would like to make changes to the arrangement what will I have to do?
All that you have to do is send an email within 30 days of what you would like changed. I would then schedule your demo to be retracked with your requested changes. If the changes are minor there will be no additional charges. But, if the the changes mean greatly, modifying or changing of the tracked instruments or vocals, you would need to pay a retracking fee of ($75.00).. In most cases if your demo has to be re-tracked from scratch then the standard demo fee of $200.00 will apply however, this will depend on the specific situation . The way to avoid this is be very specific with your original submission instructions although, most clients, after hearing their first demo usually leave the arrangement in my hands. But If you know what instruments and arrangement will achieve the desired effect I will follow your instructions to letter.
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