You've finished your track and you're ready to send it to labels. But before you hit send, there's a list of things that separate demos that get listened to from demos that get deleted.
A&R teams at electronic music labels receive dozens — sometimes hundreds — of demos per week. Most get rejected in the first 30 seconds. Not because the music is bad, but because the submission itself is unprofessional, the mix quality doesn't meet standards, or the producer clearly didn't research the label.
This checklist covers everything from mix preparation to follow-up etiquette.
Part 1: Pre-Submission Quality Check
Before you even think about which label to send to, your track needs to meet professional standards. No label will sign a track that sounds like a demo — they want release-ready material.
Mix Quality
Run through these checks on your mix:
Loudness
- Integrated LUFS is within your genre's expected range (-8 to -5 LUFS for most dance floor genres)
- True peak does not exceed -1 dBTP
- Loudness range (LRA) matches genre expectations (4-8 LU for most club music)
Frequency Balance
- No mud in the 200-400 Hz range
- No harshness in the 2-5 kHz range
- Sub-bass is present and controlled (not boomy, not thin)
- High end is detailed without being fatiguing
Stereo Image
- Low end (below 150 Hz) is mono
- Overall correlation stays above 0.3
- Stereo width is genre-appropriate (tighter for techno, wider for trance)
- No phase cancellation when summed to mono
Arrangement
- Clear intro (16-32 bars) suitable for DJ mixing
- Identifiable sections: intro, buildup, drop, breakdown, second drop, outro
- Clean outro (16-32 bars) for DJ mixing
- Energy arc is clear and intentional — see our arrangement tips for DJ-friendly electronic music for detailed guidance
- Track length is appropriate (5-7 minutes for most DJ-oriented genres)
Rhythm
- Kick and bass work together without masking
- Transients are clean and punchy
- Groove is consistent and appropriate for the genre
- No timing issues with layered percussion
If you're unsure about any of these, objective analysis tools can help. UpTrack scores your mix against genre-specific references for all five categories — loudness, frequency, stereo, structure, and rhythm — so you know exactly where your track stands before submission.
Mastering
Your demo should be mastered, or at least pre-mastered to a professional standard. Labels will sometimes re-master the track, but the demo needs to demonstrate that the mix translates well.
Mastering checklist:
- [ ] Limiter ceiling set to -1 dBTP (true peak mode enabled)
- [ ] No audible distortion or clipping
- [ ] Dynamic range is appropriate — not squashed, not too open
- [ ] Low end is controlled and tight
- [ ] Track sounds good on multiple playback systems (headphones, monitors, car, phone speaker)
- [ ] A/B comparison with 2-3 reference tracks from the target label sounds competitive
Format
File format:
- WAV or AIFF, 24-bit, 44.1 kHz minimum (most labels accept 48 kHz too)
- Never send MP3 as your primary demo format — it signals amateur-level production
- Some labels accept private streaming links (SoundCloud, Dropbox) instead of file attachments. Check their submission guidelines
File naming:
- Use a clear naming convention:
ArtistName - TrackTitle.wav - No version numbers, dates, or cryptic names like
final_v3_MASTER_new.wav - Keep the filename clean and professional
Metadata
Embed metadata in your audio file before sending:
- Title: Track name
- Artist: Your artist name (exactly as you want it displayed)
- Genre: Primary genre
- BPM: Accurate to one decimal place
- Key: Musical key (Camelot or standard notation)
- Year: Release year
Most labels will re-tag the file, but having clean metadata shows professionalism.
Part 2: Choosing the Right Label
Sending to the wrong label is the most common demo submission mistake. For a detailed guide on label research and selection, see our guide on how to choose the right label for your track.
Quick checklist:
- [ ] You've listened to 5-10 recent releases from the label
- [ ] Your track's genre, energy, and production style match their catalog
- [ ] Your BPM is within the label's typical range
- [ ] The label is active (releasing music regularly)
- [ ] They're currently accepting demos
- [ ] You've found their preferred submission method (email, form, platform)
- [ ] You have the correct demo submission email or link
Building Your Target List
Don't send to one label at a time — build a list of 10-15 labels that fit your track, ranked by preference. This way, if your top choices pass, you have fallback options ready.
Organize your list with:
- Label name
- Genre/style match (1-5 rating)
- Demo submission contact
- Submission status (not sent / sent / responded)
- Notes (specific release that matches your track, A&R name if known)
UpTrack's label matching can accelerate this process. After analysis, it matches your track with labels from our database of 600+ electronic music labels based on genre, BPM, and production quality — each with demo submission contacts.
Part 3: The Submission
Email Template
Keep it short. A&R people scan emails — they don't read essays.
Subject line: Demo Submission — [Track Title] — [Artist Name]
Body:
Hi [Label Name / A&R Name],
I'd like to submit [Track Title] for consideration. It's a [genre] track at [BPM] BPM, [key].
