Originally posted by srbguitar
question,
what would be the best way to get your bands demo played on the radio? would calling the station and taking the song in work?
First of all, you really have to do your homework about the station. If it's a corporate station, be sure that your stuff fits in with what they play. If it's an indie station, find out the name of the show and/or DJ who spins your type of music. Believe me, this will go a long way.
Music reviewers at radio stations have to go through literally HUNDREDS of CD's a day. They will generally listen to only a minute or two of the first three tracks. If something catches their ear they will check it out further, but otherwise, it's probably not going to get airplay.
If you don't have a lot of press, forget about commercial radio, but good music will still be played on indie stations.
Make your demo three songs. No more, no less. Bios and photos and stuff are good to have, too, but if it's a choice between spending the money on the demo or on the press pack, put it into the demo.
As for calling the station, this is where sending your stuff to a specific person helps. The music director and his staff will likely be very busy and unlikely to remember a particular CD, but a specific DJ might, if your stuff really caught his ear. Be prepared and open to constructive criticism, as radio people are usually good at being brutally honest.
Really though, I'd say the best way to get your stuff played on th radio is to a) write good music, and b) make sure you send it to the right places and people.
