Karen Pearson, radio producer & director of production company Folded Wing, gives her thoughts on how best to get your music heard on the radio.



“As a radio producer, I receive loads of new music and e-mails from artists, music promotional companies and record labels on a daily basis either on CD (and very occasionally on vinyl) sent via the post or, more increasingly, as MP3s on download links sent via email.



At Folded Wing each member of the team – from Account Manager to Exec Producer to Production Assistant – is responsible for listening to music for a particular show that we produce but due to the crossover in musical styles across our shows, we’re also constantly passing music around the office.



With downloads and CDs added together, we receive anywhere between 50-100 releases a day.



So how can you make your release stand out from the rest and get it played on the radio?

1. Do your research

This is an obvious one but make sure you do your research:



• Check out lots of radio shows, there are more platforms than you think to get your music heard on.



• Find out which are the most relevant radio shows, and the best radio stations, production companies and producers, to send your music to.



• Find out the names of the Producers and Production Assistants on the programmes so you can contact them personally.



• Try and find out how far in advance the shows need to receive tracks before playlisting them. If you want your song played at the end of July, you will probably need to send it in at least a month before.





2. Provide essential information only

Make sure you include all the essential information about your release:



• Release date – this is very important! Try and print the release date on your press release/CD as big and as clearly as you can, so producers can see it easily.



• All relevant artist details.



• All relevant record label details.



• A short summary of the music style/sound (What makes your music different? What artists are you influenced by? Who have you recently been on tour with? Have you won any awards?)



• Include a personalised letter if possible, with recommended tracks that you think would work particularly well for that show.



• Be creative: try and get a quote about your music from a well known DJ/artist and include this on your press release/CD or suggest an on-air competition for your music (offering a CD/tickets to one of your gigs for example).



• A nice, clear photo/picture is always good too.



• I would recommend not sending too many pieces of paper that can get lost easily, keep your press release to the essential facts only, one or two pieces of paper should be enough.





3. Presentation is important

Make sure that your product/package is presented nicely and is clearly labeled with all the correct information on (and without spelling mistakes!). I always open the handwritten envelopes first before the printed ones, it feels a little bit more personal.





4. Send a physical copy if possible

If it’s an album release, try and send a CD as opposed to emailing a download. A physical copy is much more user friendly, especially for passing stuff around the office, and taking music to studio’s. For single releases, downloads and online video links make more sense. Another good idea is to go to the club nights that the radio DJs play at and hand them a copy yourself. A nice personal touch!





5. Emails are also good

If sending your release by email, try to include:



• A streamable link so that the music can be accessed easily.



• An accompanying link to video online.



• If possible provide links to your music in a variety of formats (MP3/WAV etc).





6. Make personal contact

Making personal contact is very important. It shows that you really care about your music and it gives a personal touch. So 5-7 days after sending your music, follow up with a call, and try to get some feedback on the music and if it is likely to be playlisted. Try not to take negative feedback personally, and be patient. These things take time. And always remember your boundaries as a promoter, you don’t want to annoy people.





7. Make your music stand out from the rest

The best way of getting your music heard is by making great music that stands out from the crowd. When people hear great music, they love telling people about it and passing on the information.





8. Target specific shows with exclusive jingles/tracks

A great way of ensuring that your music gets heard is by making a special, exclusive version of a track or jingle especially for a particular radio show. It shows that you really love the show and that you really want your music played. It’s guaranteed to make the show’s producer smile!"





Folded Wing produce award-winning podcasts, world-renowned radio shows and unique multi-platform music events. Folded Wing were named “Indie of the Year” at the 2011 Radio Production Awards.



For more advice on how to get radio play, listen to the free Folded Wing podcast.