Is ITunes enough for new bands or are demos still needed?

I have recently spoke with several young up and coming bands and only one had a demo and only one other had plans to do a demo when they got the funds. The rest said they were only going to release their music on ITunes! My question is is ITunes enough for new band or should they continue to try to put out a traditional demo in order to try to get signed?

I know a small handful of bands that this marketing plan has worked for. But for the most part I do not think this is a very good way to go. It is like saying we do not have enough money to do a real demo so we just posted our music to ITunes. I am wrong or just old for thinking like this. It seems odd that I talk with 15 of the best bands in the Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri area and two are planning on do a REAL DEMO.

Thoughts - Please Let Me Know.

I don't have a full band together yet, but I've recorded demos and made lots of copies of my latest. I've mailed them to people, brought them to shows, given them to anyone I've happened to be talking about metal to, etc.

Out of it I've gotten lots of feedback, gained some real fans, one guy designed me a new logo, and I just got into contact with a drummer who's interested in joining who found out about me through my demo

Maybe I'm behind the times but I like this method and it seems to be working for me

I think just releasing songs or a demo on itunes is kinda tacky. Something about the DIY ethic of recording something yourself and creating the art and inserts and stuff rings more true to me like your actually doing footwork for your sh!t..I dunno.

Nothing can compare to having a tangible cd, cassette, promo photo...period!

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

Thanks. It seems that bands these days just want to get there music out as fast and as cheap as possible which is Itunes or posted up on some site like Myspace or Last FM.

But somehow to me this does not seem like a band is all in. It is sort of like walking the fence, well we hope this goes somewhere but we do not believe in it enough to invest any skin into the project or this band.

I remember back when a band would practice for six month before they tired to play out now you have bands that have been together two weeks trying to play out. Believe me you can tell the difference!

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

No, it's your own choice, not everyone plays music to make it big and get famous.

snooloui wrote:

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

No, it's your own choice, not everyone plays music to make it big and get famous.

who said anything about either? if you didn't want people to hear it, you wouldn't put it out there at all. using all available methods gets it out there to more listeners. period.

Just Itunes alone is not enough. Although its easier putting up songs on Itunes for a wider audience to get your stuff, it just seems that its lacking what should really be done.

When AoB did our "Demo 2003", we made copies and passed them out to everyone and anyone. We played out a lot and garnered a damn good fan base. We gave away well over 5,000 demo's! Besides, demo's are just demo's. Why sell them?

adrian wrote:

I don't have a full band together yet, but I've recorded demos and made lots of copies of my latest. I've mailed them to people, brought them to shows, given them to anyone I've happened to be talking about metal to, etc.

Out of it I've gotten lots of feedback, gained some real fans, one guy designed me a new logo, and I just got into contact with a drummer who's interested in joining who found out about me through my demo

Maybe I'm behind the times but I like this method and it seems to be working for me

This is the correct metal attitude!!!! Hail to you , what band are you in??

Yeah Krokus... inquiring minds want to know.

Great attitude with your project too! Kudo's!

Lurideath wrote:

Yeah Krokus... inquiring minds want to know.

Great attitude with your project too! Kudo's!

mc666 wrote:

snooloui wrote:

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

No, it's your own choice, not everyone plays music to make it big and get famous.

who said anything about either? if you didn't want people to hear it, you wouldn't put it out there at all. using all available methods gets it out there to more listeners. period.

Perfectly put. Modern technology isn't the curse to metal it's often made out to be. The amount of bands I've discovered through online promotion is ridiculous.

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

I would agree - use whatever means are available!!

mc666 wrote:

snooloui wrote:

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

No, it's your own choice, not everyone plays music to make it big and get famous.

who said anything about either? if you didn't want people to hear it, you wouldn't put it out there at all. using all available methods gets it out there to more listeners. period.

Why are you a moron for not using outlets like iTunes then? Of course it would help get your band more exposure, but it wouldn't make you an idiot for not using it (for whatever reasons).

krokus wrote:

adrian wrote:

I don't have a full band together yet, but I've recorded demos and made lots of copies of my latest. I've mailed them to people, brought them to shows, given them to anyone I've happened to be talking about metal to, etc.

