From the blog
Practical ideas for running a clearer, more professional demo submission process.
What a demo submission portal actually changes
We built Calmo around a submission portal instead of an inbox. Here is the specific thing that changes when demos stop arriving as email.
Email is where demos go to die
Email is a great way to hear music and a tricky system for managing it. Here is why demo intake struggles in the inbox, and what to use instead.
So you want to open for demos
Opening for demos is easy. Handling every demo that arrives is the actual decision. A practical, opinionated playbook.
Good submission guidelines are a filter, not fine print
A short, honest page beats a defensive policy every time. What to write, a template you can steal, and the promise you should not make.
Most submission forms ask the wrong questions
A submission form is the start of a workflow, not the finish line. Ask for less, and make sure the thing you build survives past the submit button.
A&R is taste. The workflow around it shouldn't be.
The judgment part of A&R should stay human and messy. The administrative part should be boring and reliable. Most teams mix the two up.
Why we give every artist a status page
A status page is not a promise of feedback. It is the smallest honest answer to the only question most artists have after submitting.