The music industry is changing every day, and despite people claiming that record labels are dying, the fact remains that musicians still want to know the ins and outs of how to send a demo to The Verve Label Group!
You've built up a buzz, you're getting insane views on your music videos, and now you want to get your music out there even more.
You've got your eye on The Verve Label Group, a Universal Music Group imprint responsible for the release of some American contemporary, Jazz artists you may know of, such as Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, and Billie Holiday to name a few.
And, still highly relevant today, The Verve Label Group is home to current artists including Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, and, Jeff Lorber.
So how do you do it?
How do you reach such a company?
Let's explore the two main methods of how to send a demo to The Verve Label Group and a couple of rules that you need to follow...
The Verve Label Group Info Card
American record company Verve Records is a Universal Music Group company (UMG). The world's largest jazz catalog, which features recordings by musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, and Oscar Peterson, is housed on the Norman Granz-founded label, which was established in 1956. In addition to content that had previously been licensed to Mercury Records, it also included the catalogs of Granz's former labels, Clef Records, founded in 1946, Norgran Records, founded in 1953, and Clef Records.
Year Founded: 1956
Founder: Norman Granz
Website: https://www.vervelabelgroup.com/
Primary Genre(s): American contemporary, Jazz
Parent Label: Universal Music Group
Prominent Artists:
Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Jeff Lorber, Incognito, Will Downing.
The Two Main Ways to Send The Verve Label Group a Demo
There are generally two main methods to getting your demo into the ears of the The Verve Label Group team, as well as any of the other Universal Music Group labels. These methods differentiate between how involved in the wider music industry you are and who you're already connected with.
Method 1
The most typical and arguably easiest way to get your demo into the hands of the The Verve Label Group A&R team would be to have it handed off to them.
This would be through someone like a manager, agent, producer, radio DJ, or some other kind of industry professional. (Universal Music Group)
The reason that this is one of the easiest ways to get your demo to this label is that Universal Music Group, and all of its record labels, refuse to take or listen to any unsolicited media.
They do this because of the sheer amount of music that they receive. If you send it through the proper channels, though, the odds of them checking it out are much higher.
Method 2
If you're an independent or otherwise unsigned musician, you do have other options. Universal Music has a platform called Spinnup that provides services like digital distribution and access to a whole network of talent scouts who have relationships with a variety of labels in the group, including The Verve Label Group. (Universal Music Group)
Spinnup is a great platform as it has been designed to do just this, discover artists! Sadly, Spinnup has announced the switch to invite-only. This changes this submission option in the same way that AWAL changed when Sony acquired it in a $430M deal in March 2022.
AWAL now filters out around 90% of submitted tracks! So why am I telling you this?
Spinnup ❌
AWAL ❌
Well, Spinnup is not completely off the table, UMG is just shifting to a more curated artist discovery and distribution platform.
As a result of this, most indie artists who had been using Spinnup have been asked to take down their releases. It is worth following along with the publications to keep up with what they are doing on the platform.
There are a few other kinds of platforms that you can find that provide similar services and help you in an attempt to get involved with The Verve Label Group.
What to Know BEFORE Submitting a Demo To The Verve Label Group: Demo Submission Rulebook!
Once you figure out how you plan to get your demo to the The Verve Label Group A&R department, you'll want to make sure you do these key things to increase your chances of getting in the doors:
Tip 1: Preparing Your Demo
•Before submitting a demo to a record label, ensure the music is of high quality and sounds polished.
If your demo sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom on a laptop, it's not going to make a good impression. Likewise, you might have a certain, marketable look - but if the music is trash, it won't be enough.
• Ask for feedback from experienced people in the industry to get an idea of whether your tracks are ready for release.
• Make sure you export your tracks in the correct format and that they are properly tagged with clear file names and ID3 tags.
• Do not send demos with copyrighted material or remixes/mashups as these will likely be rejected by labels.
Tip 3: Read The Submission Guidelines
•Most labels have a demo policy that is displayed on their website. This policy outlines the guidelines they require for demo submissions.
• Unsolicited material is often rejected by labels for legal reasons.
• Most labels ask for original, full-length tracks and reject remixes, mashups, previews, unfinished tracks, etc.
• Some acceptable demo formats include private SoundCloud or Dropbox links and MP3 or WAV attachments.
• Mastering and mixdown preferences may be specific (i.e., mixed down track with -6db of headroom).
• Email format should include artist name, track names, and contact info but some labels prefer an EPK (Electronic Press Kit), bio, music career achievements, photos, etc.
• Contact instructions could include email or submission form guidelines and other contact information.
Many label policies explain that they will only contact those whose music has been accepted and offer follow-up instructions if necessary
What Next?
Of course, the last thing you want to do is make sure that you're not sending unsolicited material or anything that infringes on copyright. From there, if you do what is asked of you while sending out a demo, you should really be good to go.
At the end of the day, record labels like The Verve Label Group receive hundreds of demos. It takes a lot of both skill and luck to get chosen to sign with them. That doesn't mean you should ever give up on sending out your demos. It just takes time and determination to find a record label that fits best with you.
If you decide not to use one of the submission platforms above, it might be worth contacting The Verve Label Group directly to check if they have an additional process or contact you can deal with directly.
You also want to get clued up on the different types of record deals out there and be prepared to consult with an entertainment lawyer.