Artist: How do I get my song played on the radio?
Considering I was asked this question over 10 times in the last 24 hours I felt compelled to write this blog.
First let me make it clear that getting your song played on the radio is very competitive. Everyone wants to be played on the radio, but it's about being original, being remembered and beating the competition.
Social media and streaming services are new ways to promote your music, but radio is still an important way to grow an artist's fanbase and boost their popularity. You can have a huge social media following, have viral videos on YouTube and have lots of streams on Spotify but I bet you won't reach #1 on any billboard without a hit song playing on the radio.
Unfortunately, there isn't a one size fit all approach to getting airplay. Radio Airplay means getting songs played on radio which people refer as "spins" and "radio play," however I have 5 strategies that can help make it possible.
1. First, get influence somewhere else. Build a real fan base, gain some traction on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, YouTube and other major digital consumption channels. Most of the time radio is behind and gets suggestions from following trends.
2. Focus on non - commercial radio. College radio stations, smaller independent radio stations and web-online radio or even podcast. Programmers talk to each other & you'd be surprised how new talent is found.
3. Introduce yourself -Send your cd/ mixtape!
Don't assume people know you. Lots of people are emailing their music & don't have hard copies. Stand out! Be remembered. Go through extra mile. Don't forget to attach your Eletronic press kit to it.
4. Cultivate relationships. Sometimes it's not what you know but who you know. Find out who has decision making control over the station/market. Shoot your shot. Timing is everything. Never give up.
5. Sign w/ label. Radio advertising is very expensive, you need more than a promotion strategy you need an investor. A starting budget for radio promotion would be about 20k.
At the end of the day, you must think global. You can only do so much locally. Look around you'd be surprised of the other opportunities in other cities. You may already have an audience, but what you should be thinking about is how can you grow your audience, how else can your music be heard around the world and what can you do to attract new listeners.
The more people that hear it the more people will play it and the more you will grow and organic following that will help attract the radio programmers and labels to you so your music will be played on the radio.
There are so many other ways you can go about getting your music played on the radio, these are just some of them.
Need help coming up with a strategy that works for you, no worries schedule a consultation today and let's come up with a strategy to help get your song played on the radio.