| You have to find radio airplay time if you're going to be | | | | a disc jockey that's got you in rotation and really likes |
| heard and we're not just talking the local college | | | | your sound, get to know them. Find out why they |
| campus. The trick is called promotion. Now that doesn't | | | | enjoy it and see if they've gotten any responses from |
| mean you just put your press kit in an envelope with a | | | | listeners. If they haven't, ask if perhaps they might Q & |
| demo and hope they take pity on you. Perhaps you | | | | A their callers about your music so you get a feel for |
| call a station and they give you the standard pitch of, | | | | your target audience. It's not a bad idea to ask them |
| "Send it and if we like it we'll put you in rotation." After | | | | for a testimonial or quote if they're well known in your |
| a few months of never hearing your music, you | | | | area if you know them personally. People help people. |
| automatically think you're not worthy. | | | | That's a fact so if you treat your area disc jockeys |
| First, don't buy that. You're one of hundreds, maybe | | | | like a living and breathing human and not dollar signs, |
| even thousands depending on your city. Your disc will | | | | that's a foot in the door. Another good source is club |
| probably end up in the trash or, for more enterprising | | | | owners. If they play your music and the fans go nuts |
| DJ's, on Ebay in a one-cent CD sale. If you want to be | | | | ask them to say a few words about your sound that |
| heard and make potential sales, you have to stand out | | | | you can pass along to prospective stations, but be |
| from the crowd, and in this jewel of an article, I'll show | | | | sure to sit down for a drink with them. Ask them about |
| you Five(5) Knock 'em Dead Ways to Do Just That!: | | | | the picture of him and the woman and two kids behind |
| #1 - Get your CD into the right hands. The intern that's | | | | the Magic Kingdom. Don't be fake, but be genuinely |
| too busy to getting coffee or typing up a report for the | | | | interested. |
| station manager isn't going to be the one making the | | | | #4 - Network. Find out if someone you know (or |
| airplay decision. So find out who the head honcho is in | | | | someone they know) has connections to the music |
| that department and touch base with them. If the club | | | | stations. Remember six degrees of separation - you're |
| you're playing at charges an admission or you have a | | | | only six people away from knowing anyone on the |
| show coming up offer to send the stations tickets to | | | | planet and yes that includes station managers, concert |
| give away to listeners. Now keep in mind you can't | | | | promoters and record execs. The trick is it takes a |
| give the tickets to the staff, since that's illegal and | | | | great deal of work and time, but if you're serious, it's |
| called payola, but you can offer free giveaway items | | | | well worth it. |
| to your potential audience. | | | | #5 - Go local, state, national. Don't think you're going to |
| #2 - If you've got one station in your pocket, then drop | | | | skip your local and state stations and be the next |
| names. Let them know that WABC is playing your | | | | Matchbox Twenty. It doesn't work that way. Start |
| music and it's getting a great response. | | | | small and then get big. |
| #3 - Make genuine friends in the business. If you've got | | | | |