Rhí’s guide on how to submit your music to radio stations

If you’re not new to the Cobra blog, you’ll know that I’m a dedicated rock and roots publicist, on a mission to get rock back on the radio. From working with a number of different clients, radio plugging, without question, still remains to be a crucial element of music promotion.

Some of the main outcomes of a successful radio pitch are: Having a DJ launch your unknown track to widespread popularity, bringing awareness to you as an independent or emerging band/artist, and drawing fresh attention to your older releases. Radio plugging is of course, a traditional promotion strategy that might not get the same attention in a release campaign today as playlist pitching, however, it cannot be stressed enough its power to make a substantial difference in an artist or band’s reach and hopefully, long-term success.

This article will highlight why radio promotion/radio plugging is still an essential tool for bands and artists across all music genres, who are looking to broaden their audience, and why you shouldn’t put it at the bottom of your release campaign tasks. Whether you will take on radio promotion independently or hire a publicist, you should hopefully feel a bit more informed about the process after these tips.

Why Radio Plugging is Still Relevant:

Much like pitching to blogs and journalists, radio plugging and promotion is still a way to enhance your visibility as a band or artist, connect with new listeners, and stay on top of traditional and new music promotion methods. The growing dominance of streaming platforms does not take away from these factors, especially when radio still continues to holds its ground. Genre or location-specific radio stations can still offer a curated listening experience, and a personal, human-touch that streaming platforms do not offer to the same extent. Though it is exciting to see your streaming numbers grow, it is also a rush to hear your new release being formally announced on the radio, especially from the mouth of a well-loved DJ. It is a result like that which personally, offers a little more credibility and validation. Plus, at the end of the day, fifty plays on the radio should pay out a heftier royalty check than fifty streams.

For bands and artists particularly looking to expand their reach at home, radio plugging can be a more effective way to pinpoint your target audience. Not that I’m well-versed in Spotify algorithms, but I cannot guarantee that Spotify could pinpoint listeners in Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon more than Shannonside Northern Sound could. Ultimately, radio plugging is a core way to compliment your digital music promotion strategy, and round-out your knowledge of music PR.

Close-up photo of a music production or radio production mixing desk

How to Identify the Right Radio Stations for Your Music:

Understand your Target Audience: This is crucial for effective radio plugging. Get to know a station’s style and audience by listening in one evening, or scanning their social media feeds to get a feel for their listeners and genre preferences. Smaller local and community stations are often more accessible and open to new or less-established artists, as are college radio stations, if you are USA-based.
Find Local and Genre-Specific Stations: This is all down to research. You or a few members of the band should take time to google local radio stations near you, and look further afield to genre-specific international stations. Try searching “Irish radio stations” or “hard rock radio stations” on Feedspot to get an instant and concise list for you to go through. You can also keep an eye out on other bands or PR agency social medias to see where their music is securing coverage.

Choosing a song to send to radio stations:

Choose your strongest, radio-ready track: As much as it might hurt you to admit, sometimes your best track is not the most radio friendly. Ideally, you should choose a track that still showcases your strengths and is a great expression of your style, however, you should also consider lyrical content (is it explicit?) and length (is it over four minutes?). If it ticks either of those boxes, perhaps consider sending in a different track, or creating a radio edit. Though there are stations that will play your entire four to eight minute single, bigger or more mainstream stations typically prefer not to play anything over three and a half minute mark. Think about what songs you hear on the radio: Most are upbeat or contain a strong hook or riff, so a slow ballad, though stunning, may not be the best choice if you’re a groovy indie band.
Ensure High Audio Quality: If a track does not audibly sound good to your ear, it will not sound good on the radio. The track must be well-produced, mixed, and mastered to meet most broadcast standards, so it would not be particularly wise to send one of your rougher demos. Another tip, is to have both MP3 and WAV versions of the track(s) because many smaller, online stations will only accept MP3 uploads. To save time in the long-run, have both versions completed and on-hand in an audio file folder in your EPK or press release.

How to Submit Your Music to Radio Stations:

Follow Submission Guidelines: Some radio stations have specific processes for music submissions. For many, a traditional email pitch is perfect, however, some may request that you upload music to their system, or include specific information in your email, otherwise they will ignore or delete the message. Check the radio station’s submission guidelines on their site to find out exactly, the best way to approach their staff. If they have nothing but a contact page and a message box, then stick to a traditional pitch.
Send a strong EPK or Press Release: Before you send a submission, make sure that you have an EPK or Press Release and that it contains all of the usual assets. If you are unsure about what to include, check out this article of ours. In a nutshell, they should have an online streaming link and audio download of your music, press images, a song and act biography and links to your social media. From my experience, many radio stations will not email you back telling you that they will play your song, they will only tag you on social media. So make sure you don’t miss it!
Personalise Your Pitch: Personalising your pitch is simply just good etiquette, however it is also the only way you can hope to build a personal conection with a DJ, program director or station staff member. This means that over time, they will hopefully provide you with support for each of your releases. So, do not just copy and paste your press release into an email, write a short email message that includes a direct hello to them (use their name if you know it), write a line or two about who you are, and a line or two about what you are sending. Remember, first impressions matter and a good relationship can open doors for future opportunities, such as an invite to do an in-person interview or acoustic session.

Photo of the Radio City Music Hall external building

DIY Radio promotion vs. Hiring a Radio Promoter:

Benefits of Doing It Yourself: Though I am a publicist actively promoting my services, I would encourage all independent musicians to do at least one PR or radio promotion campaign themselves. The music industry is all about connections and learning, and self-sufficiency and personal initiative are a key part of this. Skills are a currency, and knowing your way around a promotion campaign is good experience to have in the back pocket. Doing a DIY campaign will also be budget-friendly, and your only option if you don’t yet have the funds to work with a publicist or plugger.

Benefits of Using a Radio Promoter: Hiring a radio promoter or publicist is a great way to strategise a more robust campaign. Radio promoters and publicists have direct relationships with radio stations and DJs, or have a strong network of contacts, along with an understanding of how to pitch to stations with specific needs and preferences. This knowledge, experience and network will save you a lot of time as a band or artist that wants to focus on getting ready for gigs, writing new music or keeping their own social media up to date.

Conclusion:

Hopefully that has given you a better insight into how to promote your music through radio plugging, and the best approach to take that aligns with your budget and ambitions. Whatever route you take, you should be comfortable knowing that you are doing a great thing for your growth by forging genuine, personal connections and building a sustainable career.

If you have tried taking on a radio promotion campaign but are looking for some extra help for the next, you can reach out to me via the contact page to chat about how we can launch your next release! I specialise in indie, alternative, rock and roots PR, with my amazing clients securing great written and radio coverage across Ireland, the UK and further afield.

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