Have you ever considered what you can do to become successful with your music? This week we are sharing some Do-It-Yourself tips for getting your music played on the radio. We had a chat with one of our users, Greg Hayes, about what he is doing to promote his indie rock band on global radio!
I play in a DIY Indie rock band called “The Grey Merchant” here in Cork, Ireland, and I’m very passionate about our music. I use that passion to share our music as much as possible, just in case anyone else might enjoy it too!
Every country on planet earth! I did heavy research beforehand on the stations and the kind of music they play. I found out which shows and channels play music in any way similar to ours, and then I reached out to the teams involved with those shows. This takes serious time and commitment but it’s really enjoyable when you get into it.
It all started with our first single on our first album. We released it just after the current White House occupant got his bone-spurred foot in the door. This song was our retort! My thought was, that if we never got any other song out there, I just wanted to at least send up this middle finger as high as possible. I sent it out globally bit by bit. Within weeks it was played in countries I have never even been lucky enough to visit. Even a rock station in Mauritius playlisted it. And we did a live on-air interview with them!
I look for one-on-one email communication with key team people at stations. The approach must be personal - not a chain-mail.
If you don't believe in yourself it's hard for anyone else to! I imagine a lot of record labels or promoters communicate and submit music to radio stations in a professional and well laid out format. That works, but so does standing out a bit. Try and figure out what you are. Are you a dude in a kitchen who is absolutely stoked about a new track you're about to drop for the first time ever? Don't be afraid to let them know.
If they know you're excited about it you might just stir their curiosity to have a listen.
A good combo is a SHORT, personal, and fun email followed by a promo with good artwork. If you have a flair for photography or artwork, cast it and let it hook! You may also expect 98% rejections. But roll with it, the 2% bites might be playlisting you for 3 times a day play for a month.
I keep track of Soundcloud, Apple Music, Spotify, OnlineRadioBox and various social media to get a full overview.
Furthermore, I listen carefully to other new artists played close to us on the same radio shows. One of the biggest wins is you get to know where incredible radio stations are playing great music worldwide at any time of the day!
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How to make the most of the Covid lockdown as a musical artist? Find out here.
