Getting your music on the radio

You need to handle all the digital stuff first because it will provide a track record for your band that you can use to persuade radio stations to look more favourably on your music for playlisting. The internet being what it is and viral communications being so powerful, the chances are better than you might think that a radio employee has heard of your music before you get to the station, making your case to be heard all that more powerful. And even if they haven’t, the fact that your music is out there and enjoys a fan base will make them more inclined to play it than the music out of a bedroom project that has never previously seen the light of day.

 

Despite this it is advisable to start off seeking radio airtime from the bottom up. Don’t rush off to the major national broadcasters first. Chances are they won’t play your stuff anyway. Rather start slow and build some momentum. Keep good records of the process, and use your track record of playlisting on smaller stations to build momentum that you can use to pressurise bigger stations. The first step on the rung is campus radio.

 

Start with campus radio

 

Campus is the best place to start for a number of reasons. Firstly, their audience is young, adventurous and has a broader taste in music than that of commercial radio stations. Secondly, most of them have a strong vested interest in local music and want to support it. Use the internet and local press to find out about campus and community radio in your area and what it is that they play. It is no use sending them music if you don’t at least loosely fit their style. Because campus and community radio have bigger local music quotas and also more of a genuine desire to interact with local music and musicians, you can start to assemble a reasonable CV of airplay and interviews by taking the time and effort to interact with them. Remember of course that no spin of your music on air is wasted once you have registered your songs with SAMRO. In terms of the bigger picture, the more airplay you get, even on small stations, the more royalties earned off your songwriting.

 

Once you have this track record you should be looking to target your big regional and national radio stations, including vernacular stations if you sing in the appropriate language. Unfortunately, the format that the majority of these stations programme their music in seems to be fairly limited, which makes it hard for more diverse musicians to get airplay. However, there is always some degree of flexibility around these musical definitions. 

 

 

Submissions procedure

 

In order to get airplay on the bigger stations, you need to follow their submissions procedure. This is not hard at all. Call the station or access their website. Find out the name of the music compiler in charge of playlisting. Once you have this, prepare your CD so that the disc itself (as well as a case of some description) bears your band’s name, the song’s name and length, and the publishing information. Get in touch with the compiler and ask if you can come in to the station to present some new music to them. Often they will give you a 10-minute appointment, but they might ask you just to deliver the disc if they don’t know you. Take your disc, with a one-page document giving a very brief description of the group and what you do, as well as a description of the song and its style. 

 

Remember to include ALL your contact details. If you have a track record, include this as well. For example, the fact that you have played gigs with more established names, played a festival, reached number two on your campus radio chart, had three interviews on your community stations. Add any newspaper or magazine clippings you might have. Present these in a tidy and orderly document to the music compiler. One week later follow up with a phone call. Depending on whether you get a “yes”, “no” or “not yet” answer, keep calling until they either tell you it is being played or it has been rejected. If you don’t, your song could be on air and you wouldn’t even know it!

 

Next week: Sales

 

Originally published in David Chislett's One, Two, One, Two: A Step By Step Guide To The South African Music Industry. Download a free copy of the book at www.davidchislett.co.za.