Your album is complete and you are ready to promote your music on the radio. But how? Music promotion via radio stations is a great way to increase sales and followers because you can stream songs before the album’s release date. Unfortunately, this method of music promotion can become more challenging than beneficial if you are starting out or are unsure of how to contact stations. If you are an indie artist trying to promote your music, these tips will help you get airplay on the radio.

Know your Choices

There are two kind of radios, non-commercial radio and commercial radio.

Non-Commercial: These are either public or college radio stations. They are generally run by a small staff encompassed by volunteers and community members or by college students. As an indie artist, college radio is a great starting place to introduce your music to the public and get better airplay.

Commercial: The majority of radio stations in the U.S. are considered commercial. Because of the high revenue through advertising and their private ownership, commercial radio stations tend to not give indie musicians or new artists a lot of airplay. The only exception being if the station has a segment dedicated to indie artists or new musicians. In addition, commercial radio stations usually only deal with agents, promoters and A&R people so trying to get airplay can be nearly impossible unless you are a well-known artist.

Approach the Right Stations

Genre: Find a radio station, whether commercial or non-commercial, that features a similar style of music as yours. Trying to feature Hip-Hop on a Country music station is highly improbable. If you are trying to promote your music locally, contact the radio stations that play your genre—they are more likely to give you airplay.

Career Level: The best way to get radio airplay is by approaching station that are appropriate for your career level. Commercial stations will most likely turn you down if you are a new and unknown artist, while non-commercial stations tend to appreciate indie music and new artists. Don’t be discouraged if you only getting airplay on non-commercial stations. Promoting your music on the radio is not an easy task and is usually a gradual process.

For more information on how to promote your music, follow our SongCast blog.