Maybe you are a songwriter and you have never had a professional do a demo for you. You might be wondering if it is worth it? How much does it cost? Would it be better if I bought recording equipment and recorded it myself? I will give my opinion on the cheapest way to go.
If you are a great singer, and can play a mean piano and/or guitar, I would buy a quality computer program like Ableton live or Pro Tools. This would allow you to make your own high quality demos. You could also do this if you know someone who is a great singer who would be willing to sing your demos for you.
If you are lacking in the singing department, I would suggest making a rough demo and having a professional studio produce one for you. Most professional studios have samples of their work on their website. I have used a couple different studios in the past. Green Jeans Studio, (Kansas), Pitch Perfect, (Nashville), and Mason Douglas (Nashville). They do excellent work without breaking the bank.
To make your rough demos, I would suggest using a program called Audacity. It is a simple to use set up and it is free. I understand if you want to spend more and try to make better music all by yourself. I've learned a lot and spent a lot of money during the process.
Today, I am sharing my song that I recorded and sang in the home studio. You will be able to compare and see the difference. A professional guitar/vocal demo costs about $150. This could add up if you were writing and recording a song or two a week. Sometimes I have to decide which songs are worth spending money for the demo. The song is called Long Live the King.