9 Tips To Submit Music To Radio Stations.

Radio stations have a large audience and influence. Thus, they can make a major impact on your career. They sample the hottest playlists and new playlists to their listeners. Many artists submit music to radio stations hoping to get some airtime. Radio stations need to air the latest music to keep them relevant. That’s the main reason why radio stations register on record pools like Afrobeat DJ Pool. 

However, getting radio station airplay is one of the challenges artists and music producers face. It has actually become harder during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guide will go over tips to submit music to radio stations and get some airtime.  

Tips For Sending Your Music To A Radio Station. 

1. Research

Research may take some time but it is easy and totally worth it. You will need to assess various factors before you send your music to a radio station. Little or no research will lead to a waste of time & money and no airplay.

Start by determining what the genre the radio station uses. If you send the wrong music, you will get no airplay.  It will be a waste of time and money. You can get information about radio stations from their websites or on record pools. Radio stations usually create profiles on record pools like Afrobeat DJ Pool. You can view these profiles for more research. 

2. Adhere To Submission Requirements

Submissions to radio stations can either be physical or electronic. Most radio stations are switching to electronic submissions but there are some that still request physical submissions. Some of the best practices physically submit music to radio stations:

• Use an envelope and address it to someone, not just the organization in general.
• Remove the shrink wrap from your CD. This will make it easier to remove the CD. 
• Attach a sheet of paper with your details. These details should include, your name, your bio, your photo, music artwork, and your tracklist. 

Physical submissions are highly discouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask that you rely on electronic submission to keep yourself and others safe.

Electronic submissions are much easier than physical submissions. You can send in numerous ways which include:

• Electronic press kit
• A sheet including links to your productions
• Press publications
• Blogs

When using electronic submissions, ensure you grab the attention of the radio stations using your press pack and email. Moreover, ensure you use links to your music rather than mp3 formats. 

3. Submit Your Best Work

This should go without saying. The best work may be subjective to the opinion of program directors, fans, and critics. However, make sure the quality of your production is high. Consider factors like the timing of your drums, the pitch of your voice, and the lyrics. Catchy lyrics are poetic or metaphoric. 

Your first album may not get as much airplay or be of top quality. However, you should note that this is a process. Make sure you keep making better music, gain more experience, and keep growing.   

4. Create Some Connections

Building relationships and connections is an important aspect of becoming a successful artist. You should know that people do a lot of things in this world despite an increase in artificial intelligence and robots. 

Even if you may not get immediate airplay, the connections will help you as you build your career. You can create connections via introductions in various events or through social media. We ask that you use social media to build connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensure you are cautious when using social media. Be polite, build connections, and engage them over time. Ensure you try not to bug the program managers and other people involved.

5. Join a Record Pool like Afrobeat Record Pool

Record pools are also called DJ pools. There are many pros to using a DJ Pool. They help record labels and artists to reach out to DJs and radio stations who help spread knowledge and get feedback for their music. DJs and radio stations on the other hand gain access to the latest music. 

There are various types of record pools. There those that focus on specific genres and others that generalize. A genre-specific record pool like Afrobeat DJ Pool helps focus on the trends in your genre and makes it easier to get feedback. 

6. Do Not Neglect Small Radio Stations

It may be hard to get airplay in mainstream radio stations, especially for independent and upcoming artists. This is because they mainly focus on getting listeners to tune in, adverts, and profitability.  However, it does not hurt to try mainstream radio stations if it will not affect your budget. 

It is easier to get airplay on smaller stations such as the internet, community, or college radio. More plays from the small radio stations will go a long way to establish your career. 

7. Do Performances

Live performances will actually help you get more airplay. The more buzz you create the more interest radio stations get. Moreover, the performances will support the airplay the radio stations give your music. 

Try to tour and get performances at popular performance gigs. Moreover, you will be able to meet more people and build more connections in these performances. However, tours are currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask that you rely on YouTube and Instagram live to carry on performances.

8. Follow Up 

Ensure you follow up with the radio stations around two weeks since you submitted your music. Ask politely if they have decided to air your music. In case they say no, you can ask why. However, do not press otherwise you may end up blocking new connections. 

You can follow up via phone or email. Phone calls are more effective than email and will help you build connections. 

9. Never Give Up

You are not guaranteed airplay the first time you request it. However, giving up is worse than failing to get airplay when you submit music to radio stations. Remember, this is a process. Try to send out your music to as many radio stations as you can. Be resilient but do not bug. 

Submit more music even when they did not air the first round you sent. 

Conclusion

Radio stations have a big audience reach and airplay may open up more doors in your career. However, patience is key because you may not get immediate airplay or recognition. Ensure you adhere to the above tips to submit music to radio stations. Remember to join a record pool like Afrobeat DJ Pool and other platforms like social media to promote your music. Please leave a comment below for any tips we may have left out.