Submit Your Demo

Author: Demo Factor

  • You have to be in it to win it! 2019 Winner, Finlay Panting explains all.

    You have to be in it to win it! 2019 Winner, Finlay Panting explains all.

    I still look back at Demo Factor last year and have to pinch myself at what happened that night. I entered this having never played my demo to anyone in industry, simply looking for feedback on what I could do better yet there I was in a room with some of the best voices in student radio, with judges I’ve idolised growing up, having just won Demo Factor 2019!

    It’s embarrassing to admit, but at the point of entering I thought it was just about the buzzers, the judges and the tension of the night, I didn’t even realise there was an overall ‘winner’! Although that’s kind of the point, no matter whether you’re lucky enough to get a golden buzzer, or the dreaded 5 red buzzers on the night, you’ll gain that valuable feedback that you need to hear to push your presenting style forward, additionally you get the opportunity to be inspired by what other students are adding into their demos. From that night, I fortunately got to meet with some incredible people like Aled Haydn Jones (Head of Programmes for BBC Radio 1), Chris North (Agent & Founder of North Media Talent), Paul Sylvester (Content Director for Absolute Radio) and Ben Burrell (2008 Demo Factor winner, now Absolute Radio presenter), but importantly it also gave me so much more confidence and excitement to go back to my own student station and put everything into practice for a future in radio.

    This year there’s even less to lose from submitting your demo, as not only can you do it from the comfort of your home, you don’t have to live through that torturous experience of standing in a room of about 200 people as your demo is played out loud over the speakers! It’s even a chance to get creative – with lots of Unis unfortunately now closed, there’s a chance to set up a mini-studio in your own bedroom & take the opportunity to practice different styles.

    So if I could simply recommend one thing, find some clips that are authentically you and show off your best qualities on radio, do a bit of cut & paste into 2-3 minutes of audio and send it off to Demo Factor. The worst thing you’ll get back is constructive feedback that you need to hear & you truly never know, you might just win the thing!

    Have fun & best of luck!

    Finlay Panting
    DemoFactor Winner 2019

  • Thank you Norwich!!

    Thank you for making Demo Factor 2018 fabulous. The quality of this year’s demos was the highest we’ve ever seen!

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981621681318973440

    Congratulations once again to Tom Hinckley – you are this year’s Demo Factor Winner!!

    Watch out for Tom in the future, he could be popping up on a radio station near you.

  • Relive the best demos of Demo Factor 2018

    Relive the best demos of Demo Factor 2018

    Tom Hinckley from Shock Radio

    This year’s winner was a very popular man and managed to get 2 golden buzzers from Chris & Pandora. Pandora said ‘babe you’ve got a job in radio’. Chris North said he is SO gutted that Pandora hit the golden buzzer before him!

    Kerrie Coshan from Fly FM

    Kerrie was our first golden buzzer of the night. Despite the rest of the judges buzzing early, Aled from BBC Radio 1 heard something he loved. He even said she could be Charlie Sloth’s co-host.

    Kay-lee Golding from Smoke Radio

    Paul loved Kaylee’s demo. He said “you are never going to work on my radio station but you are brilliant! I think you are the future of BBC Radio 1”. Aled thinks with a good producer you could pilot with 1Xtra!!

    Harry Benjamin from Livewire

    Chris North was SO proud of Harry and gave him a gold buzzer! He said he was slick and did the basics amazing. He nailed the SRA Chart.

    Stephen from Smoke Radio

    Jocelin from BBC Radio 1 loved Stephen and pressed her golden buzzer!! She felt he was so relatable and had a great voice. Let’s work on content and then we could do something amazing. Jordan said he loved him!

    Jake from CSR.

    Jordan said he was so relatable and put a smile on his face so he golden buzzer-ed him.

    Megan from NSR

    Pandora thought she was so relatable and thinks if she had her best stuff at the start of her demo, she would have had a golden buzzer!

    Adam Wood from Spark Sunderland

    He was a popular man amongst the judges. Paul said, “Who doesn’t want to hear about sausage at lunchtime?”. He said he was very close to golden buzzer-ing him (if that’s a word) but just need a little more from Adam.

    Relive the whole night with our live blog

  • Demo Factor 2018 – Live Blog

    Demo Factor 2018 – Live Blog

    Relive Demo Factor 2018 as it happened with our live blog.

     

    23:30 – That’s all from us here at Demo Factor 2018. Congratulations if you had your demo played but fear not if you didn’t, the judges have said they will listen to all of the demos and give feedback.

    Here’s tonight’s winner with some of the team:

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981668699491983363

    23:25 – After long deliberation and lots of filling by our host Ben Burrell, the judges have decided who has won Demo Factor 2018… IT’S TOM HINCKLEY FROM SHOCK RADIO! 

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981660464634621952

    23:21 – The judges are now deliberating! Who is your Demo Factor winner 2018?

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981658699952476164

    23:16 – The final demo of the night is Jake from CSR. Could he win? Jordan said he’s so relatable and made a smile on his face and he golden buzzer-ed him!

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981657284400082944

    23:11 – Becky from Xpression FM lasted the full minute because Jordan didn’t buzz. Paul said she needed to be more authentic and get across more personality! “That was boring but you’re not boring”.

