Mark Knight the Founder of Right Chord Music (RCM), a top 5 ranked indie music blog explains how indie musicians can increase their chances of being featured on music blogs.
1. Indie Musician? Do Your Homework!
Before contacting a blog spend some time visiting their site to understand exactly what they do. You should know the answers to the following questions:
1. What's the focus of the music blog?
2. Which genres of music do they cover?
3. Which artists have they featured that are similar to you?
4. What is their submission policy?
2. Identifying Your Music Blog Short List
From your research identify no more than five music blogs that fit with your style and support artists like you. Obviously, there is no point contacting a metal blog if you produce house music, equally if they only feature a-list major label signed artists why would they write about an indie musician?
By choosing just 5 you have a realistic opportunity to build a relationship with them and it's that relationship that will result in support.
3. Show Your Support For Music Blogs
Before contacting your five identified blogs, make yourself known to them. You can do this by following them on social media channels and liking, sharing and commenting on the content they share. Remember most music bloggers are in the same situation as you, they want to grow their following, get more people to visit their blog and trade their day job for music.
This is step is crucial so take your time, take a couple of weeks so each of your blog targets is feeling loved and appreciated.
4. Approach Music Blogs With A Story
The next step is to contact your five targets. Here is a suggested approach strategy:
Follow their submission policy, if they want links and a biog that's what you send them
Remind them that you know them and appreciate their work. "I love your blog and really enjoyed the article you wrote about x" Or "Thank you for introducing me to that track by Y it's amazing I've been sharing it with everyone I know!"
Allow time: It's unlikely most music blogs will be able to write about your single if it's out tomorrow, so make contact a couple of weeks ahead of launch to give them time
Give them a hook or story - what's interesting, exciting, intriguing about your music or release? Remember there is nothing exciting about the story "unsigned band releases unknown track"!
Make it easy for them: Make sure you are giving them what they need, photos, biog and working links to your music and socials. There is nothing more frustrating than broken links so test your emails out before you send them
Recontact them, most bloggers will welcome a polite reminder. "Have you had a chance to listen yet?" Remember until they say no there is a chance of support
5. Thank & Share
A thank you goes a long way, after all, it's nice to be appreciated, so take time to drop them an email to show your appreciation. Share their article with your fans across your social channels and like their social posts about your track. All of these little things help unsigned bands and independent artists build relationships with music blogs. By starting with just 5 blogs and following this process there is a realistic chance you could secure coverage on at least 3.
6. The New Single Follow Up
Once you have secured support from a music blog once, it's much easier to be featured again. Take time to remind them of their previous support and repeat step three again before contacting them with your new release. Don't get sloppy ensure you continue to follow their submission policy and make sure you make it as easy as possible for them to listen, and share your music.
7. Grow Your Music Blog Database
Once you have secured support and built a relationship with your first five music blogs, return to step one and identify 5 more. Repeat the process to slowly build your database while continuing to nurture your relationships with the blogs you already know.
About Major Labl
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