Want to get featured on more music blogs and get your brand out there – then read on.
- Do Not Submit to All Blogs – Just the Right Ones
You will not need to waste time trying to submit your music to every blog out there. Not every blog is right for your music. You need to be focused with music blog submission efforts.
Different blogs focus on just one genre such as country, hip-hop, electronic and so on. Research to find blogs that feature music in your genre. When you find a few, check to see their blogrolls. This is a list of blogs they use which makes for extremely helpful information.
If a blog does not have a blogroll, read their posts. Look for hyperlinks to other sites. When you are in the early stages of your music career, you will want to target blogs that feature newly discovered music and musicians. You want to hold off on submitting to mainstream sites for now.
Sure, it is cool to appear on MTV or Complex, but people just do not visit these sites to click on unknown artists. Even if you get listed or posted on a major outlet, you will have trouble getting new fans. You might only get about 200 plays, as well. If you go to music sites like Hilly Dilly, GoodMusicAllDay or Pigeons and Planes you stand a chance to get listens. These are frequented by real music fans who want to find new artists and new music.
One way to find great blogs to submit your music to is to read through your favorite artists’ Twitter feeds. Where is there music being posted? These might be suitable for you. What websites are they frequenting? You might find luck at these places. Many artists RT blogs that share their music. Find niche blogs even if you do not recognize them right away. You might be surprised.
- Personalize Each Submission
Personalize the e-mail that you send to each blog. This should mention the website and why you appreciate it. Let them know why your submission is a good fit. Here are more tips for personalizing your message:
Never use BCC. Write an individual message to each blogger.
Mention the name of the website at least once and be sure to spell it correctly.
Offer each website a sincere compliment. Tell them what is unique about their site. Mention a song you discovered there, tell them what section of the site is your favorite, or let them know how much you like a certain writer. Mention why you appreciate their work and why you feel they stand out from other blogs.
You may also let them know that you look forward to working with them and developing a future relationship. Even if your current song is not the best fit, the one you record next time might be.
What you want to aim for is creating relationships with several bloggers at a few different websites. You want to reach out when you need a post, but you also want to reach out just to see how they are doing. Let them know that you are keeping up with them and let them know when you have new music to share.
- Keep It Short
Limit your submission to about five or six sentences. Some people will type huge paragraphs telling blogs why their music is essential listening. Don’t make this mistake! Remember that these blogs receive many submissions and often read hundreds of e-mails. If yours is short it will definitely be sweet for the reader! Here are some suggestions to keep things succinct:
Write 2 sentences saying hello and indicating that your message is a submission for the blog
Write 2 more sentences as to why you are writing to them ( for instance, building a relationship for the future)
Write 1 sentence about the song you are sending. You may include a quote about the song.
Finish it by adding your appreciation even if your work is not the right fit currently. Let them know you look forward to finding material that fits their audience. Ask if they know anywhere else to submit to.
Use hyperlinks to your social media accounts at the end.
To recap, here are the guidelines you will want to follow if you wish to use another format:
AVOID WRITING MORE THAN 3 PARAGRAPHS – no one has time to read this much content
AVOID COPYING AND PASTiNG A PRESS RELEASE
MAKE IT PERSONABLE AND DIRECT
LET THEM KNOW WHY YOU THINK YOUR BRAND WILL ALIGN WITH THEIR BLOG
ONLY INCLUDE ONE SONG OR VIDEO
While many people wish they could listen to music all day every day there is just not enough time to do this. This is the logic behind not linking a whole album stream in the submission. Remember, too, that they have other submissions to review. Keep it short and sweet!
If you do send the entire album, a blog editor is likely to listen to one song. You have to pray that it is your best one because they are going to judge the whole album based on this one song. You want to control your first impression. Send one song, and one that you are very proud of. Also, make sure that it is a song that is appropriate for the blog.
You can hyperlink the full album in the e-mail. Only attach one song or ask them to listen to your single. If they like it, they can click the hyperlink and listen to more. That is fine. Just make sure to indicate where they should click.
Your music will speak for itself. You don’t want to post paragraphs to justify your music. That only makes you look like you do not believe in your work. Still, you should refrain from sounding too cocky. Avoid saying that it would be their loss if they don’t post because you are about to become the next Jay Z. Avoid telling them that you are doing them a favor. Just be grateful, thankful and let them know you appreciate their blog and their time reading your e-mail.
- After 3 Days Follow Up
The follow-up is a work of art in and of itself. If you don’t do it, you could miss out on an opportunity. If you do it too often, you could become a pest that people wish to avoid. Bloggers are busy and may have trouble keeping up with e-mails so following up at least once is fine.
Word your e-mail in such a way that you wonder if they had a chance to read your first e-mail. Let them know that you want to build a relationship with them. Thank them for any feedback that they offer even if the song was not right for their audience.
They may enjoy your work but find it is not right for their angle. That’s ok. Follow up at least once, but please avoid doing it every day for a few weeks. This can be a bad thing even if your music is a good thing!
Finally, work with other artists online. They have loyal fans who love their music. They may enjoy your music, too. Get to know other musicians online and have them to share your song. It might just spark an opportunity for your future and expose you to new fans!