How to Get Radio Airplay for Your Unsigned, Indie Band
You Want the Airwaves, Baby? You Got 'em... Here's How to Get Radio Airplay for Your Band!
by Paul Diamond Blow
So you've got a list of radio stations compiled -- what do you send to them? When you've done all your internet researching and have compiled a list of radio stations and programs that are most likely to play your music, here is what to mail to them:
1) The CD: Most radio stations only accept CDs -- they will not accept cassette tapes or links to mp3s on the internet -- they want CDs only. When you mail your CD off, the first thing to do is take off the shrink wrap. This will save the music director or deejay the hassle of taking it off which as we all know can be a pain in the rear. It's also a good idea to print out small stickers that list two or three songs most suitable for radio play and put the stickers on the front of each CD jewel case. The sticker could say "Suggested for radio play:" followed by the names of two or three strong tracks. Mailing label stickers work well for this.
2) Promo material: When sending your CD to radio stations for airplay, they do not want a full press kit with 8x10 glossies, bios, and other promo material. What they do want is a "one sheet" or "press sheet", which is simply information on one sheet of paper that summarizes your band and CD release. The information you should include on a one sheet is :
- The band name, name of the CD release and release date of the CD
- A short description of the CD's musical content and style (e.g. "New CD from Seattle punk band the SPACE CRETINS, featuring ten high-energy punk rock blasters with buzzsaw guitars and glammy spaced-out vocals. Recorded, mixed and mastered by grunge legend Joe Bob")
- A track list which lists the title of each song, the song length, and a one sentence blurb which describes each song (e.g. "Future Hoppin (2:43) mid-tempo punk rock anthem with a catchy chorus") You should also highlight two or three of the strongest tracks that have the best chance for radio airplay, and should also note any songs that contain profanity or anything else that may be in violation of the FCC guidelines for radio play.
- A small image of the CD cover
- A small photo of the band
- Contact information (website address, email address, phone number)li>
When you've got your one sheets printed out, simply fold each sheet up and pack it inside each CD you are mailing off -- inside the jewel case right on top of the CD.
3) Mailing Envelope: Usually a 4" x 6" bubble-wrapped mailing envelope will do the job since all you are mailing is a CD with a one sheet folded up inside the jewel case. Make sure you've got the package addressed to the radio station with an "Attn: program director" or the radio program you are sending it to added after the radio station name.
After you've mailed out your CD packages it will take about a month before your CD will start showing up in online playlists, so be patient. Also be advised that since most radio stations receive hundreds of new CD releases each week there is no guarantee that yours will get airplay at each station. That is why it is so important to stick with stations and radio programs that play your style of music, and also very important to try to get in contact with the right people at each station/radio program before sending off your CD, that will ensure a higher level of success in getting radio airplay. It is also a good idea to keep records of which stations you've sent your CD to with the addresses and contact names, and add notes of which stations have actually played your CD and how many times you can verify it's been played. This list will come in handy the next time you have a new CD release. It's a good idea to regularly Google the name of your CD title at least once a week to see who's been playing it and how many times they play it.
Follow these instructions and you can't go wrong... you may not become a huge radio sensation, but you will get radio airplay, and let's face it -- it's a real kick to hear your song played on the radio. For a good list of hard rock radio stations that will play your CD, check out my list of radio stations. Good luck!
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