Do You Want To Get Your Songs On The Radio?

Many bands mail in their CDs to radio stations for the Program Director to review for possible radio play.

I'm here to tell you that this is basically a waste of time and postage.

There is a story I like to tell that will give you an good idea of what happens to your CDs after a radio station receives them. It's all about my first day working in the Promotions Department of a major radio station.

A guy gave me my 'new employee' tour of the offices and studios, and when we got to the break room, he pointed out 2 large boxes of CDs and said, (and I quote) “These are the CDs that bands send in, hoping to get on the radio. Feel free to take whatever you want. But if you get one and you really like it….. Burn me a copy, okay?”

Now, I am not going to tell you not to give it a try. While you may have a better shot at winning the lottery, mailing a cd is not that expensive, so... why not? After all, hundreds of thousands of people still buy lottery tickets everyday.

However, I've never heard of a band getting any air-time this way, and it's unlikely that anyone at the offices will listen to your songs. Most likely, it's going in the trash. If that's cool with you, then go for it.

The station's Program Director is usually the only person with the power to change radio play line-up. That's right! In most cases, even the DJs do not get to choose! In fact, many times when you request a song, your requests are tabulated to help the PD decide what songs to air the next day/week and how frequently.

But even he is bound by restrictions from the 'higher-ups' and cannot play a song from an unknown band. So, it's also not worth your time or effort to try to 'get in good' with him.

HOWEVER, this does not mean that it is impossible to get on the radio.

Here are a 5 quick tips that you can start doing today to increase your chances of getting some on-air exposure.

1. Look for a radio station with a “Local Music Show”. Go to their websites, see if the DJ is looking for new music. If so, they very likely will give you an email address, mailing address, or an upload form to send your music. Look on the local shows and the main site for upcoming contests. Every once in a while, a radio station will have an online contest for new music where fans can vote on the winner. Use other types of contests as well for more exposure, such as a photo contest. Check the rules first, but you might at least get to upload a picture of you that includes your band logo.
2. Use the radio station's website to out where they are doing appearances. Many stations do weekly appearances and have favorite locations that they hit frequently (such as a particular bar or restaurant), so start scheduling shows there. Once you have developed a good relationship with the owners/managers, ask them about performing on a night when the station will be there. Usually the appearances are not live remotes (meaning they are not broadcasting from the venue), and even if they are doing a live remote, it is rare that you would be playing live while they are on the air. However, the DJs will promote the event, and will frequently mention what band will be performing afterward, encouraging people to stay and check it out. This is a great opportunity for free advertising of your band on the radio!
3. Try to get on a college or community radio station. Usually they have a little more freedom with what they play, and the DJs themselves get to choose. College radio is probably your best shot. Many of the college DJs are not getting paid, and because they are 'beginners' in their industry, they will be more likely to be empathetic toward an unsigned musician. Sure, the audience is not nearly as big as a major station, but even 200 listeners is amazing exposure!
4. Research and contact web-based radio stations. These are frequently specialized stations, meaning it's listeners may already be specifically geared to your target audience. Some will make you pay a small fee, which you can do if you want, but there are plenty out there who are more than happy to have a great variety of unsigned artists.
5. Satellite radio might be an interesting venue to explore. For example, Sirius.com has a channel called Indie Rock Radio, which they say is like "hearing college radio, but never having to go to class."

The more stations, of any kind, that keep your music on rotation, the better you look! Make sure you include the names of these stations on your page or website. This will help you build your resume, or press kit.

Remember, cross promotion is a BIG deal, especially to smaller stations, and they will likely return the favor by promoting YOU! You can offer to promote a station on your website, which may indirectly earn you some extra air-time.

Let your community, college, and internet radio stations know about exciting things you are doing for your fans. Are you having a contest where your fans can win money or merchandise? Are you opening for a big name band? The DJ just might ask you for an interview!

Now that is worth a shot!