[Private streaming link or attached WAV]
[One sentence about why this track fits the label — reference a specific release or sound]
Thanks for listening, [Artist Name] [SoundCloud / website link]
That's it. Four to five lines plus your link.
What to Include
- Private streaming link: A private SoundCloud link or unlisted Dropbox/Google Drive link. Don't make the label download a file from a random service
- One track only: Unless the label specifically asks for an EP, send one track. Your best one
- Your best link: SoundCloud, website, or Spotify artist page — whichever shows your strongest work
What Not to Include
- Your life story: Nobody cares about your journey to music production in a demo email
- Multiple tracks: It looks like you don't know which one is good
- Pressure to respond: "Please let me know by Friday" is a guaranteed delete
- Comparison to famous artists: "I sound like a cross between Bicep and Aphex Twin" helps nobody
- WAV attachments: Large file attachments often get blocked by email filters. Use streaming links
- Generic emails: "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern" — take 30 seconds to find the label name
Part 4: After You Send
Response Times
Realistic timelines:
- Small labels (under 10K followers): 1-3 weeks
- Mid-size labels (10K-100K followers): 2-6 weeks
- Large labels (100K+ followers): 4-12 weeks or never
Most labels do not respond to rejections. Silence after 4-6 weeks usually means no.
Follow-Up Etiquette
- Wait at least 3-4 weeks before following up
- One follow-up only: Send a single, brief follow-up email referencing your original submission
- Don't re-send the track: Just reference it
- Accept silence: If your follow-up gets no response, move on to the next label
Follow-up template:
Hi [Label Name],
I submitted [Track Title] about [X] weeks ago and wanted to check if you had a chance to listen. No rush — just following up.
[Original streaming link]
Thanks, [Artist Name]
Tracking Submissions
Keep a simple spreadsheet:
| Label | Track | Date Sent | Follow-up Date | Status | Notes | |-------|-------|-----------|---------------|--------|-------| | Label A | Track Title | Feb 10 | Mar 3 | Waiting | | | Label B | Track Title | Feb 12 | Mar 5 | Rejected | "Not right for us" | | Label C | Track Title | Feb 15 | - | Accepted | Contract sent |
This prevents double-sending, tracks your follow-up schedule, and helps you see patterns over time.
Part 5: Dealing with Rejection
Rejection is normal. Even successful producers get rejected regularly. Here's how to handle it:
If you get a form rejection ("Thanks but this isn't right for us"):
- Don't take it personally
- Don't ask why — labels don't have time to provide individual feedback
- Move to the next label on your list
If you get constructive feedback ("The mix needs work" or "The arrangement isn't club-ready"):
- This is gold. Most labels don't give feedback at all
- Take the feedback seriously, improve the track, and consider resubmitting in the future (not immediately)
- This is where objective mix analysis helps — if a label says "the mix needs work," tools like UpTrack can pinpoint exactly what needs fixing
If you get silence:
- After your follow-up, move on
- Don't send angry emails
- Don't post about it on social media
- Keep the relationship professional — you may submit again in the future
Part 6: Building Momentum
Getting signed isn't a one-shot event. It's a process of building a catalog, improving your production quality, and developing relationships with labels over time.
Long-term strategy:
- Release consistently: One track every 4-8 weeks, whether signed or self-released
- Build a SoundCloud/Bandcamp presence: A&R teams will check your profile. Have a catalog of quality work
- Start small: Get 3-5 releases on small labels before approaching mid-size ones
- Network: Attend events, engage with label communities, support other artists on the roster
- Improve with every track: Each release should be better than the last. Use objective feedback to track your progress
For more on strategy and approach, see our guide on how to get signed to an electronic music label.
The Complete Checklist
Print this out and check every box before sending:
Track Quality:
- [ ] Integrated LUFS within genre range
- [ ] True peak below -1 dBTP
- [ ] No frequency buildups (mud, harshness)
- [ ] Mono-compatible low end
- [ ] Clear arrangement with DJ-friendly intro/outro
- [ ] A/B tested against reference tracks
- [ ] Sounds good on 3+ playback systems
File Preparation:
- [ ] WAV or AIFF, 24-bit, 44.1/48 kHz
- [ ] Clean filename: ArtistName - TrackTitle.wav
- [ ] Metadata embedded (title, artist, BPM, key, genre)
- [ ] Private streaming link created and tested
Label Research:
- [ ] Listened to 5-10 recent releases from the label
- [ ] Genre, energy, and BPM match confirmed
- [ ] Label is active and accepting demos
- [ ] Correct submission contact found
Submission:
- [ ] Short, professional email
- [ ] One track only
- [ ] Private link included (not WAV attachment)
- [ ] One sentence explaining the fit
- [ ] Follow-up date set (3-4 weeks out)
Get your track release-ready before submitting to labels. Try UpTrack free — instant mix analysis with label matching, no credit card required. See our pricing plans for full-length track analysis.