Ploymint

It’s been a little over a decade since blogs began their reign over the Internet’s music scene. In their early iterations, MP3 blogs operated outside the traditional power structure of the music industry: instead of purchasing CDs, blog readers began downloading new music illegally, cutting into label profits while still boosting an artist’s footprint and relevance. And while blogs subverted the industry’s status quo—labels were long accustomed to listeners paying for music, after all—they also drummed up new fans. Within a few years, instead of trying to shut down once-shady sites for posting their music illegally, artists and labels wanted their songs featured on blogs, the newly-established proving grounds and a jumping off point for many of today’s most popular artists.

The rise of Twitter and social-friendly music platforms like SoundCloud have cut into the taste-making role bloggers once enjoyed, but for unsigned and label artists alike, music blogs remain vital. Whereas record labels once invested money into the careers of artists whose music they believed in, the music industry is now an increasingly traffic-driven market. If the music is good but nobody listens, a record label doesn’t make money. If the music is shoddy but people are clicking, labels smell blood in the water. And blogs are still getting clicks.

So how do you get your music onto blogs?

As is the case with most industries, in music, savvy networking is frequently as important as the quality of work itself. But it’s still important to put your best foot forward with your product. And maybe the most important thing to remember is that a blog post shouldn’t be your end-all-be-all.

Read through our tips on how to get your music onto blogs below.

• Get to know the person you’re reaching out to. Even if you’ve never met in person or interacted directly online, there’s something inherently cold about a nameless pitch. You don’t have to ham it up with an overly ingratiating round of compliments, but be sure to introduce yourself to the writer/blogger/editor you’re contacting so you can at least be on a first-name basis.
• Build a presentable press kit. It doesn’t take much to build a press kit, which is why you should never send your music without one. A press kit should at the very least include hi-res photos, link(s) to the music you’re trying to get posted, and a short write-up or bio about the artist in question. If you can swing it, you’ll also want to include links to previous coverage of your music and any relevant album or single artwork. The main takeaway here is that you should never just be dropping links (or shady attachments) in a vacuum.
• Don’t spam writers/bloggers with your music. With Twitter at your disposal, it might seem tempting to just tweet at every writer you can track down. But if anything, spamming your music on Twitter will earn you a place on a blocked list instead of a post on a website. If you’re gonna reach out on Twitter, reach out politely and ask if it’s okay to connect in the interest of sharing your music. (Conversely, don’t email someone for permission to email them.)
• Never offer to pay for a post. Sure, there are plenty of pay-to-play blogs still in operation, but if a website is asking for money to post your music, you should never pursue that relationship any further. Not only does it reflect poorly on the state of the site—if they need to charge money to post your music, it’s probably because they’re not drawing a lot of traffic—but your money is spent better elsewhere, like a publicist.
• Plan ahead. Have a timeline in place for your release schedule. If you’re planning on releasing a single, when’s the album coming out? If you have a release date in mind, don’t wait until the last minute to start contacting blogs.