[Dixielandjazz] Run your own DIY College Radio Campaign

[Stephen G Barbone]

Excerpted from Disc Makers’ free guide, Getting Radio Airplay. More  
Info at:



http://www.discmakers.com/request/Special_RadioBrochure.asp



If you’ve got a great new release that you really believe can get some  
serious college radio play, but you just don’t have the budget to hire  
a professional radio promoter, don’t let that stop you! With a good  
plan and time dedicated to the task, you can be your very own radio  
promoter. Here are the steps to get it done:

1. Assemble 100-200 Mailings
Your package should include one CD (remove the shrink wrap) along with  
an artist One-Sheet. Do not add extra photos and articles about your  
band – this will be perceived as clutter.

2. Develop a Targeted List
Put together a targeted list of college, community, and public  
stations, as well as commercial specialty programs (like local or  
unsigned feature hours) that are appropriate for your genre. You’ll  
have the most luck if you limit this list to a geographic area that  
you can realistically tour through at least three or four times a year.

3. Know Who To Contact
It’s important to address your package directly to the person you are  
trying to reach at the station. In most cases it will be the program  
director (some stations also have a music director). If the station  
has a specific show featuring music like yours, go ahead and send that  
DJ a package as well as they might have some input when the show’s  
playlists are assembled. Never send your package just addressed to the  
station.

4. Be Clear With Your Intentions
Are you promoting a specific song? Are there certain songs that work  
better for radio? It’s important to be clear to the program/music  
director, as they don’t have time to listen down to your album and  
decide what will work.

5. Follow Up Two Weeks Later
After you send your CDs to radio, check back in a couple weeks by  
phone or email to make sure they received it, had a chance to listen,  
and ask if they’ll be adding it to their playlist. Don’t put up a  
fight if they say NO. Just politely ask “why” and say thanks if they  
tell you the reason. If they say yes, give them a quick thanks and ask  
what their preferred protocol is for you to check up on the actual  
reception your album is getting from their listeners. Feel free to  
check back every few weeks to see if it’s still in rotation.

6. Thank You!
If you find that a station has added your music to their playlist,  
it’s important to follow up with a thank you. Ask them if there is  
anything that YOU can do for THEM. Maybe they’d like you to record a  
bumper for them (one of those little radio plugs where a band says  
“Hey, we’re Led Zeppelin and you’re listening to KLED!”) Perhaps you  
could send them free discs for them to give away in a station  
promotion. The opportunities to expand on the momentum with additional  
promotion should not be overlooked.

7. Keep In Touch
If a station has shown interest in your music, be sure to keep them up  
to date with your music career (outside of pitching your music to  
them). A quarterly email highlighting tour dates and recent career  
achievements should suffice to keep you in their consciousness. Don’t  
add them to your fan email list unless they ask to be added!

8. Timing Is Everything
Make sure you’re ready and willing to do all these steps in a short  
period of time. Just like the press, your big chance to make any  
significant splash with radio is when your CD is new (1-3 months old).