Hi everyone,
I wanted to share some brilliant, timeless ideas from industry insider Amanda Easton on how to successfully get your music onto the radio waves. It's a fantastic, practical read that every independent artist should check out.
This is part one of a special three-part guest series. To dive deeper into her work, explore the Amanda Easton Blog and visit her main home base at AmandaEaston.com.
How to Get on the Radio
Hi there,
Having worked with hundreds of indie artists through PopTarts, alongside the independent release of three singles and two albums of my own, I often get asked for advice on what to do with an album once it's recorded. This is the first of a series of blogs that will hopefully give you some dynamic ideas. Please add your own experiences in the comments section—it's all about building a community!
OK, you've poured your sweat, tears, and bank balance into the creation of an original recording. You feel drained yet proud. Now the hard work begins: you actually have to sell the thing!
Radio is an incredibly important slice of your promotional pie. If you are a self-funded independent artist, there are still plenty of avenues open to you. Commercial radio in Australia (don't pack up and move, it's even harder in other countries!) is a very hard nut to crack for everyone, particularly indies. Nothing is impossible though, and I will cover the options for commercial radio in a future breakdown. But I wanted to start with something a little easier to achieve right now.
Community Radio Wants You
I've been a community broadcaster myself (2MCR, 2SER, and TVS in Sydney), so I'll start there.
Community radio stations are largely run by volunteers, operate as not-for-profit, and actively encourage community participation. Part of their core charter is actually to promote the local arts—and that means you! These stations often have solid, highly dedicated listener bases. With enough of a local groundswell, community radio airplay can absolutely lead directly to commercial radio consideration.
One of your best friends in this space should become the CBAA (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia)—the national body looking after 270+ community radio and TV stations throughout the country.
The CBAA runs wonderful, government-subsidised programs engineered specifically for indie artists. A key avenue to utilize is:
Featured Initiative: 'AMRAP' CD Mailout
Amrap charges a small fee to distribute ‘radio ready’ music by Australian artists to community radio stations around the country. The team at Amrap actually listen to your release, target the specific stations likely to play your genre, and distribute it accurately.
If you have a hip-hop record you want to promote with a tour through the East Coast, they will safely filter your music straight to the specific broadcasters in the Eastern states who run hip-hop shows. Even though you pay a small fee for this service, it is significantly cheaper and hugely more efficient than buying padded mailer bags and handling post runs yourself. Their industry contact databases are comprehensive, secure, and completely up to date.
I've used this service quite a few times and managed to cultivate some fabulous community radio airplay and lifelong industry contacts as a result. Like anything in this indie game, the more work and time you are willing to invest, the more benefits you reap. Amrap provides you with an invaluable tracking report which includes the direct contact info of all the radio stations that received your music. Use this list to follow up directly!
When hosting and producing my own radio and TV shows, I always deeply appreciated artists getting in touch with me personally. Keeping me in the loop with upcoming gigs and releases, being available for phoners or in-person interviews, and generally helping me provide interesting, fresh content for my listeners was a lifework savior. Never pester, but definitely make a warm connection. Community broadcasters are incredibly accessible compared to their commercial counterparts, and they will likely love hearing from you.
Amrap do mailouts every month, but they are no longer a well-kept industry secret. Make sure to get in touch with them in plenty of time before you launch your promo cycle. You can visit the Official Amrap Website to get started.
The Modern Edge: AirIt Music Catalogue
Alongside the standard distribution routines, the CBAA provides another vital modern ecosystem: the AirIt Music Catalogue. This is an exclusive digital platform where Australian musicians, indie record labels, and music representatives can upload their music directly. From there, community radio program makers from all over the country can browse, preview, and download your tracks completely legally for their upcoming on-air blocks. It is a massive, friction-free way to pipeline your sound straight to regional and city stations simultaneously.