Radio Promo - Is it for real?

Subject: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: GUEST,emily b
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 03:17 PM

Have any of you in bands been contacted from people claiming to be connected to a radio station and asking for demo CD's to play on their station?

As contact for my band, I've received 2 such requests. One from a station in Portugal and one from Nova Scotia. The emails are not personlized. The sender is clearly doing a bulk distribution blind copying the other recipients.

I'm a naturally suspicious person. As much as I love the idea of my band getting air play around the world, I wonder how upfront these requests are.

Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks.

Emily

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 05:00 PM

Did they give any information about the radio station? If they did, I would suggest contacting the station to see if it is legit. Perhaps there is a website.

When I send a note to an artist requesting a CD I make sure to include a link to my stations webpage (www.wfdu.fm - hey, I put plugs in wherever I can!!) as well as give some info about my show. I try to mention some other artists as references, and always ask the person to whom I am sending the note to contact me if they require any more questions.

It bothers me when I here of potential scams like you found because it makes it harder for legit radio hosts to get material in addition to ripping off the artist. Perhaps you should post the note here and on the folk-dj list if you are sure that it is a scam.

Ron Olesko WFDU-FM

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 05:26 PM

ALWAYS check the host's credentials. You can give away soooo many freebies that you end up making peanuts on it. Obviously I'm in both camps, 'cause I do a show, and I also send my own albums to radio stations. Borealis Records takes care of most of it, but I often meet radio folks who ask for them. Be polite, get their e-mail address and tell 'em you'll send it out that week (say you NEED the ones you've got on you at that moment).

I'm not saying be OVERLY cautious 'cause the vast majority of folk radio people are damn nice.....but there is one LEGENDARY person in....uh, shall we say "the North East United States" who's pulled a number of highly questionable scams.

Rick

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: GUEST,Phil Cooper
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 06:12 PM

Emily,

I tend to treat requests as legit when approached, but if something doesn't seem right, check it out. Ask for the station. Margaret, Kate, and I have a policy of only sending out 10 percent of a run a free promos, everything else, we pay ourselves back at our retail price. That limits the number of recordings we give away, and makes sure that the money's in the account when it comes time to do another run. Doesn't do the personal pocket book much good. But otherwise, you can find reason to give all your recordings away, if you don't have some blocks.

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 09:21 PM

Rick, you know of RR all the way up in Canada?? dang!

Dan Maher in MY neck of the woods is quite legit.

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:41 PM

Lord Jaysus Mag!!

Rick

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:24 PM

Hi Emily B, here's a reminder that Max loves to get free CDs and will play them on Mudcat Radio.

and I don't think that he's the LEGENDARY person that Rick is talking about *BG*

Bert.

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 12:42 AM

Even if your CD *is* played on a distant radio station, it is very unlikely that you will ever see any material benefit from it. If you send one, think of it as a charitable gift.

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 04:53 PM

Did I take a risk, Rick? or are there two?

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: GUEST,emily b
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 06:41 PM

Thanks all for responding. It's good to know to be aware of all manner of scams and less than honest people. I'm glad you've shared some ideas, no doubt learned the hard way about how to deal with people that want freebies. I'll pass them on to the band. Constant Billy is our name.

We are fine tuning a demo CD of 4 songs with plans to get an entire album out hopefully by the fall. I'll get in touch with you radio people when we are ready to go public.

Thanks again.

Emily

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Deni
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:39 AM

Bert.

I didn't know that Max loves to get free CDs and might play them if we are lucky, on mudcat radio. To which address can I send ours, anyone know?

Thanks

Deni

Subject: RE: Radio Promo - Is it for real?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:58 AM

One's enough, MAG! I just saw a note from some friends of ours who self-produce their CDs. They had just sent our 500 copies of their new one to various radio hosts! FIVE HUNDRED for God's sake! How could they hope to get their bait back?

As a folk music record company with a web site, we get requests for freebies from places like Slovenia, with no confirmation of the existence of the station. The other day we got a request from "a very small FM station in Siberia" for play copies of our CDs. We can't afford to be all that charitable, I'm afraid.

Sign up on the FOLKDJ-L listserv and read playlists diligentrly between now and the time you are ready to send out play copies of your CD. By that time, you should know which "folk" DJs might actually play it. Remember, though, these poor folks get dozens of freebies every week or so, and probably don't even have time to audition all of them. I suggest a conservative approach.

Sandy