    23:08 – Jocelin from BBC Radio 1  just golden buzzer-ed Stephen from Smoke Radio!! She felt he was so relatable and had a great voice. Let’s work on content and then we could do something amazing. Jordan said he loved him!!

    22:05 – Jocelin thought Leanne’s from DemonFM demo was a bit too specific to Leicester so she felt alienated. However, she did say that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Paul and Chris thought she needed more personality!

    23:04 – There are only ten minutes left of demos!! 

    23:01 – Pandora thought Megan from NSR is so relatable and thinks if she had her best stuff at the start of her demo, she would have had a golden buzzer! 

    22:55 – Harry Benjamin from Livewire, Chris North is proud of you! Well done for nailing the SRA Chart in return here’s a golden buzzer!! 

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981652383984967680

    22:53 – Finally it’s working! Chris said he wasn’t getting anything from Meg from Xpress Radio’s demo. Jordan said if she has another year in student radio she could be incredible!!

    22:51 – Before we start the next demo, head judge Chris North is not happy with how Xpress Radio is uploading their demos. This is the third time one of their demos hasn’t played!!

    22:48 – Oh no she didn’t!! (she actually did) Kaylee Golding from Shock Radio just got a golden buzzer from Paul!! Paul said you are never going to work on my radio station but you are brilliant!! I think you are the future of BBC Radio 1. Aled thinks with a good producer you could pilot with 1Xtra!!!

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981650662546079744

    22:34 – Linda Riin was sooooo close to a golden buzzer from Aled

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981648883410403328

    22:12 – Edmund from Spark Sunderland managed to survive the minute. Jordan said he has brilliant energy and his use of different pieces of audio made the listener feel part of the link. Then he dabbed and began unpopular amongst the audience… Rookie error Edmund.

    22:07 – Tom Hinckley from Shock Radio is the second GOLDEN BUZZER of the night! He had 2 golden buzzers from Chris & Pandora and THEN A STANDING OVATION from all of the judges!! Pandora said ‘babe you’ve got a job in radio’. Chris North said he is SO gutted that Pandora hit the golden buzzer before him! Jordan North said he’s the best demo of the night by far.

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981640572887863296

    22:01 – Jocelin ‘absolutely loves’ Sarah from Boom Radio’s voice and was so gutted that it had to stop at one minute.

    21:58 – we’ve had a brief shot break…

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981638389005942784

    21:57 – This year’s guest judge is Jordan North!

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981638358156931072

    21:56 – The judges are back on stage for the second part of Demo Factor. So far it’s between Gregor and Kerrie.

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981637170237771777

    21:37 – Can you believe it? We’re halfway through already. Demo Factor will return in 15 minutes…

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981632429998968834

    21:33 – Jocelin listened to the whole minute of Michael from Xpress Radio’s demo but she didn’t like his David Attenborough impression/ she didn’t know who the hell it was supposed to be. Paul was very intrigued… ‘It was like Homeland, I wasn’t enjoying it but I was compelled to listen to it’.

    21:30 – Jocelin from BBC Radio 1 is just very confused with Tristan’s demo from Surge. Pandora didn’t put it as nicely as that and described it as boring, but she thinks he has potential. Good try Tristan.

    21:24 -WOW OUR FIRST GOLDEN BUZZER!! The rest of the judges buzzed early but Aled from BBC Radio 1 pressed his golden buzzer for Kerrie Coshan from Fly FM! Aled said she could be Charlie Sloth’s co-host.

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981629678933901315

    21:19 – Adam Wood from Spark Sunderland is a popular man amongst the judges. Paul “Who doesn’t want to hear about sausage at lunchtime”. He said he was very close to golden buzzer-ing (if that’s a word) but just need alittle more from Adam.

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981628595968921602

    21:15 – Megan Hornsby from Shock Radio is up next. Paul thought she was good and had potential but her demo was well… we can’t type the word he said. Megan was very proud of lasting as long as she did.

    https://twitter.com/SRA/status/981627614715621376

    21:11 – Gregor Davidson from City Radio Glasgow was the first entrant who survived the whole minute! Pandora absolutely loved Greg’s demo and said she wanted to hear more but she didn’t press the golden buzzer.

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981626130758295556

    21:09 – Up first we have Solmaz Aslan from URF in the South East. The judge’s response wasn’t great… they didn’t realise she was playing a character so they buzzed early. Aled said now he knows it was a comedy demo, he quite liked it but would slightly tweak it before sending it out to Programme Controllers.

    21:05 – The judges have arrived in only the way they could…

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981624823939059712

    21:02 – Here comes the host with the most, Ben Burrell

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981623905411624962

    21:00 – We’re about to start…

  • Here we go… Demo Factor 2018

    Here we go… Demo Factor 2018

    The tension is building… The BIG GOLD LETTERS are warming up…

    And the judges are about to take to their seats

    https://twitter.com/DemoFactor/status/981619580190773248

    Demo Factor will soon be kicking off here in Norwich, and we will be keeping you up to date with all the gossip, stand out demos, and pantomime moments right through to the end of the night.

    There’s an Absolute 90s show up for grabs… who will claim it?

    There’s only one way to find out…

    Demo Factor is about to begin, at #SRACON held at The University of East Anglia.