The safest way to email a music demo is to send a short message with a private streaming or download link, not a heavy attachment. Attach a file only when the recipient's submission page says so. Below you'll find the file limits UK labels publish, what the email should contain, what to do when a WAV is too big, and how to share audio without email at all.
TL;DR
- Default to a private link in the email. Several UK labels ask you not to attach files at all.
- When a label does want a file, check its current page for format and size. Published limits run from 120 MB to 300 MB.
- Send up to three tracks, the strongest first, with a short artist paragraph and working links.
- If a WAV won't fit in an email, use a private download link, a compressed copy for a first listen, or a share link that needs no sign-up.
- Keep every version named and filed, so the track you send is the one you meant to send.
Table of Contents
- Should you attach the demo at all?
- File size and format limits to check
- What to put in the email
- When the WAV is too big to email
- How to share audio without email
- Getting your files in order before you send
- Our view: a demo is a finished idea, not a file
- Keep every idea findable until it's ready to send
- A last check before you press send
- FAQ
- Sources
Should you attach the demo at all?
Usually not. Inboxes cap attachment sizes, a full WAV can run to tens of megabytes, and an A&R person who gets dozens of messages a day does not want to wait for a download before hearing eight seconds of your song.
The labels themselves say so. Future Follower Records asks applicants never to attach files and to use private links instead. Music Gateway's advice for first contact is to introduce yourself or send a link, then send a WAV rather than an MP3 if you get a reply. The UK guide on Music.co.uk says not to attach anything unless the label asks.
So the working rule is simple:
- Read the submission page first.
- If it names a format or a method, do exactly that.
- If it says nothing, send a private link and offer the full-quality file on request.
That last step matters. A link keeps the first email light, and it lets you swap in a better mix without sending a second message.
If you are targeting labels specifically, our guide on sending demos to labels in the UK goes deeper on research and follow-up.
File size and format limits to check
There is no universal standard. Each label sets its own, and they differ more than most people expect. These are limits published on UK and international submission pages:
| Label or service | What it asks for | Limit or note |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Echo Records (UK) | One finished original track as a WAV, or a private download link | WAV up to 120 MB |
| Future Follower Records (UK) | Full-length previews via private links | At least 320 kbps MP3 quality, no attachments |
| Blackwaxx Records | Private streaming or cloud links | Two to four tracks preferred; says expiring transfer links are unsuitable |
| NexGen Music Group | Attachments or FTP/download links | 300 MB cap on form uploads; prefers 16/24-bit or higher WAV/AIFF, 320 kbps minimum |
| Music Gateway | Complete studio-quality stereo file | WAV at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz or better; FLAC and AIFF also accepted |
Three things stand out.
First, the same method can be welcome in one place and rejected in another. Industrial Echo is happy with a private download link, while Blackwaxx specifically says links that expire don't suit them, presumably because they may listen days later. If you send a link that dies in seven days and the A&R person opens the email on day eight, you've lost the lot.
Second, "finished" is a common requirement. Amber Music Pool asks for full-length, finished tracks named Artist – Title, and warns that replies can take up to two weeks. A rough voice memo is the wrong thing to send cold.
Third, formats change. The Music.co.uk guide tells applicants to read each label's current page because requirements move. Treat any table, including this one, as a starting point and check the source before sending.
WAV, MP3 or FLAC?
A WAV is uncompressed and is what most professional contacts mean by "full quality". An MP3 at 320 kbps is the usual floor for a listening copy. FLAC is lossless but smaller, though not every recipient accepts it. We cover the trade-offs in FLAC vs WAV for demos. In short: send what the page asks for, and keep your lossless master safe whatever you send.
What to put in the email
A demo email is a short note that makes the link easy to click and the track easy to place. A workable structure:
Subject line. Plain and findable: artist name, track title, and genre. Avoid "DEMO!!!" or "Please listen". If the label's page specifies a subject format, use it.
First line. Who you are and why this label. One sentence that shows you know their output beats three about your ambitions.
The music. Up to three tracks, the strongest first. The Music.co.uk guide recommends no more than three songs and a short artist paragraph. Put each link on its own line with the title beside it.
A short bio. Three or four sentences: where you're from, what you make, one relevant credit or release.
The details labels ask for. NexGen, for instance, wants your real name, artist name, web links and background information in an email submission. Industrial Echo asks you to credit collaborators, clear any samples or third-party material, and check your links work.
An honest closing. Labels say plainly that sending a demo does not guarantee a reply or a release. Don't chase after two days. If the page says replies can take two weeks, wait two weeks.
A template you can adapt
Subject: Artist Name – Track Title (genre)
Hi [name],
I'm [artist], a [genre] songwriter from [place]. I'm getting in touch because [one specific reason you chose this label].
Here's a private link to my track "[Title]": [link]
Short bio: [three sentences]. Collaborators: [names]. All samples are cleared.
I can send a WAV if useful. Thanks for listening.
[Name, links]
Open the link in a private browser window before you send. If it asks you to log in, the A&R person will hit the same wall.
When the WAV is too big to email
Most email providers cap attachments at a size well below what a long, uncompressed stereo mix can reach, and a rejected message gives the recipient nothing. Check your own provider's current limit, as they differ and change. If the file won't go, you have four sensible options.
