Original article by Christopher Knab If you’ve ever attended a music business conference like the SXSW event in Austin, Texas every year, or the New Music Seminar and walked into a Demo Listening Session, you may have encountered this: a panel of A&R Reps from major and independent labels evaluate a demo recording that’s been submitted to them. The first song is played, and after about ten seconds the Reps are holding their hands over their ears, or waving for the sound technician to “Turn it off!” Another song is cued up, and after twenty seconds the music is stopped and the Reps are muttering. “That really sucks,” “I’ve heard that before,” “That sounds like an ’90's band,” or “Please, Nine Inch Nails already did over twenty years ago!” Rude but honest comments like these are made by industry reps all the time at such conferences, as well as in the privacy of their own offices, homes, and cars. Remember this. Just because you can record your own music, doesn’t mean y