Is Your Single Radio Ready?

Before you think about purchasing a campaign, make sure that your songs are in fact, radio ready. To start, your single should be of professional sound quality and should be mastered. Is your song clean or will you need a radio edit? Don’t forget that stations can’t air songs that have profanity or include any of the “seven dirty words” or variations on them. How long is your song? Songs played on terrestrial radio are typically 3:00 to 3:30 minutes in length. If your song is longer than that, it could hinder your mission for airplay. These are all important things to consider before moving forward with pitching your single to radio stations.

 

Are You Targeting The Right Format?

Just because you think your song is "alternative" does not necessarily mean that it's right for the "alternative" radio format. If you need help figuring out where to start, you can look at Pollstar's Mediabase Airplay Charts. Select the chart you're interested in targeting and look at the top 20 artists. Does your single make sense next to theirs? Could their fans like you? Do your fans like some of them? If not - you may be targeting the wrong format. Alternatively, if you’ve found your music resonates with a specific demographic or age group, you may want to start by looking at what radio formats target those age groups and see if you fit in with that format’s programming.

 

Have You Already Serviced To Media?

Radio airplay and media coverage can always help each other out when pitching for placement. Radio is highly competitive and if you don't have a radio team behind you, it can be beneficial to include press coverage highlights and other accolades when approaching radio stations. Likewise, if you're charting on any stations it can be a great “bullet point” to include in media pitches. Gathering press quotes to help boost your profile and brand before approaching radio can sometimes be the thing that helps you stand out from the crowd.

 

Are You Asking For The Right Thing?

What exactly should you be asking for when contacting someone at a radio station? If your goal is to have your single played, your best bet is to ask if they'd be willing to "test spin" your single. If the single has a good reaction, try to increase test spins until you can request it be added to rotation. Some of the best places to start are specialty shows and college radio stations. Specialty shows are shows that air on terrestrial radio (think broadcast, FM stations) that usually have more flexibility in what they play, and therefore, can play emerging acts. These shows can air over the weekend or during late hours and usually are one-hour shows with a theme. Alternatively, college radio often has variety formatting, where the station hosts a number of different shows and those shows will spotlight different genres. The college market even has its own chart - the NACC 200. Many artists will approach terrestrial radio only after securing spins or charting on college radio. This can be great leverage when approaching a terrestrial station.

If you’re still not sure what campaign is best for you, reach out to one of us at HAULIX and we’re happy to help advise!