1. Send a private download link. Upload the file to cloud storage, set the link to private or "anyone with the link", and put it in the email. Make sure it does not expire before the recipient is likely to open it, and that download is switched on if they've asked for a file. Our comparison of cloud storage options for music covers what suits songwriters.
2. Send a compressed listening copy first. A 320 kbps MP3 is far smaller than a WAV and meets the floor several labels state. Offer the lossless version once they respond, which is the sequence Music Gateway recommends: link first, WAV after a reply.
3. Trim what you're sending. A demo does not need two minutes of silence at the end. Music Gateway asks for audio with no abrupt cut-offs or extended silence, so trimming is good manners as well as good economy.
4. Use a share link built for audio. A link that opens a player, not a download, means the listener presses play straight away. Our longer walkthrough, how to share large audio files, covers the options and their trade-offs.
Whichever you choose, do not zip a folder of ten loosely named bounces and hope. One clear file or one clear link beats a bundle.
How to share audio without email
Email is not always the right channel. Collaborators, producers and co-writers often want to hear a work in progress, comment on it and hear the next version, and a thread of attachments is a poor way to do that. Files get forwarded, versions get mixed up, and nobody is sure which "final_v3" is final.
A share link solves most of this. What to look for:
- No account needed to listen. Every sign-up step costs you listeners.
- Access controls. Password protection and links that expire when you choose, so a private idea stays private. See our piece on private music sharing for how to think about this.
- Comments at a point in the song. "The bridge drags" is vague. A note pinned to a second in the track is not.
- One link that stays current. If you update the track, the person with the link hears the new version.
In Songdrafts, demo share links work as playlists that play without an account, and timestamped comments let collaborators leave notes pinned to the second. For label submissions, check the page first: some labels, like the ones above, only accept particular link types, and a few accept streaming links alone. Use a link to a playable page only where the label allows it.
Getting your files in order before you send
Most failed demo emails fail upstream: the wrong bounce attached, a file called "Untitled 14", a link to a folder that holds six versions. Tidy files are what make a confident send possible.
The basics are old but sound. Sonicbids suggests a folder for each song, descriptive memo titles, and keeping memos with lyrics and related notes. Open Music Business adds a habit worth stealing: record a short spoken note at the start with working title, date, key, rough tempo, section and next step, then rename the file soon after. Speed of capture matters, but a little context stops a memo becoming unintelligible months later.
For a deeper look at labelling, see how to tag audio files, which separates file metadata from the tags you use to sort song ideas.
Our view: a demo is a finished idea, not a file
We built Songdrafts because we are songwriters, and we kept watching good ideas disappear into camera rolls and voice memo lists. The usual pattern is that the idea is captured quickly, then gets buried among hundreds of recordings, and when it is time to send something, you are digging through files rather than choosing your best take.
Our view is that emailing a demo is the last step of a process, not the first. If you have stacked your takes, merged the verse idea with the chorus riff, and kept your lyrics next to the audio, then deciding what to send takes a minute. If you haven't, no email template will rescue you.
We also think the link should do the work an attachment can't: play with no account, carry timestamped comments, and be protected or expire when you decide. And uploads should stay yours, which is why we don't train AI on them.
— SongDrafts
Keep every idea findable until it's ready to send
If your next demo is still buried in a phone full of recordings, that is the problem to fix first. Songdrafts puts voice memos on a songwriting board where you can tag, stack takes, merge ideas, filter by key or tempo, and keep lyrics beside the audio. When a track is ready, a share link gets it to a producer or collaborator without them needing an account. Our Founding Membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You can see the workflow on how Songdrafts works, or start with the voice memo organiser.
A last check before you press send
- Have you read the recipient's current submission page?
- Is the track finished, trimmed and correctly named?
- Is it a link or an attachment, as they asked?
- Does the link open in a private window without a login?
- Will the link last until they are likely to listen?
- Have you cleared samples and credited collaborators?
- Is the strongest track first, and are there no more than three?
- Is the bio short, with your contact details and links?
FAQ
Is it OK to attach an MP3 or WAV to a first email?
Only if the recipient's page says so. Several UK labels explicitly ask for links, not attachments, and large files can bounce or be ignored. If nothing is specified, send a private link and offer the file on request.
What is the biggest WAV I can send?
It depends on the recipient and on your email provider. Published label limits include 120 MB for one UK techno label's form and 300 MB for another group's upload form. Check the submission page, and if your file is over the limit, use a private download link.
How can I share audio without email?
Use a share link that opens a player and needs no sign-up, ideally with a password or expiry option and a place for comments. This keeps one current version in circulation and avoids the chaos of attachments. Our demo share links are built for this.
How many tracks should I send?
Three at most, strongest first, is the guidance in a UK demo guide. Some labels prefer fewer or specify a number, such as one finished track or two to four. Follow the label's own page where it states a number.
Will a label reply?
Not necessarily. Labels say plainly that submitting does not guarantee a reply or a release, and one notes replies can take up to two weeks. Wait that long before a single, polite follow-up.
Sources
- Industrial Echo Records: demo submissions
- Future Follower Records: contact and submissions
- Blackwaxx Records: contact
- Amber Music Pool: demos
- NexGen Music Group: demo submissions
- Music Gateway: what format does my audio need to be in?
- Music Gateway: how to contact music supervisors
- Music.co.uk: how to submit a demo to a UK record label
- Sonicbids: how to be an organized songwriter
- Open Music Business: demo recording tips