What Should You Include in a Velveteen Records Music Submission?
Prepare a clear demo submission for Velveteen Records with a private link, concise artist context, release facts, and an honest description of what you want the label to hear.
The short answer
A useful Velveteen Records music submission should make the listening decision easy: send one current, accessible track or a focused private link; name the artist clearly; add a short description of the music and project; include location and contact details; and explain whether you are seeking a label conversation, release support, or simply sharing work. The submission page is an invitation to be heard, not a promise of signing, feedback, placement, or release.
Three things to know
- 01
Lead with one strong, current listening link and enough context to understand the project without a long biography.
- 02
Separate verified facts, such as release status and collaborator roles, from hopes about a future label relationship.
- 03
Treat a submission as an introduction, not a campaign result. Velveteen Records cannot promise a response, signing, or release outcome.
What should you check before sending?
Use this constructed pre-send check to make the introduction easy to understand and honest about its status.
- 01
Focus track
Choose one current song and identify the exact version, title, artist, and listening link.
- 02
Short context
Write two or three useful sentences about sound, project stage, location, and the reason for sharing.
- 03
Clear ask
State whether you want a label conversation, release-support discussion, or simple introduction without demanding an outcome.
- 04
Rights check
Confirm you can share the recording and flag contributors, samples, permissions, or unresolved questions.
- 05
Link test
Open the link while signed out, test it on mobile, and confirm the listener reaches the intended audio quickly.
What does Velveteen Records currently invite artists to submit?
Velveteen Records' public homepage invites artists to submit music and describes the label as looking for bold, original artists whose sound pushes boundaries. The submit route calls the action a demo submission. Those public statements support a simple starting point: send music that represents the artist now, rather than a broad catalog dump or a speculative campaign proposal. They do not establish a genre guarantee, acceptance threshold, response time, or promise of a label deal.
How many tracks should a submission include?
Start with one focus track unless the current submission form or label team asks for more. One link gives the listener a clear first decision and lets the artist explain why that track represents the project. If two or three songs are genuinely needed to show range, identify one as the focus and keep the rest in the same organized destination. Do not attach a full folder of unfinished demos, alternate masters, or unrelated files without explaining what matters.
What context helps someone understand the music?
Use a compact introduction: artist name, city or region if relevant, the track title, the current status of the recording, and one or two sentences about the sound or story. Add notable collaborators only when their role is accurate and permission or credit expectations are clear. If the song is unreleased, say so. If it is already live, provide the correct public link separately. Context should help the listener hear the music in focus, not bury the link under generic praise or unsupported numbers.
How should an artist describe the opportunity they want?
Name the conversation you are hoping to have, while leaving room for the label to decide whether there is a fit. You might be seeking release planning, label-services discussion, or feedback on whether an upcoming project suits the label. Avoid presenting a desired outcome as an entitlement. A clear ask helps separate a demo introduction from a publicity pitch, playlist submission, management request, or urgent request for a guaranteed result. The team can only assess the information actually provided.
What should a private listening link make easy?
Test the link in a private browser window and on a phone before sending it. The listener should not need an account that the artist forgot to authorize, a download with an unclear filename, or a sequence of permissions that blocks the track. Use a stable destination, label the focus track, and check that the audio is the intended version. A constructed example might use one private link titled 'Northbound, focus track, master v3' with the artist name and a brief note, but that example is not a Velveteen Records requirement.
How should artists handle rights and collaborator information?
Only submit music you are authorized to share for evaluation. Record the names and roles of featured artists, producers, writers, and other contributors, and disclose samples, interpolations, or unresolved permissions when they affect the project. A demo submission does not replace split sheets, licenses, releases, or contract review. If the recording includes a rights question, state that it is unresolved and seek qualified music counsel before anyone promises distribution, promotion, licensing, or other commercial use.
What should happen after the submission is sent?
Save what you sent, the date, the link version, and any submission confirmation. Then keep working on the release independently instead of treating silence as a hidden decision or repeatedly sending the same material. If the label replies, answer the specific question and keep facts, requests, rights, and deadlines in one place. If there is no response, do not infer a reason or promise yourself an outcome. The submission is one possible introduction, not a replacement for an artist's own release plan.
Frequently asked questions
- Does submitting music to Velveteen Records guarantee a response?
- No. The public invitation to submit music does not promise a response, review timeline, signing, release, promotion, or feedback. Save the submission record and continue the artist's own plan.
- Should I send a whole album or one song?
- Lead with one focus track unless the current submission instructions request more. If a small group of songs is necessary, identify the focus and keep the listening path organized.
- Can I submit an unfinished demo?
- You can describe the recording accurately, but send the strongest version that represents the project and disclose what is unfinished. Do not imply that an early demo is a final master.
- Should a submission include streaming numbers or press quotes?
- Include relevant, verifiable context only when it helps explain the project. Do not inflate numbers, use unsupported superlatives, or treat past attention as evidence of a future label decision.
- Can Velveteen Records promise to release submitted music?
- No guide or public submission invitation can make that promise. A release would require a separate conversation and any applicable written agreement, with rights, responsibilities, timing, and costs clarified.
- Is this submission guide legal advice?
- No. It is an operational preparation guide. Use qualified music counsel for ownership, samples, collaborator permissions, licenses, recording agreements, and other rights questions.