- Have all your materials prepared well in advance–100-200 CDs, one-sheets, photos,
bios, discography, press kit, news releases, recent press coverage, etc. - Carefully target your best prospects and use a spreadsheet to keep track of activities.
- Ensure the stations match your genre of music.
If you play metal, don’t contact a country station just because it’s a radio station.- Target College radio first.
- Call first to get the names and correct spelling of the musical director and show hosts.
- Call back a few days later, asking for them by name.
- Promote your act, explain you genre of music, events you’ve played, but listen more
than you talk. - Send your materials via FedEx or Express mail.
- Call to verify receipt.
- Wait a few days, call again to ensure it’s been listened to by the host or others.
- Be polite, but be persistent.
- Buy your own bar code, ensure it’s in your name.
- Investigate various radio promotion services and learn which is your best bet.
- Set aside a budget for radio promotion activities and fees.
Public and media relations are usually less expensive options to promote your music.But, an even bigger plus is that p.r. is more believable than advertising. For example, let’s
say you’re thumbing through a glossy city magazine and come across an ad for a cos-
metic dentist on a right hand page. It’s full color and pretty “splashy.” It certainly grabs