How to approach Canadian record labels and demo submissions

A record label can participate in production, release, promotion, distribution, and artist development, but the actual bundle varies by company and deal. Music Canada’s industry overview is a useful starting point, while the label’s own public description controls what that particular company says it does.

Separate the label’s public role from the proposed deal. Ask which recording, publishing, marketing, distribution, accounting, and approval work is included, who pays for it, and which duties remain with the artist. A familiar label name does not answer those questions; the written offer does.

There is no single Canadian demo process. Bonsound’s current page asks for the best songs and information through streaming or video links, with no attachments, zip files, or follow-up calls. CDN Records uses its contact form, asks for a brief description and a listening link, and says steady playing and audience evidence can help. Read these as company-specific instructions, not a national rule.

Before sending, confirm the page, route, file or link format, requested context, and whether follow-up is permitted. If the policy is silent, do not infer an open invitation, a response time, or permission to contact staff through another channel. Recheck the official page immediately before submitting.

Build a one-line policy check before you send: official page and date checked, route used, material requested, attachments allowed, and follow-up rule. If any item is unclear, use the published route or stop; a label-specific policy does not authorize a different channel.

Send exactly what the policy requests. For the CDN Records example, that means a brief description and one web link where the music can be heard; for Bonsound, it means streaming or video links rather than attachments. Add a clear reason the roster is a fit and current public artist links only when they help the recipient assess the project.

Keep the message easy to assess: name the project, identify the release or recording, explain the fit in one or two sentences, and point to the requested material. Do not scrape staff contacts, attach private data, or claim an open policy that the official page no longer states.

A release agreement can interact with ownership of the recording, publishing, mechanical licensing, reporting, and payment obligations. CMRRA’s label-facing mechanical framework illustrates why the rights and administration sections deserve close reading. Before signing, mark the term, territory, rights granted, costs, recoupment, approvals, reporting, audit or accounting process, and exit provisions, then get independent legal advice.

If the draft refers to mechanical licensing or release administration, identify the specific recording, work, and party responsible for each step. CMRRA’s label-facing framework can help you name questions about reproductions and accounting, but it does not replace the agreement or independent legal advice.

An accepted demo is not a complete deal. Compare the proposed services with the label’s public description, then list the recording and publishing rights, term, territory, costs, recoupment, approvals, accounting, and exit provisions in the draft agreement. Keep questions and changes in writing before you authorize release activity.

Keep a simple record of the label page you checked, the date, the route used, the links or files sent, and any response. Save the public policy for reference, but do not treat a saved copy as proof that the policy remains open. If a label replies with different terms, compare that message with the proposed agreement and ask which rights, services, costs, approvals, and accounting duties are actually being offered.

A dated record prevents duplicate submissions and prohibited follow-ups. Note whether the material was requested, who controls the links, which version was sent, and when you will stop following up. If several team members are involved, keep one shared record so the same project is not described differently or sent through a route the label has closed. The goal is a focused, respectful submission that can be evaluated on its own merits.

A request to hear music and an offer to release it are separate steps. Keep an internal record of the exact version sent, the project and recording it represents, the writers and recording owner, and any sample or third-party material that may need permission. This gives you a stable reference when a later conversation names rights, costs, or release activity.

If the conversation becomes an offer, compare the defined recording and composition, rights granted, term, territory, recoupment, approvals, accounting, mechanical licensing, and exit provisions. Ask who is responsible for each administration step and what reports you will receive. CMRRA’s mechanical-licensing framework helps identify reproduction and accounting questions, but it does not set the terms of your deal.

Keep the pitch, response, draft, questions, and approved changes together. A clean trail makes it easier to distinguish what was submitted for evaluation from what was actually authorized, and it gives the artist and adviser a shared document to review before any binding commitment.