Giovanni CordovaThe Death of the Demo: Why Rough Mixes Now Compete with Final Masters
Streaming platforms changed what "demo quality" means. Your rough mixes now face the same expectations as finished records. Understanding this shift shapes every early creative decision.
When Did the Demo Die?
You send a rough mix to your label, manager, or collaborator.
They're listening on the same device where they just heard the latest Billie Eilish single. Same earbuds. Same volume. Same expectations.
The demo doesn't exist in isolation anymore. It exists in direct comparison with every finished record ever made, one swipe away. That context changed everything about demo quality and rough mix expectations.
The Streaming Era Mixing Standard
Spotify doesn't have a "rough mix" playback mode.
Your unfinished track plays through the same audio engine as masters that took months to complete. The listener's brain doesn't separate "this is just a demo" from "this is music." It simply compares what it hears now to what it heard thirty seconds ago.
This isn't about perfectionism. It's about understanding client psychology in the streaming era.
When your rough mix sits in someone's "New Music" playlist between two fully mastered tracks, production standards become unavoidable. The rough mix becomes the reference point for whether they believe in the song at all. Understanding this affects how you approach the mix-master handoff.
What Changed in Client Psychology
Labels used to hear potential. Now they hear comparison.
A&R executives once listened past tape hiss and imbalanced levels to find the song underneath. They knew what "done" could sound like because finishing was expensive and rare. Imagination filled the gaps.
Today, finishing is accessible. Plugins cost nothing. Bedroom producers deliver broadcast-ready mixes. The gaps don't feel like gaps anymore—they feel like choices.
Your rough mix isn't competing with what the song could become. It's competing with what every other song already is.
The Three Things That Still Matter
Even in this landscape, not everything needs polish.
The vocal must be clear. Words matter. If your listener strains to hear what's being said, they'll move on before the second chorus. Dynamic range can be wide, effects can be rough, but intelligibility cannot be optional.
The balance must show intention. Rough doesn't mean random. If the bass disappears in verses or the drums overwhelm the hook, it suggests you don't hear what the song needs yet. Intentional imbalance communicates vision. Accidental imbalance communicates uncertainty.
The emotional center must land. One perfectly captured moment means more than ten perfectly EQ'd tracks. If the performance connects, rough production becomes character. If the performance doesn't connect, perfect production becomes decoration.
The Question You're Actually Answering
When you send a rough mix now, you're not asking "Can you hear the potential?"
You're answering "Do I understand what this wants to become?"
That's the shift in demo quality expectations. The rough mix reveals whether you've found the song yet. Not whether you can make it sound expensive—whether you know what it needs.
Streaming changed the comparison point. It didn't change what actually matters.
Your rough mix can be raw. It can't be unclear about its own identity.
What the Work Needs
The song knows what it wants to be.
Your rough mix either reveals that you've heard it, or reveals that you're still searching. Both are valid positions. Only one builds confidence in the listener.
The death of the demo isn't about production standards rising. It's about the moment when you know what you're making becoming inseparable from how you present it.
Even roughly.
Giovanni Cordova is a mixing and mastering engineer working with podcasters and musicians who value clarity in their creative work. If this perspective resonates with how you think about your own rough mixes, you can explore his approach at giovannicordova.com.