How to Get Your Music on the Radio
Of all the music platforms available today – music channels on cable, downloads from websites, CDs or mp3s from local sellers – the internet is by far the most viable way for a band to expose their music to a wide audience. Often times, a band has a limited budget and may not be capable of producing or incorporating a large advertising campaign into their promotional plan. Musicians still have their images to change and refine – they have to look more professional and create a more engaging audio experience for their current audience.
The good news is that you can get much of the music you hear on the radio from websites that purchase music for commercial purposes. The website may even allow you to record your music so that you or others can hear the results. Getting your music on television, though, is a different proposition altogether.
Getting your music on television or radio may not be as simple as spinning your CD’s on a CD-Recorder. You actually have to have a relationship with a television station or program director. If you’re able to convince them that your product is of value to them, they may pay you, by way of a few placements, a percentage of your profits, and allow you to present your CDs and mp3s to a wider audience. Depending on each television station, you may or may not be able to present your music to a broader audience. You will have to demonstrate that your product is of value to them and to their viewers. Besides, there are also twenty-four hour ratings factors to take into consideration, as well as corporate- Stewpotting arrangements that may allow you to have your music played throughout the day whether or not you’re playing.
Inhapsantly, you may also be able to establish relationships with radio program directors. As with the television station counterparts, you will have to demonstrate that your product is of value to them and to their viewers. Again, you must demonstrate that your music is of value to your audience. Your music has to be of value, not just in terms of its play, but also in terms of its message and its intended market. By that, I mean that you have to create a sophisticated,ocative piece that is capable of triggering multiple thoughts and emotions in the listener, and on a subconscious level, provoke a certain response. Mix in the elements of cohearse music, either trance, or hard dance, with your melodic and harmonic concepts and you have a very capable and evolutionary artist who is ready for the next phase.
Lastly, as you continue on your journey, you will probably have no choice but to choose between getting resources from websites that charge a fee, or making the efforts to build your own fan base and demand that you turn out to be a digital DJ for hire. Doing so will force you to utilize all elements of the hip hop beat such as the percussion components and the breakdown that often accompany the vocals. You will find yourself mixing between beats improvised within pre-recorded rhythms, and rhythms improvised by you. You will also find yourself introducing elements of spoken narration alongside hip hop beat comping, and scratching. As you begin to progress from mixing bedroom grooves into commercial hip hop beats, you will find yourself incorporating various elements of vocal performances along with beats and licks, synthesizers, drum machines, and your own keyboard work. The best way to continue your development as a mobile DJ is to utilize new technologies along with your personal classical approach. Once you have composed a first line, and have it running through your new program, it is time to finger-style your riff. Continue to develop your finger-style and A-B-A-B-type rhythms, and odds are you will begin to add or alter an element of keyboard work to your mix. Finally, the phrase “and the beat goes on…” will not apply anymore, because you will be replacing it with “and the beat goes on…” Keep your thoughts to yourself except where it pertains to your music- you are the DJ, and you know best what works best.