How does requesting a song on the radio work

Music that makes an emotional connection is what finds its way on the air. The last qualification plays the largest role in not only whether a song will get added to the rotation of a radio station, but also how often it will be played.

Simply put, if a radio station manager, music director, or approved station personality likes a song, it will probably get some radio airplay. If that song also catches on with other station staff and especially with listeners, it's going to get a lot more spins. Radio station managers are human, too. If we like something, we play it. It's just simple human nature. As music directors and station managers, we're passionate about the people who create the music we enjoy.

Fandom isn't limited to just the individuals who follow a band. Most radio station managers are serious fans of music too, and often we're fans of artists who not only make the music that we enjoy, but also who have engaged with us in some manner.

Aside from those three factors, other key details that can contribute to airplay include your touring schedule, your EPK , and whether or not you've been reviewed and featured in other places. When a band has had some positive reviews from credible sources, this can go a step further in the station manager listening a bit more to their music.

Radio station managers and programmers have tight schedules just like everyone else. The amount of time that's available to listen to the myriad of music submissions is often not as much as they wish they had. For this and other reasons, there's a chance that a song will be given a certain amount of time in that first listen. It might be that the first 30 to 45 seconds of the song are sampled first, and if it meets the preferences of the station, the rest of the song will be listened to before it's approved.

If you don't wow a radio manager in that first minute, the song doesn't have the airplay potential it should. This is why putting your best music out there and suggesting your best one or two songs for consideration is so valuable. The visual representation of a band's music submission or CD can play a factor in determining how serious the station manager takes the artist, too. That introduction point is all about first impressions, and sometimes the subtle ways that a band represents themselves can play a role in that initial impression.

When we receive submissions for airplay for The Appetizer Radio Show in CD form, the presentation of the CD and press materials make a difference in what impression is made. If the album looks like it was put together in a garage or resembles a high schooler's scrapbook project, it doesn't leave a positive impression before the music is heard. However, a nice looking CD with artistic photography presented with a well-done EPK leaves a positive impression that subconsciously carries over into the listening experience.

These are the subconscious elements that play a role in the decision-making of radio managers when selecting music. As a DIY artist, you have to make a solid first impression with people you don't know, who don't know your story or the dynamics of your music to start with. It doesn't appear to be too complicated a task. You'll then need to promote your song to them using a combination of press releases or one-sheets, phone calls, and faxes.

The stations that are interested in the song will play it. While this sounds easy, the truth is that it is much harder than that. Radio promotion is anything but easy. Getting your song played on the radio is incredibly competitive. When it comes to large commercial radio stations in major radio markets, getting on the playlist may be downright impossible for musicians outside of the major label system.

That doesn't mean that some radio play is out of reach if you don't have a big budget, with big movers and shakers behind your song. It does mean that you should understand a few things about the world of broadcasting if you ever hope to turn the dial and hear your song coming out of the speakers. There are two kinds of radio: non-commercial radio non-comm and commercial radio. Non-commercial non-comm radio encompasses college radio, and community radio stations including NPR stations and commercial radio is everything else stations with commercials.

Non-commercial radio is the most likely starting place for an up and coming independent artist. College radio is very friendly to such artists, and community radio stations often are as well. You shouldn't feel as if getting plays your music played on air on this kind of radio is somehow "less" than getting played on a commercial station. Some non-comm stations are hugely popular, and furthermore, succeeding in the non-comm arena can lead commercial radio stations to take notice. After non-comm, independent artists often turn to small commercial radio stations.

In this way, getting songs played on the radio is a bit like stacking blocks. You develop a foundation of plays on non-comm radio, which you use to build up to small commercial stations, which hopefully leads to airtime at medium stations. However, it is important to note that there is more to the process of moving up the radio ladder than just getting plays at smaller stations.

Radio stations want to see your entire music career progressing along with your radio plays. If you aren't touring, picking up more press and selling an increasing amount of music, then larger stations aren't going to want to play your song. Large stations judge your songs on their ability to increase their ratings by playing your music, not on the song quality itself.

Web radio is a good place to get some plays. Many bloggers have their own regular podcasts and there are plenty of online stations who focus on unsigned music like Kooba. You can find a list to start your search for online outlets on Radio Stations. From starting out to recording, playing live and choosing a record deal - all the advice you need is here.

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