In the most basic terms, a demo recording is a primitive, do-it-yourself recording or set of recordings that showcases your talents in music, voice work, or any other form of sound performance. Understanding what demos are and how to make them are essentials skills for anyone who wants to be successful in the world of performance. I've recorded plenty of my own demo recordings as a musician, and found that the experiences making them really helped me get music out into the world, and prepared me for my first legit studio experience when the day came to take the plunge. Creating a demo might sound complicated, but it can be done easily and cheaply. Here are five pieces of advice to help you get started with your own demo recording.

1. Always use an ACTUAL microphone.

By "actual microphone," I mean not the mics built in to your phones and computers. Your demo is something lots of other people are going to hear. How do you want it to sound? Good, right? Recording on solely a phone or computer probably isn't going to get you the sound quality you want. The recording is supposed to be primitive, but it shouldn't sound like total distorted sludge. Invest in a microphone to help you get a desired sound. Even a basic $25 mic from a general retail store is better than nothing. For demos, I recommend getting any kind of decent quality USB mics. Using a USB mic will save you the trouble of having to buy an interface. I have one called the Nessie by Blue, which is a decent quality USB mic with a built-in pop filter. It's about $75, and it's quite an investment.

2. If recording multiple songs or other recordings, don't exceed the track listing past five.

When people listen to your demo, they're not expecting to listen to something like a full-length album or hour-long podcast. They are looking to (hopefully) be intrigued and entertained via a quick listen. Therefore, you don't want to bore your listeners. Having only a few tracks will also guarantee that you only select recordings that you believe are among your best. In the case of demo recordings, shorter is definitely sweeter.

3. Make sure your "best" recording is track number one.

Let's face it. Most people don't have the attention span to listen to even a few songs without distractions, so there's a good chance your listeners might not get around to hearing every track on the demo. All you need to do to get around this issue is to make sure the work you are most proud of is what the listeners hear early. In addition, if they like said first track, they are more likely to listen to the rest of the demo. You'll come out stronger if you put your best work first, in the case of demos that is.

4. Don't splurge money on audio editing software if you don't need to.

If you have a Mac, you have Garageband already on there for free. If not, programs like Audacity and Linux Multimedia Studio are great cross-platform free programs to record and edit basic audio. Due to the primitive nature of a demo, it doesn't really need to be recorded in something like Pro Tools or Logic. Those programs are great, but also expensive and unnecessary in the early stages of recording. However, if you have access to them or just want to really dive into audio production, absolutely feel free to use something more advanced. If not, the free stuff more than suffices.

5. Always use good quality headphones or good quality speakers.

This is the only way to ensure you mix your audio properly and get all of the levels correct. There would be nothing more embarrassing than asking someone to listen to your demo that you THINK sounds awesome, but when put on a real sound system, is unlistenable. Also, ear buds do not count as headphones.

Hope these suggestions help you get your start in the world of demo recording. Once you get into a rhythm, it isn't really too difficult. Happy recording!