Your demo tape is the key to opening doors in the music industry. You can only be discovered by showcasing your talent to music industry professionals and talent scouts.
When recording your demo tape, a lot of effort must be taken so that the end product is of high quality. For example, if you are showcasing your vocal talents, it is of absolutely no value if your demo tape sounds like you are singing though the telephone. If this is the case, you have wasted your time, money and chances. So invest some time in a professional demo studio, get the services of a sound engineer there and spend some time getting a good demo recorded. Understandably, these studio sessions are not cheap, so you should try to optimize the time spent there. Instead of trying to figure things out there, you should pick a few of your best songs, refine and practice them extensively and then head out to the studio. This way you will not end up wasting valuable studio time.
Once you have an acceptable demo, get around to sending these tapes to prospective labels. Keep in mind that this is a saturated market. Like getting into the college of your choice, getting the label that you like might not happen. In fact, it may not happen at all. Do not get discouraged, just keep sending out your demos to whatever record labels you discover. Indie labels are a great way for new artists to make their debut, so you should consider that option as well. In the end, your success is a direct result of your effort so give it your best and strongest shot and things will work out for you.