As Independent artists, you have to wear many hats. You have to write, record, perform your music, and book and promote your performances. Another thing you should be doing regularly is promoting your music to gain more fans. There are many ways you can do this but a great way is to submit your music to online radio stations. Today there are thousands of online radio stations that stream music non-stop, and quite a few of them are willing to play new music from independent artists. Wondering if this is really worth it? Well, here are 7 great reasons why it is…
Want to submit your music to lots of radio stations? We’ve got tons of stations you can search through to save you time and frustration. All of our stations accept submissions from independent artists. Use our Online Radio Directory to quickly find contact info and submission requirements by clicking here.
1. Exposure
Every musician’s ultimate desire is to have their music heard by the masses. Getting your music played on online radio can expand your listening audience greatly, as many of these stations have loyal built-in audiences eager to discover new indie music and artists. Ultimately, tapping into these stations can cover a lot more ground than just your website or social media pages ever will on their own.
2. Easier Entry
For the longest time, terrestrial radio play was the best way to get your music heard by the masses, but it required mass production and distribution which most of us don’t have the funds for. Luckily, us independent artists of the 21st Century have internet radio! All you need is a computer, internet service, and a little time and you can cast a pretty wide net by just submitting your music to various online radio stations.
3. Royalties
Believe it or not, you can actually make money from having your music played on internet radio! First of all, you have to register your music through one of the main licensing bodies or PRO’s as they’re known as (Performance Rights Organizations), which you should always do anyways. This would be either ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or SOCAN (Canada). The online radio stations are also expected to go through these organizations to get proper licensing before playing anything. Once they start playing your song, they’re supposed to report it each time to the PRO’s. At some point, the PRO’s should then send you a check for your royalties. These checks could be pretty small initially, but in theory, if you’re able to get lots of songs played on several stations, you might start to make something useful.
+Get the Contacts You Need to Launch Your DIY Radio Airplay Campaign
4. Gig Opportunities
The more stations and DJs you connect with through submitting your music, the more opportunities could open up. For example, you might be able to get some shows through connections that stations might have with local venues. Some of these stations even host their own shows and festivals and might be happy to include you on the bills once they get familiar with you and your music.
5. Promotion Opportunities
Building relationships with online radio stations and DJs could also open up some promotion opportunities. When you release a new album, they might be happy to feature it. If you have an upcoming show in their city they might be willing to advertise it for you, or better yet, have you on air for an interview.
6. Bragging Rights
As stations begin to play your music, it will give you something else you can brag about. Tell your fans through social media that you’re being featured on stations X, Y, and Z. Include it in your list of accolades on your website or EPK. You might even want to sneak it into your booking pitch when reaching out to venues.
7. Added Credibility as an Artist
With all the online airplay and ‘modest’ bragging will come even more credibility. Not many independent artists can claim that their music is being actively played all over the internet, especially on radio stations. Other artists will look up to you and ask you how you’ve done it.
So there you have it. If you’re not already submitting your music to online radio stations, definitely consider adding it to your routine. Doing so can grow your fanbase immensely, increase your revenue through royalties, create more show and promotion opportunities, and give you more credibility and bragging rights.
One of the biggest hesitations a lot of artists have when launching a radio campaign is the countless hours of research that goes into finding the platforms to submit your music to. Another roadblock is having to compete with other artists for the attention of DJs and Program Managers. That’s why it’s important to give yourself the best chance of getting noticed by focusing on the stations that play songs from your genre. Additionally, you should evaluate your pitch and learn the best practices for submitting your music to be the most effective. We’ve created a tool you can use to cut your research time in half and help you craft the perfect pitch for submitting your music. Our Online Radio Directory has tons of listings that you can search through by genre. Each listing has contact information and provides links to submit your music. As a bonus, you’ll get in-depth guidance showing you how to craft a pitch and network with station managers and DJs to promote the highest engagement. Subscribers consistently say that the directory has helped them network and gain more exposure for their music. Learn more about the Online Radio Directory here.
Also, if you’re worried that you don’t have enough time to regularly do this, consider hiring a virtual assistant. They can actually be quite affordable. In fact, you can hire one for as little as $5 on Fiverr. Click here to see a list of highly recommended Virtual Assistants.
More Resources…
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Great stuff! I love this idea because I primarily make music from home and don’t play out much. So I’m a fan of being able to gain exposure, create some buzz, and maybe make a little money without leaving the house 🙂
IKR! There are so many ways to make money out here, it’s unreal. Especially, as an artist! We have the ability to build our own systems and create our own opportunities just from being creative.