I notice Universal are about to follow the current trend of uploading demo`s via their website to the A+R recycle bin(?), which seems to be the growing trend.
It would be interesting to hear any A+R views on this, as the responses that I have heard from other acts/artistes, seem to be the automated response of the standard rejection letter.
Is the music actually getting an airing?

This is the reply we received ...

Hi, Thanks for submitting your track to Parlophone. It's now been reviewed by our A&R team. We will contact you shortly if we feel it's appropriate for the label.

Regards
A&R Team
Parlophone

Think that's a NO then .... straight to the recycle bin.

Stretch
www.Dastards.com

I had the same reply from Parlophone, on a track that I accidently submitted twice, both replies came within 2 minutes.
Would it not be politer, to submit a message on the website and press releases to the effect of, ".....what we are looking for is X,Yand Z currently, please don`t waste our time with anything else as we will bin it..."
When they actually take a web demo, from their own server, and make it a hit, I do hope they crow about that as much as the Tesco like announcement of "Every Little Helps", which is currently all it seems to be.

Martin wrote:
I had the same reply from Parlophone, on a track that I accidently submitted twice, both replies came within 2 minutes.
Would it not be politer, to submit a message on the website and press releases to the effect of, ".....what we are looking for is X,Yand Z currently, please don`t waste our time with anything else as we will bin it..."
When they actually take a web demo, from their own server, and make it a hit, I do hope they crow about that as much as the Tesco like announcement of "Every Little Helps", which is currently all it seems to be.
Simplifying the sending of demos is indeed one thing, whereas having the market knowledge is another. Maybe that will always be in the hands of middlemen. For non-label things, the American outfit Sonicbids are worth checking. Their process for submitting is great for both creators and users of music. It also favours more useful feedback.

major label a&r-departments only work with middleman (producers/manager) they know.

Maybe there were a few exceptions in the last 30 years, but the stories about bands getting signed after sending in tapes, cd-rs or mp3s are mainly myths.

DJ Jones is correct..........I don't know of any act ever... signed by mailing something in to a label.

I can't see the thing with Universal working.. it sounds like a ploy to edit out the trash, which unfortunately is most of what comes in.

There has to be a professional middle man or it simply will not get heard, and heard the right way.

I know a new act that just got signed by Universal Motown in NY. They were brought in by a producer, and a manager together with seemingly lots of finacial support behind them, and had a live showcase at the label.

There is a good article on the A&R-function of the indies for the majors

But it is not a new thing, but this kind of cooperation is going on for at least 30 years

As record sales dwindle, indie labels form unlikely alliances with the corporate beasts
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1935440,00.html