Chapter 15:How to get radio airplay

When somebody writes a song that they have invested a lot of time and effort into, the next thing that they will want to do when it is finished is get out onto a public platform in order for other people to hear it.

Getting your song played on the radio is a means of boosting your career and generating meaningful awareness of who you are; the reason radio is so powerful is because the DJ and program directors can play whatever track that they want to their existing audience; the listeners have very little control over what they are listening to, making DJs extremely influential figures in pushing music in front of listeners on a large scale. In the main, large radio stations tend to have large followers, meaning that when a song is played on well known radio stations, it reaches a vast audience.

Because radio is the so useful to artists, unsurprisingly, everybody under the musical radar wants in. The scrap to get to the top of the pile can be brutal as there is only so much airtime that is physically available – not everybody will get their 5 minutes of fame.

However, whilst it is hard to get noticed, it is not impossible and artists should never give up the fight of winning some airtime. Once they have been played once, it is likely that will be played again and one play can create a ripple effect of people hearing your track. There’s no disputing that it works, but how can you get it to work for you?

Firstly, let’s address the two types of radio that are out there:

Start off small

It’s understandable that you’d want to hear your music blasting out the speakers on channels such as Radio One, but that isn’t going to happen straight away. The radio industry is a game of hierarchy and you need to work your way up in order for the commercial radios with the biggest listener numbers to take notice and want to play your music.

Do some research and find out what smaller, non–commercial stations out there thrive off new artists and are all too keen to promote their music. As previously mentioned, these stations don’t rely on revenue from advertising, so they don’t need to create gargantuan listener figures by only exclusively playing big name artists; they don’t have to bow down to the consumerism that filters through on commercial radio and they can make their own rules.

However, just because the aim of the game for non commercial stations isn’t listener figures, this doesn’t mean that they don’t attract listeners; many people flock to non commercial stations to get away from the mainstream playlists and masses of advertising on the big name radio stations. This type of listener is the most important, as they are actively seeking something out as opposed to absent–mindedly listening to music; these listeners are more likely to invest in an artist that they like and it’s important to grab their attention.

Many non–commercial radio stations have segments specifically geared towards unsigned acts, so they will actively seek out the artists who are looking for recognition meaning that you don’t have to beg and plead to convince them to play your music because that’s just what they are looking for. Also, as a bonus, the people who run these shows tend to be people who are part of the industry as a whole and could possibly help you to get your foot in the door in other areas.

When approaching stations, ensure that all information that you hand over is bang up to date, including your social media outlets – they will check you out. Tell them about up and coming gigs that you have and make sure that your bio promotes you in the best possible light without being cliché.

Going for the big guns

The move into bigger radio stations isn’t just a clear jump from non–commercial to the big commercial main players; you are still working your way up so start with the smaller commercial stations and add to your radio foundations.

Getting a good level of play on non–commercial radio will hold you in good stead with the smaller commercial stations and so on and so forth. This isn’t a process that will happen over night; it will take time and you will have to invest in all aspects of your career as a whole in order for producers and DJs to show an interest.

Once you have moved into the commercial arena, you will be analysed on just what goods you can bring to the table. You have to be able to attract listeners just like the other artists who are played on the station can, because once you are considered for commercial radio, producers and programmers will be looking at how you can increase their ratings. If they don’t think you can, they won’t play, so make sure that your career moves at a steady pace and doesn’t come to a stalemate. Just because you have been played on non–commercial radio doesn’t mean that you automatically qualify for airtime with the popular stations.

When you are at the point of working with commercial radio stations, you should be at a pivotal position in your career that sees you performing at more gigs, gaining more recognition from both the fans and the press and generating more sales of your music. In short, some of their listeners must know who you are in order for you to be considered. Don’t forget, you aren’t just up against British artists; you are also up against big international name from across the pond.

Gather your contacts

In commercial radio, the DJ isn’t necessarily the person who chooses the songs; this is the job of the music director. Find out the names of the music directors and producers at radio stations and get their contact details – these are the people that you need to impress.

It doesn’t hurt to contact DJs as some do tend to have some sway on what they play and they can always sing your praises to the directors if they like your material, so don’t be scared to contact them, too.

In regards to non–commercial radio, the DJ tends to have a lot of creative control over what they play and as it isn’t a big corporate company, contacting them directly is usually the way to go.