So heres the thing...

I've been thinking recently that maybe I should do something with my songs, if only to shut the little nagging voice off in my head.
I want to make a demo and send it to a few small independant labels, and thats as far as I'm going to take it.

Trouble is, I have no idea what songs to put on it, what to write in it, where to send it...

I don't expect anything to come of it, and I've mainly decided to do it based on the fact that after finally getting the address of my songs here on bandamp, my auntie seems to think I should definatly do something with them, but she doesn't know and neither do I, and I'm hoping that you might.

I'm going to try and get in contact with some radiostations, just to see what they think I should do.
I'm not going to try too hard though, cause I'll only cry when I get disappointed.
And Amy Christina does not do crying 

Any help and advice, muchly appreciated.
xxx

...We are from Liverpool way....Radio city does a ' Live lounge ' competion...running all the time...upload your track and the most listened to gets airplay...ill check about for other stations with similar...never get dissapointed though....those nagging voices in your head, thats what keeps me going now!...we get a lot of it at the lab...but were not really interested that way to much....but in saying that i often wonder...and dream....and that ' voice ' makes for incredible fuel and inspiration. The feedback you get here is as good if not better then being famous....but then, id love to see myself and the mice on the Chart Show.......hehehehe.
  Ill see what i can find for you....Peace.

Check out the following little tell-tale: here

If I knew anything I'd have tried and tested it... Like I'm trying www.sellaband.com - easy enough (and free!) to create an account there - make sure you get some nice pics of yourself, having checked that site I'm quite sure it helps.

Other than that the dream is often nicer than the reality. Having been in a rock band as main source of income .... (never mind!)

Good luck 2 u

http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2005/10/28/unsigned_music_making_it_feature.shtml
First thing before the labels is most cities have indie style magazine (The Pitch is ours)  submit you demo for review stating that your needing a review because your looking for a label.  If you can get several of these it's even better. Then I would put a press kit together or press release kit .... you can go on line and read about press kits just google  "how to make a press kit"  or you can pay someone to do a professional press kit.(they're usually better liars then we are lol).
Then I would get some great photos done up try to make um as pro as you can get. Attach these with your press kit and reviews and start mailing them out but do your homeowork here it's useless to jsut mail to labels you need to find someone within the label or a connection to that someone. .  also find entertainment lawyers as they can get doors opened up for you that others can't.

 
another approach is professional management companies . every signed band has one that I know of and lots of them had them before their labels. infact a good management company can help you develop your talent get you  the right gigs and set up a performance show for several labels when they think your ready for it.

These are just some suggestion from researching, and having some friends that are in signed national acts.

 Hope this helps some
    Greg

Oh my god.

I've read and taken in all your advice, and its put me right off!
I have no experiance of gigging and live performance, I don't have a face to sell myself, and my music isn't even as good as the artists that DON'T make it.
If I'm going to do this, I need a band behind me, and finding a band could take forever, seeing as everyone these days wants to play arctic monkeys covers and shit.
I'll just carry on like I have been doing, and hope that eventually I'll find some untapped iconic talent in me somewhere. Haha.
I don't want to be 'the next best thing'. I don't want loads of money.
I'd rather scrape a living doing something I love, rather than scrape a living in a job I despise, which is why I still have this nagging voice...but theres no way its going to happen. I'll have to find something else to do.

Didn't mean to put you off .. First thing is what is it you want the label to do.  Most labels want writer/performers  most will want to come see you (showcase gigs)  not all though as times are changing and things are better for writers /nonperformers.  but....

Hey it's work just like anything thing else.... it can be done you don't have to have a band... I know a successful singer and all she does is  have them que up her show in the pa she does all her singing but the music is off  a disk. She is well know in the Christian baptist realm  It's not as bad as it looks... how many doors have you knocked on yet and your already giving up. 

 You have to have Colonel Sanders attitude ...Do you know he started out with nothing but just a recipe, no store no money nothing... just kept talking to people until he found some one that believed he could do it.  Most bands and performers try a few things then give up without really going after it... you have to be prepared for rejection and no responses, .........but   all your looking for is the one that does respond ........Like the ugly guy who goes to the bar and asks every girl for sex ... the other guys say man how can you take all that rejection ...he says I don't care about the many that say no ..only the one that says yes.... That's how this business is  your gonna get told no and not looking ...not the right syle ect, but if you keep at it you can get there, just don't give up. I like your music, and if I do, then so will many others, cause I'm not that unique of a person.

first step is to get your songs in order that you think is good for the cd demo  put your best song first then on down the line ...

design a picture or have a friend that is into art or photography help you design a cool cover for it ...you can duplicate your own cd's and labels yourself at first..... put some in your local cd store lots of stores will let you don't sell em to cheap just under what the other cd's are selling for.

set up Itunes account and a myspace page/cd sells account, . cd baby ect to sell your songs for downloads at first while your doing this get your music together for a gig  make a cd with just your music without vocals or you can look for musicians to play em (there are lots of out of work musicians looking for gigs )  rehearse your show to the best you can get it then start hitting places to play ..local clubs on a off night at first or talent contest, or some bands might let you play in between there sets, or lets say a college campus gig  maybe some kinda festival, or car show  there are lots of events you could play at or ...... get a agent  they take a cut but they get you gigs.

 this is way to long so I'll post more later

right on, just keep rolling with the punches!

ummm, ever tried myspace?

First, sell your creative soul to the devil for $$$$$$$......

Oh just get your stuff recorded with good instrumentation (your a brilliant vocalist!) and slap it on a CD. That's where I'd start.

I've just been reading a post by Stevie Jackson on the Belle and Sebastian website and he was talking about being recognised and stuff, and said he might get recognised in local bars by other musicians.  He was explaining how they are more talented than he is, yet he and the band have 'made it'.  Unfortunantly he puts it down to luck.  True, you make your own luck but the fact remains - talent alone won't get you where you want to be.  Although I'm not good enough, I've often thought about it and come to the conclusion that playing live isn't for me (I'd throw up from nerves).  So...ok...fame it's not going to be, but that's not why I write my silly little songs.  If you do anything artistic with the aim of cash and fame then, in my opinion, it's the wrong aim.  I've met people with immense talent who have been playing for years (even live performances) and they never made it, but they are not bitter because of the reasons they write stuff.  It's personal and if someone picks up on it then fine, but 'hope' is a horrible thing that eats us inside.  It's like you said, crying is no fun.  Anyway you seem to have the right attitude ........... and I'm sure you could market that face!!!  I'd buy your record.

If you don't want to perform (this is difficult to do for some and performance takes time to develop) why not make a simple demo of the songs (you singing and a guitar) and sell other artists on the idea of performing and recording your music.
There are many songwriters who don't play in public, have lousy voices, etc. but write great songs.
I suggest you document the songs (record) and, after you copyright the collection of songs, send them to songwriters.
With technology the way it is you could have the music and the lyrics on a CD; no paper-easy to mail.
Network with other songwriters. Go to open mics. Find singers that you think would do a good job performing your music and get them the songs.
Good luck

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could do all this online??

Hey I know this site it's called BandAMP it's full of songwriters and musicians who could help you out

But hey yeah try to mingle with existing music scenes, talk all over town, make your CD's and have them played in all the places you go. Make sure everyone around you knows you're a musician. Find a friend to play on the streets with. It's cool! You will draw attention and you can sell your CD's. Don't worry about copyrights at this stage, you have them by default. .... etc...