Demo My Song
Tonight our guest is Trystan Matthews. He owns and operates Demo My Song™ in New York City. His company has been around since 2004 and has grown to include a talented team: They help songwriters and lyricists by producing their song and then (optionally) co-publishing it with them iTunes, Spotify and 90+ more services. We have conducted an interview with him.
Which are the talents (people) you have in your team for 'Demo My Song'?
The people that make up our team are what set us apart from the crowd. We offer professional session vocalists, Berklee College of Music trained songwriters and musicians for hire and direct collaboration with multi-platinum and Grammy winning producers. There are more ways than ever to make your own song. The Demo My Song songwriting and production team gives you access to a power-house of unstoppable musical talent who rally together behind you with one collective goal; to make your songs as great as they possibly can be!
What is the most exciting part of being a song maker?
True collaboration is when the magic happens. The lyric writers and songwriters we work with inspire me every day. I am so often surprised by the quality of writing that we get sent from around the globe. I can’t help but wonder what treasure troves of unshared songs exist in all the attics of songwriters present and past. What it means to be a song creator has changed a lot for me since I started Demo My Song in 2004. What excites me most about being a song maker today, is that we get to help songwriters reach their goal by finishing what they started - often-times many years ago.
How do you craft your art as a song maker?
To bring people together around a unified musical vision, and then watch/hear as the song develops going places I never could have even imagined, is extremely rewarding. When I walk to our studio in Midtown Manhattan each morning I couldn’t be more excited about what the day might bring whether it’s a Gospel songwriting project, tracking drums for a rock song, or recording an amazing new vocal talent. Every day is different and every project is unique. So in that sense the particular way we go about crafting a song is always changing and evolving, much like the creative process itself.
How do you help songwriters and lyricists?
Getting your song from a basic concept to a fully realized recording ready for distribution can be a challenge. We help songwriters and lyricists do just that! And we make it super simple and fun! Any writer can send us their song, poem, or lyrics which we produce for you using our team of talented session musicians and vocalists. You can do whatever you want with the recording we produce for you when we are finished; it’s yours to keep. If you want you can join our label and for no additional charge we will also master the music, create original album artwork and within weeks, your song will be available for sale on 90+ sites such as iTunes, Spotify and more.
What exactly do you do and how do you reach out to them (in which ways)?
In a nutshell, our services can be broken down into two things: songwriting & music production. With our songwriting services you can hire one of our songwriters to co-write a song with your lyrics or melody. But many of our customers already have a fully written song and need only to hire the session musicians and producer to complete the recording. Either way, our songwriting & recording packages have you covered because they include both services in one. The way that we stay in touch during the project will vary depending on the project. Most of our collaborations are done solely over email and phone and take about 2 weeks to complete. If you are in the New York City area or can fly in for a session we’d love to meet you and collaborate in person!
What are the benefits of co-publishing together?
The initial benefit when you co-publish a song with us is that we master the song, create original album artwork, and then distribute it on iTunes, Spotify and more. But as many songwriters who have put their music out on iTunes or other music selling websites have probably come to realize - it’s tough to get people to actually pay for your music. Just releasing it isn’t enough to generate an active fan-base. That’s why we don’t just stop at distribution, and actively seek licensing opportunities for your songs in TV, film and other online media.
Why wouldn't they want to co-publish the song on iTunes, Spotify and 90+ services?
Great question! If you want to keep all the rights to your song then co-publishing with us may not be an ideal choice for you because we become 50/50 owners and would split any profits made down the middle. If you want to keep all the rights we instead offer a Work For Hire Agreement. You always get the same great service and access to session players regardless of what recording agreement you choose for your song or lyrics, so it just comes down to how your prefer to work with us.
What are your goals for 'Demo My Song' moving forward?
Our goal is to make a connection with people, to create art together and hopefully add value to the world. We will be adding some fantastic new singers for hire to our website next month as well as some exciting updates for the label. Please visit Demo My Song and from there you can join our newsletter or send us a direct message.
