Recently there was an article by a well-known indie artist’s site entitled, “Radio Promotion- Why You Won’t Get Commercial Airplay”. There is nothing further from the truth.
Good News – outside the US, world radio plays what they consider is good music.
They don’t care “who” the label is and you can’t pay them to play what they consider bad music. They are attentive to their listening audience and play what the audience wants to hear.
The Not so good news -Every year thousands of Indie artists attempt to place their music on commercial radio in the US to find it is only a racket. It’s a closed system of secret handshakes, pay to play, and broken promises. The playlists on commercial radio stations are mostly dictated from a central corporate headquarters and the songs are picked based on what record companies are “paying” the most in favors, vacations, money, and other various “who knows”? (top forty anyone?)
However, radio is still the most effective way to expose an Indie artist’s music to the public.
In the past, it was a daunting, expensive process. For decades, a promotion company worked in a limited geographical area. The promoter sent out records, tapes, cds to about 200 or so radio programmers in a specific genre and geographical region. There are still old school radio promoters out there doing business the same way. Not very effective, nor does it reach a lot of stations or give the artist maximum exposure.
Radio Promotion in the 21st Century
Now there are tons of companies offering promotion to internet radio stations. Then there are some internet stations where a artist can pay for so many spins on that internet station. It is unlikely anyone will ever hear them since the only people who listen to these stations are artists who paid to have their music played. Most of the listeners are other artists waiting to hear their song played.
Then there are the promotion companies who for a fee allow you to place your music on their site advertising that they have X amount of radio stations. They say that their radio stations are going to go on their site and wade through millions of songs in the hopes they will pick yours to add to their playlist. Radio programmers do not have the time nor the inclination to spend their week wading thru releases to find your song.
So – How DO you get played on BBC, Sirrus, Clear Channels and other major reporting stations?
It’s a big planet we live on. These days with digital distribution and all the many sites on the internet you want the world to hear your music. Not just a limited geographical area. Yes, internet radio is global but mainstream radio is still the most reliable source for anyone to hear your music. Mainstream like the BBC, Sirrus, Clear Channels and other major reporting stations.
How do you get to them?
There are a few innovative companies out there that have stayed ahead of the curve and all the changes. What you as an artist wants is to be able to deliver your music directly into the hands of radio program directors. You want to be able to do this without having to send a cd . Without having to have radio programmers wade thru a million releases to have yours jump out at them.
You want to be heard and played.
So search for a company that delivers a high quality digital press kit to radio programmers that they can quickly stream and listen to. And if they like what they hear they can download it for airplay. Find a promoter who does this around the globe to tens of thousands of stations – one with developed relationships, measurable results, and references.
Indie Artists Are Getting Commercial Airplay – Now
The good news is outside the US world radio plays what they consider is good music. They don’t care who the label is and you can’t pay them to play what they consider bad music. They are attentive to their listening audience and play what the audience wants to hear. So if you are good as you think you are, find one of these radio promoters who will deliver your music to the world without you taking out a second mortgage on your home.