Five Songs. Ten Rules. One Outcome: Gigs.
How to Build a Showreel That the Market Actually Buys.
Time and again, showreels unravel at the same seam — vocals drifting out of tune or drowning in the mix.
If your showreel isn’t getting you gigs, it’s not “early days.”
It’s underperforming.
A showreel is not content.
It’s a sales asset.
If you want venues, festivals, and buyers to say yes, here are the non-negotiables. Fix these — then submit.
1. Curate Exactly Five Songs — Ruthlessly
Your showreel should feature snippets of your best five songs.
Not more. Not less.
These tracks must clearly tell the market:
Who you are
What kind of time you deliver
What to expect on the night
If one song weakens the story, it’s out.
👉 Action: Cut everything that doesn’t scream book me.
2. Choose Songs for the Market You Want to Book You
Every market listens differently.
Your reel must match:
The venues you want
The audiences they serve
The outcome the booker needs
If your song choices don’t fit the room, your reel dies on arrival.
👉 Action: Rebuild your reel for the buyer.
3. Lock Vocals into the Right Range
If the vocalist is fighting the song, the listener hears risk.
Only include songs where:
The vocal sits comfortably
Pitch stays reliable
Power doesn’t equal strain
👉 Action: Change the key or change the song.
4. Tune Vocals Like a Professional
Pitch correction is standard. Sloppiness is not.
Light, transparent tuning:
Removes distraction
Protects credibility
Keeps focus on performance
👉 Action: Polish — “raw” is not a virtue.
5. Blend Vocal Harmonies Cleanly
Harmonies must:
Support the lead
Stay locked in pitch
Sit correctly in the mix
If they clash, blur, or dominate, confidence collapses.
👉 Action: Re-record or mute anything that doesn’t blend.
6. Record Multiple Takes — Then Edit Without Emotion
The first take is rarely the best take. The best take is usually assembled.
👉 Action: Comp together only your strongest moments. Sentiment stays out.
7. Fix Timing Before Pitch
Out-of-time vocals sound out of tune even when they aren’t.
👉 Action: Tighten phrasing and groove before touching pitch tools.
8. Mix the Vocal Into the Track
A vocal that sits on top of the mix sounds amateur.
Balance matters:
EQ for clarity
Compression for consistency
De-essing for comfort
👉 Action: Make the vocal feel inevitable, not invasive.
9. Kill Anything That Distracts the Listener
Your reel has seconds.
If a listener notices:
A sour note
A messy harmony
A song that doesn’t belong
They’re gone.
👉 Action: If it distracts, it doesn’t stay.
10. Get Brutally Honest External Feedback
If you’re emotionally attached to your reel, you’re too close.
Ask someone who:
Books acts
Produces music
Sells shows
If they hesitate, that’s your answer.
👉 Action: Fix it before the market silently rejects it.
Final Call 🎤
Your showreel should do one thing:
Make booking you feel safe, exciting, and obvious.
Five snippets of songs.
Right market.
Vocals in range.
Harmonies locked.
Production clean.
Do the work — then press send.
Because your talent deserves better presentation……..
Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterprise A Little Pitchy Copyright 2026
