Throwback Thursday: Navigating Radio Placement as an Independent Artist
Since the beginning of its era, radio has been the driving force of music discovery for most people. Whether a major label is pumping millions of dollars into a nationwide radio campaign for the next big hit or a college student is playing their friends’ band during their 1-hour radio show once a week, radio has become ingrained in the music industry’s business model. And even though radio doesn’t make or break an artist like it used to, there are still a number of people out there who don’t discover music on the internet, and rely solely on the radio stations they’re familiar with for new tunes.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the worlds of Internet and Terrestrial radio, looking into the characteristics of each, determining when it’s smart to submit your music for airplay, and how to prep the necessary materials to submit. Although there is no true test for how one’s music will get airplay on the radio, this article can serve as a simple guide to independent artists seeking some info on the medium.
