How
many radio promotion packages do you offer?
For simplicity reasons, we offer one promotional package. This
service includes promotion to around 144 radio programs for $1295. Having said this, we often tweak our list accordingly.
So, if your CD is a solo piano album, a World fusion album, or a Native American album, we will add and subtract a couple
of stations we service with your CD according to your specific genre.
May
I submit a CDR to you or must it be a manufactured finished product?
You may submit a CDR for us to consider
for promotion, but in order for us to promote your CD, it needs to be a finished product CD with artwork, barcode and all.
It's often okay if you have a CDR duplicator and a printer and assemble these yourselves, but they must look professional
and retail ready for us to accept your album for promotion.
How
much is the shipping/materials cost?
Keep in mind that postal rates recently increased for these types of
packages. The cost is about $240 to $285 for postage and materials for 144 stations. Postage and materials includes the
costs of postage and bubble mailers, as well as the much smaller costs involving the resume paper for the cover letters and
labels for the CDs and packages. Also, 25 of the packets are sent to international programs and these are considerably more
expensive to ship. Nothing is added to these costs. You are simply reimbursing costs we incur regarding handling
your mail outs. Also, the cost of shipping often varies, depending upon the contents included in the packet. We'll
adjust this accordingly.
Are your
lists really up to date?
Yes. In fact, we use and update the list at least once a month. We have and will
continue to keep it current. When a package is returned, we find the correct address and contact person and resend the packet
at no additional cost to you.
Do you email
all of the radio show hosts?
Most of the show hosts have offered their email addresses. We use all that we
have. The other show hosts either don’t use an email address for radio purposes or don’t give theirs out. Also,
not all of them have phone numbers and some of them simply can not be reached by phone. However, the handful that can not
be reached know us and our services, so we are still successful in getting them to "add" our client's music, which
will show up on the reporting service companies, as well as on the internet.
How do I pay?
If we accept your submission for promotion, we’ll ask
you to send a check for half of the total along with the CDs. The remaining balance should be paid within the next couple
of weeks -- before follow-up actually begins to avoid any promotional efforts from being disrupted. We can also accept Paypal
for payments, if you prefer this method.
Why
are your rates so inexpensive?
We’ve already invested our time into cleaning up our lists and nurturing
our contacts. We’ve found the most cost-efficient shipping method and bubble mailers. And, we are a small company
with very little overhead costs. These savings are passed on to you. Besides, we don’t like it when
artists pay too much – the owner of our company is an independent recording artist, himself.
What if I can’t afford the regular $1295 promotional plan and I’d like to do
a promotional plan just to the Top-100 stations?
We 'll consider a smaller-run promotion to around 120 stations,
although the rate won’t be reduced exactly to scale. Email us or call us stating your interest in going the reduced
station avenue, and if your CD title is approved, we can discuss the possibility of a smaller promotion plan.
How long does it take to get paid royalties for my radio airplay?
In case
you haven't already, you'll first need to become a member of a performing rights organization that tracks radio airplay and
pays royalties to the artists and the publishing companies. (Most independent artists in this genre have their own publishing
company). The three leading Performance Rights Organizations are BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. Keep in mind that payments are delayed 6 months behind their tracking, and minimums need to be reached before they’ll
send out a check. We make no guarantee regarding royalty payments from your PRO. We we can tell you is that from our experience,
hundreds of dollars and often thousands are eventually earned by artists in this genre for their radio airplay with just one
or two CD releases. Often, however, it takes several albums with considerable airplay to receive payments on the higher end
of that scale.
You should also register with Sound Exchange, as well. It's a free service, and doing so will not compete with the Performance Rights Organizations, but rather, will
supplement it. Check out their website for more information.
How
long does it take for most New Age radio show hosts to start airing new music?
Usually, the typical New Age
radio show host will review your title within the first few weeks of delivery and will air it within the first 30-45 days.
Some will continue to air it for many months or even years, while others will play it a few times and move on to new music.
Assuming I get played by the any of Satellite or Digital Cable radio stations, how long
does it take to see airplay from the time you submit our music to them?
These stations are usually delayed
in adding new music. It makes sense because they receive a lot of music, because the major labels are vying for their airplay
along with independents. Unlike typical New Age radio shows, we have found that it takes usually 1 to 4 months for music
to start showing up on these Digital Cable/Satellite shows. As important as these stations are, occasionally radio adds on
these shows may not show up on the reports we send you because they are often delayed in adding music. However, we’ve
had success getting many of our client's music on these stations.
Another advantage to these programs is that they
will often keep songs in rotation for two to three years, often resulting in continual sales.
What can I do with the quotes that were said about my music?
You can use
them for whatever purposes you want, such as on flyers, materials, website, etc., because they were actually said, or written
in an email. You might want to contact the host with a courtesy call or email to make sure you can use their words.
Can I assemble the promotion packets myself and send them out?
We currently
do not offer self-assembly as part of our promotional package services. We have a very efficient and cost-effective system
in place to handle this process. We are detail conscious on the project and want to make sure everything is included and
assembled just right for the best possible results. For example, we do extra tasks like add stickers to your CDs that have
information such as a list of recommended tracks, etc.
We also
know for certain when all of the packets were mailed. Bottom line -- this system works best and is the smoothest way to do
the job. And, it makes things easier for the artist who only needs to send us the demo CDs in bulk.
What is a Demo CD or "Promo" CD?
The industry standard is to send
radio hosts Demo CDs, also known as "Promo" (Promotional) CDs. A Promo CD is prepared specifically for the radio
show host. We apply stickers as well as do a few other things to make sure the CDs are ready for listening.
We don’t want to send the radio hosts retail CDs (with the shrinkwrap still on and a top spine
sticker still on) for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, we want to make it easy for them to listen to your music and
to know a few important points.
Tell me more
about the FREE New Age Media list you offer -- which has publicity opportunities?
Many of the top New Age/Metaphysical/Visionary
publications will accept CDs and books for their “review sections." Publications in this market with vast circulation
include Massage Magazine, Awareness Magazine, Magical Blend, Nexus, Spa Magazine, Whole Life Times, and Yoga Journal, just
to name a few. We'll send you this upon request after radio promotion has begun.
Reviews can often be a great way to create more buzz regarding your new release. Furthermore,
they support a well-balanced promotional plan. Like radio promotion, reviews can also help support retail promotion by increasing
requests by the consumer for your CD at their local New Age / Metaphysical store.
Note:
While we are believers in publicity, it is important to have realistic expectations. Great reviews in solid publications
may lead to dozens of sales, but high-volume sales do not often result from reviews alone.
Where can I get marketing lists to do promotions on my own?
NewAgeDatabank.com For great New Age Marketing Lists of New Age Retailers, New Age Media, New Age Distributors, and New Age Email Marketing.
These are great lists for marketing your New Age product, CD or book on your own. Our twin site for this service is New Age Marketing Lists.
Tell me more about the 4 to 8 CDs you'll buy from me?
We'll offer to buy 8 to 12 of
your CDs (at wholesale - $6.50 each) and get them into a few "mom and pop" retail stores that order from us direct
-- which is just another way to bring down the price of your promotion and get your product out in the market! Keep in mind,
we sell these CDs to retailers for around $9.40 each, so we are not making much money here. We are merely acting as a little
distributor and are not making much money for this type of service. We offer it mainly to make our radio promotion service
more attractive to potential clients needing radio promotion at affordable rates. Our clients benefit by getting their music
into a handful of stores, which increases exposure for them.
What items exactly do I need to send to you, if we do the promotion?
Please
see the Getting Started page for detailed information on this.
