Get your looping music on ther airwaves (Was OT: CD-promo)

[KILLINFO@aol.com]

Remco,

I really don't think your topic is so "off" as all of that...

In a message dated 12/18/01 7:48:32 AM, crossfate@zonnet.nl writes:

>I've got an off topic question concerning a CD release. I'm in the process
>of releasing my first indie-solo album (about next month). Are there any
>Loopers out there who have similair experiences and have tips/hints for
>me? I'm looking for (online) magazines/radioshows etc. that review 
>ambient/
>loopy music. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm totally in the 
>dark 
when
>it come to promotion.

I hardly qualify as an expert in this. I only released my first 
commercially
available CD in July. But I sort of started this thread, so I feel 
responsible.
If I happen to say something really stooopid please forgive and excuse.

Well, the sort of music you are creating/recording matters a lot. It'll
probably be of only marginal value to send a CD of ambient music to a
death-metal e-zine or radio program specializing in polka music
(unless you happen to be into ambient death-polka ... hmmm... sounds
kinda interesting). But that's a no brainer. Search the web for radio 
stations that have shows featuring your sort of music and fire off a 
CD addressed to the "music director" of that show. You don't HAVE to
know the name of the individual (but it sure helps if you can find a
specific contact name). Include a little "press" blurb with a polite, 
professional request for consideration (remember they are doing 
YOU the favor, not the other way around) and don't forget to give
them an easy way to send notification back to you should you get lucky. 
E-mail is wonderful. It costs them no postage to send you a playlist
and (if they're feeling generous) some nice words about what they think
of your music.

The minuscule label my CD came out on gets e-mailed playlists all of the
time and forwards them to me. I belong to ASCAP and want to keep 
track of these so I can possibly have whatever tiny little bit of money 
paid me from this that I can (however insignificant). Joining an 
organization
like ASCAP is pretty painless and has the added benefit of making you
look more like a professional when sending out promotional materials.
It's something to consider at least. I'm glad I did it. Maybe it'll help 
you.

So far as I can tell, public radio stations (NPR, etc.) associated with 
institutions of learning (colleges and universities) are more agreeable
to putting unsolicited, submitted material on the airwaves. If your 
music is of a little more adventurous, left-of-center, underrepresented
variety this usually directly speaks to their own "mission statements." 
And, at the same time, some young underpaid (or even volunteer) DJs are 
often secretly dying to put something new, different, maybe even a little 
"dangerous" before their listeners. Of course, there are some who are only 
out to put on the best "alterna-corporate rock" soundtrack for their 
buddies 
at the next frat party -- who knows. It can work both ways. But I'd count 
on
college radio anyway to deal better with something "new" if that's what 
you 
do.

And, don't underestimate foreign radio stations. I'm continually surprised 
by
how much more adventurous people are elsewhere in terms of the different
things they are willing to expose themselves to and try. Perhaps I 
shouldn't 
be.
We seem to be such lemmings here in the USA sometimes that it saddens me.
Of course the messages and reviews that may come back to you will come
in a language that you may not speak...but so what. I'm thrilled that 
scattered
little groups of people from Bosnia to Brisbane are hearing my music. It's 
a 
kick.

My CD went out to a mailing list carefully collected over the years by the
individual that runs the label: Southern California avant garde trumpeter 
Jeff
Kaiser. He is my good friend and he has asked that I not share his mailing 
list
with anybody. So indeed, I won't. Sorry. But it shouldn't be to hard to 
start
carefully generating your own mailing list. It's all a matter of research 
and
the web is the single greatest new tool for research I can imagine. The 
information is all there if you know the right questions to ask. And, if 
you 
got 
my e-mail the other day that started this thread you got a list of 17 
radio 
stations (and the cities that they're in) that play some pretty doggone 
weird stuff. It shouldn't be too hard to put the pieces together and find 
the addresses for these stations online (and the names of various radio
shows, DJs and music directors). That was sort of part of my intention
in "sharing the joy" the other day...hint, hint.

So, what's the benefit in getting radio airplay? Well, honestly, not a lot 
more 
than the "thrill" of having gotten it (so far for me anyway). The label 
I'm 
on 
doesn't have big-league distribution. And, to make matters worse, the 
"shopping
mechanism" on their website has been down for a month. But I can 
definitely 
see a
real peak in interest reflected in the "stats" for my MP3.com web page 
after
every occasion my music has been played somewhere. My CD came out in July 
and 
the tracks up there have already had over 600 downloads. There is a 
definite 
pattern
of "spikes" in interest following broadcasts. So I have to believe that a 
few 
of those 
are turning into customers ... or might at some point (especially if they 
can 
begin
buying the CD with a credit card again at the label's website).

I hold out no more hope for it than that. I'll never be a rich and famous 
at 
this.
It's too late for me in that regard anyway. I'm not young and pretty 
anymore 
--
I'm a 48 year old white male and getting older all of the time -- no 
changing 
that. 
Also, I'm an amateur ... in the best sense of the word. The original root 
word 
"ama" comes from the Latin word that means love: amor. An amateur is a 
person who does something for the love of the thing itself -- and that's 
me. 
Of course it would be nice to be "surprised" by fame and fortune. But I 
can 
hardly expect it at this point. I've gotta find my motivations elsewhere 
(or 
be open to them finding me). Besides I have a pretty interesting "day job."

I hope this is of some help.

Best,

Ted Killian

www.mp3.com/TedKillian
www.pfmentum.com/flux.html
www.mp3.com/Ophelia_Pancake