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I get a lot of music submissions for my radio station, Indie Pop Rocks! on SomaFM. While I think most people try to submit their music to the right people in the right way, I spend a lot of time wondering why I'm holding some submissions in my hand, because they're so inappropriate for this station.
There may be differences between what radio people and record labels look for in a submission. My friend Nick Tangborn, who runs the Jackpine Social Club label, tells me that some label people are more likely to listen to a CD-R with the band name scrawled on it and a homemade one-sheet that doesn't look too pro — the theory being that a band with musical talent won't know how to sell themselves too well. But for me, the less effort that's been put into creating a one-sheet and cover letter for a CD, the less likely I am to listen to it.
With these conflicting thoughts in mind, I asked some of my fellow radio professionals what kind of music submissions they pay attention to first, last, or not at all. Do they prefer CDs, tracks on MySpace, emailed mp3s, links to mp3s, or electronic press kits (EPKs)? My panel included Big Rick Stuart and Renee Richardson from KFOG, Rusty Hodge from SomaFM, Ted from BAGeL Radio, Liz from Notorious Radio, and myself. Here's what we said.
What kind of submissions do you listen to first?
Half of us say we listen to everything, but separate out the familiar names first. Ted and I agree we listen first to anything sent by labels or promoters we like. Rusty says, "Stuff that looks like the artist is really serious. Stuff with a note with a short, succinct indication of why the artist thinks it fits on one of our channels." Liz adds that she honestly prefers any band that has linked to any source for listening besides MySpace.
What kind of submissions do you listen to last (or never)?
Those who don't listen to all submissions we receive pull out anything that looks inappropriate or doesn't fit the station's format/playlist. Rusty downgrades "stuff that looks like a vanity project," which I have to agree with. Renee added that although she listens to everything, she might lag on listening to something she has prior knowledge of being awful. Big Rick says, "The no-info arty-mysterious CD cover is cool, but for me, it is the last thing I'd listen to."
"Make sure your time is well-spent,
and have the same consideration for us
that you would like us to have for you." |
What kind of packaging makes you more likely to listen to a submission?
Liz and I agree that we prefer unsealed submissions. All of us agree that while cool cover art is a plus, it's not a necessity — as Renee puts it, "Let the music speak for itself." Rusty likes submissions that "look somewhat professional, as if they put some time into creating the packaging, not just a one-off," because "we play indie music all the time, but that doesn't mean we play amateur, half-finished music." Big Rick wants his submissions to include "some information, not too much: basic things like hometown, style of music, info that says something like 'we are a cross between BB King and Flock Of Seagulls,' and the top two or three radio-friendly songs." I agree with Big Rick, because I love it when bands stick a note on the cover saying hi and telling me which songs to listen to. Not only does it direct my attention to the tracks they think are best, it also tells me the band sent me the CD on purpose, not just because I was on a mailing list.
What kind of packaging makes you less likely to listen to a submission?
We all agree that we don't like offensive cover art (offensive being described as "rude," "bloody," "swastikas," "sexy pictures," etc.) I go slightly further, adding that I don't like any kind of nudity, because if the band/artist feels like they have to sell their body on the cover, it almost definitely sucks.
Do you listen to MySpace URL submissions?
We're 50/50 on this one. Half of us think MySpace is a great tool and use it regularly, while the other half finds MySpace slow to load, don't like the fact that the jukebox players don't allow "needle dropping," think the audio quality is inferior, and so on. Rick and I agree that MySpace is great because of the information the pages provide regarding band location, pictures, bio, members, etc.
Do you like EPK submissions?
Liz is the only one of us who loves EPKs. Two of us didn't even know what an EPK was, and the rest of us usually find them too much of a pain to deal with.
Do you go to URLs to download mp3 submissions and listen to them?
We all do, but to varying degrees. Rusty won't do it if he has to log into a service to get them (and neither will I, for that matter). Rick said he hates web pages that take forever to find something about a band. Ted and I agree that we'll stream mp3s from a website and then request the CD if we like the band.
Do you download mp3s sent via email and listen to them?
Almost everyone says they're willing to listen to mp3s, but they don't want unsolicited mp3s emailed to them, as they're large files that take up too much space on mail servers — and they tend to get lost if we aren't looking for them to begin with.
Do email follow-ups make you more likely to listen to a submission?
Almost everyone agrees that email follow-ups can be helpful, since we're all really busy and somewhat forgetful. Rusty adds that he doesn't want any bands adding him to their mailing list, though.
Do phone call follow-ups make you more likely to listen to a submission?
A unanimous NO! None of us want phone calls, ever.
What else should bands submitting music to radio keep in mind?
Renee says, "I think the most important thing a band can do is create buzz. If they are good, it will happen naturally. If they stink, folks will find out pretty quickly that it's all hype. I think people can tell the diff. Include a bio — we love to make some sort of connection. And highlight one or two suggestions on the CD! We don't always have time for the whole CD, so we often "needle drop," as they used to say in the days of records."
"The most important
thing a band can do
is create buzz." |
She adds, "Know your market. This is big for the unsigned band. If you are submitting to a radio station, know what kind of music the radio station plays so you can highlight the songs that work. And make sure the production stands up to the other music played on the station."
Rusty says, "Make sure your CD is in the CDDB!!! That way, when I put it into iTunes to load it on my iPod, the correct track names are there!"
Notorious Liz says, "So many bands waste CDs, time, and money by not bothering to find out if the folks they're reaching out to are a good fit format-wise. It's good to reach out to as many people as possible, but make sure your time is well-spent, and have the same consideration for us that you would like us to have for you."
Big Rick notes, "The bottom bottom line for a station like KFOG is audio quality. It has to sound good to fit on our station, just quality-wise. It shouldn't sound like a "local band demo tape," even if it is. Anything that doesn't probably gets eliminated from airplay. I'd also say keep your package simple: Don't have endless cards and shit falling out of your envelope. Let us know who you are, some shows you've played, and what you sound like, and suggest a few tracks. Include a website — and brag a little."
BAGeL Ted says, "If the sender has a clue about the station and includes a personal note, that can help improve my frame of mind before listening. That said, no note is better than a faux personal note that was clearly sent along to every station/reviewer on the mailing. Do not ask ‘why' when people tell you that your record is not appropriate for their station. If the response to that question makes you change your music or give up making music, you are a hack, not a musician."
He adds, "Don't expect everyone to respond. I spend too much of my week listening to and filtering out music that is inappropriate for my station (and in some cases inappropriate for sentient human consumption), so I try to not compound the time wasted by replying unless the submission is going to get spins. That said, I have been pushed for reviews of records that I did not like, and on particularly bad days I have capitulated. The bands that have received said reviews have all replied with something like, ‘Ouch!'"
Final notes
Overall, it seems that we all agreed on one thing: we want to get only the music submissions that are appropriate for our stations and fit our formats, with production quality that matches the other music that we air. We all take our jobs seriously and work hard at them, and we hope that anyone sending us music has the same respect for us — and our time — as we do for them and theirs. Follow-ups are advised, but don't harass us. Be sure to include a one-sheet if possible, and try to write a note to stick on your CD if you're snail-mailing your submission.
I hope this helps anyone who wants to submit their music to radio!
Posted March 2007
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