Out of it I've gotten lots of feedback, gained some real fans, one guy designed me a new logo, and I just got into contact with a drummer who's interested in joining who found out about me through my demo

Maybe I'm behind the times but I like this method and it seems to be working for me

This is the correct metal attitude!!!! Hail to you , what band are you in??

Lethal Energy. Like I said, not really a full band yet as on all demos I've recorded everything by myself, but if this drummer I just got into contact with works out, then all I need is to find a decent bassist!

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

Ding!

You have to do it all.

Eyesore wrote:

mc666 wrote:

these days, if you don't utilize any & all outlets available to you, then you're a moron.

Ding!

You have to do it all.

Sounds about right. Itunes is probably the easiest and quickest way to get things out there these days, but if you're really serious, you gotta do it all using every format available.

Using that premise, it could even work against you by going through itunes alone. It's easy, quick and ultimately, disposable. If your attitude is "This is something we just threw together and put on itunes", folks might not take it seriously. Here today, gone later today.

If, on the other hand, you're going all out making cdrs, artwork, flyers, etc. it might make people take notice more and think "Hey, these guys are for real".

So I suppose my plan to send cassette tapes and photocopies to Capitol Records probably would be the wrong route for me to go?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Using that premise, it could even work against you by going through itunes alone. It's easy, quick and ultimately, disposable. If your attitude is "This is something we just threw together and put on itunes", folks might not take it seriously. Here today, gone later today.

And we already see this all the time, bands putting music online that should never be heard outside of a close circle of friends and family, if that. I have demos from my teen years, all on cassette, and all rarely heard by anyone but the people that recorded it. Yeah, there may be some cool things on those tapes, but they're not meant for mass consumption. No way.

It's like that Haunted by Heroes band. Those kids should not being playing live shows. They're simply not good enough yet.

The same thing is happening with writers now. With the ease of Print-on-Demand publishing, writers who are in no way ready to be publishing are self-publishing their literary turds, flooding the market with poop.

The ease of technology should never replace the years and years of hard work it takes to actually do well at a certain craft. Publishing a crap story through Amazon or uploading a poopy song to MySpace because it's easy does not negate putting the proper time in to hone your craft.

Sadly, for some, they think it does.

Eyesore wrote:

It's like that Haunted by Heroes band. Those kids should not being playing live shows. They're simply not good enough yet.

Careful there, you basement-dwelling hater. You're gonna get that Sandman guy all riled up again.

adrian wrote:

krokus wrote:

adrian wrote:

I don't have a full band together yet, but I've recorded demos and made lots of copies of my latest. I've mailed them to people, brought them to shows, given them to anyone I've happened to be talking about metal to, etc.

Out of it I've gotten lots of feedback, gained some real fans, one guy designed me a new logo, and I just got into contact with a drummer who's interested in joining who found out about me through my demo

Maybe I'm behind the times but I like this method and it seems to be working for me

This is the correct metal attitude!!!! Hail to you , what band are you in??

Lethal Energy. Like I said, not really a full band yet as on all demos I've recorded everything by myself, but if this drummer I just got into contact with works out, then all I need is to find a decent bassist!

I just played some of your songs on you tube and i can hear some cool riffs and good ideas. Good luck.

krokus wrote:

adrian wrote:

krokus wrote:

adrian wrote:

I don't have a full band together yet, but I've recorded demos and made lots of copies of my latest. I've mailed them to people, brought them to shows, given them to anyone I've happened to be talking about metal to, etc.

Out of it I've gotten lots of feedback, gained some real fans, one guy designed me a new logo, and I just got into contact with a drummer who's interested in joining who found out about me through my demo

Maybe I'm behind the times but I like this method and it seems to be working for me

This is the correct metal attitude!!!! Hail to you , what band are you in??

Lethal Energy. Like I said, not really a full band yet as on all demos I've recorded everything by myself, but if this drummer I just got into contact with works out, then all I need is to find a decent bassist!

I just played some of your songs on you tube and i can hear some cool riffs and good ideas. Good luck.

Thanks!