How to get your music on the radio – Airplay Direct
We have been talking in recent articles about various ways for independant bands and artists to sell their music online. Selling your music is only part of the process however. First of all, people need to be aware of your music. They actually need to hear it somewhere. These days it’s not hard to knock up a quick website or mySpace page to help you, but once again, how do people find you in the first place? One of the best tools for promoting and selling music has traditionally been radio. Getting airplay on a radio station has many obvious advantages. You can take advantage of a far wider audience than you would normally get to your mySpace page or your website and you can “piggy back” on the success of other bands being played.
We all know what decent airplay can give us, but how do we go about getting our music played? Well, the old fashioned way was to get hold of a mailing list of radio stations then set about putting together hundreds of press kits and CD packages to mail out. This method still works but it is expensive and many of the packages you send out will end up in the bin. Some won’t suit the station, some don’t accept songs from labels that aren’t “majors”, some will throw it away without even opening it but some, just a few maybe, may play your stuff. It’s not really a great system, eh?
Once again, the internet has come to the rescue of the indpendant musician. Airplay Direct is a great new service that acts as a “middleman” in getting artists and radio stations together. You simply sign up for an account which allows you to upload some of your songs in broadcast-quality mp3 format. Radio stations can then come along and search Airplay Direct for material appropriate to their particular station. Once they have found your music they can download it instantly and get it into their playlists quickly without having to contact you and wait for you to post them a CD.
From their website:
WHO WE ARE
AirPlay Direct is a new, revolutionary, efficient and cost effective way to securely deliver your “broadcast-quality” music and artist press kits to music industry professionals around the world.
AirPlay Direct makes life a little easier for radio stations and programmers that are looking for new music. AirPlay Direct’s “broadcast-quality” digital library includes all formats / genres of music.
HOW IT ALL WORKS
Only radio stations will be permitted to download “broadcast-quality” music from this site. They must obtain a highly secure password to enter and download. AirPlay Direct protects your “valuable music assets” by screening and verifying all radio member applicants, password protected downloads, limiting / monitoring # of downloads, and by utilizing the latest technologies in security software.
Artist and Labels register and then enter with a password, create an AirPlay Direct artist web site and can then edit their artist information as needed. This informational tool provides radio programmers with your current promotional materials; photos, bio, CD artwork, songwriters / publishing info, etc. All of your artist information will also be automatically put into your new AirPlay Direct Digital Promo Kit / DPK.
ARTISTS/LABELS
Why mail hundreds of artist packages out to music industry professionals? You can convert and upload your own tracks, or simply send your CD to AirPlay Direct and we will convert and upload your “broadcast-quality” tracks for you. Your music will be instantly accessible to thousands of radio stations throughout the world. All music genres can be posted and ready for radio stations to download; Rock, Country, Pop, Bluegrass, Alt. Rock, Rap, Gospel, Blues, Roots/Americana, Folk, Spanish, Comedy, Hip Hop, Metal, Classical, Zydeco, Jazz, etc… All Music Formats are welcome!
WHY USE AIRPLAY DIRECT?
• Reduce postage expenses
• Digital delivery’s speed to market is instant; snail mail, well you know the story
• Prevent scratched or damaged CDs
• Cut CD manufacturing costs
• A song or album can be pre-posted and then become available for download at the specified release date.
• Songs posted will be available to radio for 1 year.
• Real-time Download Tracking Reports allow you to track which stations have received / downloaded your songs for airplay, and the date and time of download. No more lost packages.
A someone who helps run an internet radio station I can tell you first hand that we use this service and have found it first class all the way. It really does provide a “one stop shop” for artists wanting to find their way into airplay on radio and all the benefits that brings.
Check them out today at www.airplaydirect.com
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