First of all, it should be noted that not all radio is the same. On the one hand, there are free radio stations, university radio stations and web radios, where access is more accessible. With a bit of luck and/or personal contacts, you can be successful with an email to the editors. With the larger private and public broadcasters, on the other hand, this is definitely not so easy. Here you usually have to resort to professional promotion.
What requirements does my song have to meet?
First things first: nothing works without a radio-ready song. This usually means a professional production with hit potential, whose arrangement and length is tailored to the radio format (max. 3 min. playing time), is a mandatory requirement. For an online or university radio station, with a bit of luck this may be enough for airplay.
For larger regional and national stations, the artist should already have certain references. It is very unlikely that radio stations will play an unknown artist. Chart placements, media coverage and an appealing reach on social networks are important prerequisites.
How do I contact a station?
For many stations, a listing in the Music Promotion Network (MPN) is a mandatory prerequisite for your song to be played at all. The editors of all major radio stations use this database to obtain the necessary information for publication. To be listed, you need a label code, which is issued by GVL.
A professional request is of course the be-all and end-all. You have to imagine that editors are inundated with requests every day and can only briefly decide on the most important submissions during editorial meetings. This means that you have to get all the important information to the point. A press sheet with a song/release description and background information on the production and artists is standard. Provide audio files as a private streaming link (e.g. via SoundCloud) but also as an mp3 download (not attached to the email!). You can also use the label copy from the Feiyr account, for example.
Other important information includes tour dates, press reviews, links to music videos, social media links and planned promotional activities. Nevertheless, keep it short and sweet and don't write novels! A professional website where you can find all these things at a glance is always an advantage.
When to use radio promotion?
Contacting well-known radio stations on your own rarely leads to success without personal contacts. If you are serious and the song or artist fulfills the requirements described above, then consider booking a radio promotion. This is usually a costly undertaking, so think carefully about whether your song has the potential for this. However, a reputable provider will usually let you know if the song is not suitable for radio, as they naturally only want to supply their personal network with high-quality products.
In any case, good, long-term planning is important. On the one hand, you should ideally contact the promoter for the first time 2-3 months before the release date of the song. This is because agencies are often very busy and the planning of a professional promo campaign is always strategic. This means that the phase during and after airplay must also be planned in advance. After all, once the song is on the radio, there should be accompanying promotional measures and, ideally, live performances. It should also be clearly communicated if it is a single release for an upcoming album, for example, so that the audience can already prepare and look forward to more.
Radio promotion with Feiyr
With Feiyr, you can choose between three different radio promotion models. We also offer a cheaper entry-level model, which includes a professional media consultation with a radio promoter. If you are not sure whether you really want to invest in an expensive promotion, you will receive an initial assessment of the potential of your music and further recommendations for action.
If you decide to hire our experienced promoter, this automatically includes a listing with MPN. If required, an MPN listing can also be booked independently of the promotion via the Feiyr account.