Let’s Try Working as a Demo Vocalist

I want to make a living by singing!
Even if you feel that way, becoming a professional vocalist is highly competitive, a world where luck and skill are closely intertwined.

However, if you don’t need to earn a full living, it is possible to make money from singing without being a professional vocalist.

If you have musical experience, you may have heard of “demo vocalists.” This time, I will write about demo vocalists, which are a relatively accessible way to connect music with work.

■ What Is a Demo Vocalist?

As the name suggests, a demo vocalist is someone who records temporary vocals.

For bands and singer-songwriters, they usually record their own demo vocals. However, when creating songs for idols or actors whose main profession is not singing, demo vocals are recorded before the song is delivered to the artist.

Composers create songs based on themes recruited through competitions, and vocalists who match the image record demo vocals.

Even if you record demo vocals for songs submitted to these competitions, there is no guarantee that they will ever be released.

In fact, it is more likely that they will not be released.

In other words, since these songs have a high chance of being rejected, the budget allocated for demo vocals is not very large, so it is not a highly lucrative job.

The standard rate is around 3,000 yen for singing one chorus, varying depending on skill level.

Even so, it can serve as a side income, and there are demo vocalists who earn over 100,000 yen per month by taking requests from many composers.

For those aiming to become professional vocalists, it also serves as practice and an opportunity to expand connections.

While the chances of it leading to significant opportunities are low, they are not zero.

For vocalists aiming to succeed in a highly competitive field, even a small chance is worth taking.

■ How to Get Demo Vocal Jobs

Many composers are hoping to create a hit, so there is a fair amount of demand for demo vocalists.

Most jobs are one-off projects, but even with a single project, if a composer likes your work, you may receive irregular work in the future.

Register on Demo Vocal Recruitment Sites

There are websites Utaile that match demo vocalists with composers, and you can also take jobs on skill-selling platforms like Coconala.

First, start by registering on as many sites as possible.

Promote Yourself

While approaching major music agencies directly is unlikely to succeed at first, there is significant demand for demo vocalists in the underground idol industry.

It is said that there are over 5,000 underground idols in Japan, most of whom are replaced within just a few years, meaning new idol groups are forming almost every day.

Almost all idol groups have Twitter accounts, so try promoting yourself through their official accounts.

It’s also a good idea to create a Twitter account dedicated to your demo vocal work and follow all the idol groups you can.

Since idol management companies are often connected, if one agency hires you, you may be able to get work from other groups as well.

■ Necessary and Useful Items for Demo Vocal Work

For those who already record on their own or upload videos to YouTube, working as a demo vocalist is relatively smooth.

For those without such preparations, you need to start by creating a recording setup and building a portfolio (audio works to showcase your skills).

Set Up a Recording Environment

Demo vocals are not final recordings, but that doesn’t mean recordings made on a smartphone are acceptable.
Recordings made with a handheld recorder are also not ideal.
At a minimum, you should have the following:

• A condenser microphone costing over ¥10,000
• An audio interface
• A pop filter
• A microphone stand
• DAW software (even free options are fine)

With these, you can record vocals over tracks received from composers at a usable quality level.

For pop filters, I recommend the CLASSIC PRO PG11.
It’s affordable but stays in place and functions properly.

CLASSIC PRO / PG11

For mic stands, the CLASSIC PRO MSB boom mic stand is also an excellent choice.
With 240 reviews and an overall rating of 4.5, it’s a reliable product.

CLASSIC PRO / MSB/BLACK Boom Mic Stand

There are many condenser microphones, but for beginners, the AT2020USB+ is convenient.

It has a built-in audio interface, allowing direct USB connection to a computer for recording.

For your first condenser microphone, I recommend the AT2020USB+ Upgrade Set that includes a shock mount.

A shock mount alone would cost over ¥4,000, but the set from Sound House adds only about ¥1,000 to the microphone price.

audio technica / AT2020USB+ Upgrade Set

Other useful tools include pitch correction software.

Melodyne is the industry standard.

There are several versions; the high-end ones cost around ¥90,000, but if you only need vocal correction, Melodyne 5 Assistant, priced around ¥30,000, is good enough.

It’s very convenient because it can not only correct pitch but also adjust timing and generate harmonies.

CELEMONY / MELODYNE 5 ASSISTANT Simple Package

There are also free pitch correction programs available, but they are not suitable for professional demo vocal work.

Prepare a Portfolio

Once you have the necessary equipment, you need to upload recordings of your singing to platforms like YouTube as a sort of business card.

The uploaded audio will be evaluated not only for your singing voice and skill but also for the quality of your recordings.

While a portfolio doesn’t directly generate income, you should treat it as a professional recording.

If you produce low-quality recordings, you won’t get any jobs.

Uploading songs in various genres increases your chances of receiving work.

If you have multiple strengths in melody, rhythm, or vocal tone, make sure to upload all of them.

In the video description or profile, include the following items:

• Available delivery time
• Singing experience
• Whether pitch or rhythm correction is possible
• Expected compensation range
• Equipment and recording environment
• Preferred genres

Summary

I once worked as a demo singer for anime songs and male idol groups, and wrote this column recalling that experience.

You get to be challenged with different types of songs, it’s a learning experience, and it’s quite fun.

Especially when a song you recorded a demo for passes a competition and plays on TV, it’s an indescribable thrill.

Even though it’s just a demo, meaning your name doesn’t appear and contractually you can’t share the song title, you secretly feel proud.

If you look around, you’ll see there are quite a lot of active demo singers.

Even if you meet all the conditions mentioned so far, work won’t necessarily come immediately.

However, every singing voice is unique.

Whether you meet a composer who needs your voice depends on luck and how well you promote yourself, so those aiming to be demo singers should start by carefully preparing their portfolio.

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