Internet Radio - Pimp Your Song!
Internet Radio - Pimp Your Song!
Hi,
Every songwriter wants to be heard on the radio. Unfortunately broadcast radio has become almost entirely corporate playing short playlists targeted at narrow demographics for marketing purposes. They are not in the business of providing music to listeners. They are in the business of providing listeners to advertisers.
Internet radio provides songwriters and indie bands with a great opportunity to be heard. Sure you can put your songs on your website and MySpace but if someone hasn't already heard you how will they know to go to your site? By getting your songs played on internet radio alongside other songs that are similar you will be heard by a new audience that hasn't heard you before. Then if they like your music they will find your website and MySpace to hear some more.
more...
There are two types of internet radio stations. Them that pay and them that don't.
Live365 is the leading provider of internet radio infrastructure with royalty payments in place. The advantage of using a service that pays royalties is you can broadcast any song you want whether it's your favorite top forty act or the indie band down the street. Live365 and similar services will make sure the royalties get paid keeping you legal. Another advantage to using a service like Live365 is that they provide all the software setup and support. All you have to do is manage your station.
Blues City Radio contacted me yesterday through MySpace.
Blues City Radio MySpace
The station is run by Sheila. She has a blog entry about how to submit your material to her station.
Attention Indie Blues Artists
They are on Live365.
Blues City Radio
Or you can listen from her website.
Blues City Radio website
The other type of internet radio station is called royalty free. Since they don't pay royalties they must have permission from the songwriter to play the songs. One way of getting this permission is by contacting the songwriters directly. Permission can be written or verbal.
Another way to play songs royalty free is through blanket permissions. This is often called cleared for internet distribution or podsafe.
Podcasting is like blogging but it's audio instead of text. Podcasters produce a show and then make it available for download from their website or from a podcast internet service like blogtalkradio. Most podcasts provide RSS feeds so listeners can subscribe to the show. Since the music on podcasts is available for download it must be precleared or podsafe.
Fortunately many artists and labels realize that the internet is the new AM radio and preclear selected songs. Even major labels are getting on the podsafe bandwagon. Recently I added Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis doing "Bright Lights Big City" to Delta Boogie Radio. I was also able to add the Elvin Bishop hit "Struttin' Your Stuff". Of course most of the songs on Delta Boogie Radio are from indies. That's not a bad thing. I get a lot of CDs from bands you've never heard of and I mostly prefer them to what the majors are putting out.
I discussed Creative Commons licenses in this diary. They have a search engine for podsafe music. Here's a couple more good sources for podsafe music.
Podsafe Music Network
Hi,
Every songwriter wants to be heard on the radio. Unfortunately broadcast radio has become almost entirely corporate playing short playlists targeted at narrow demographics for marketing purposes. They are not in the business of providing music to listeners. They are in the business of providing listeners to advertisers.
Internet radio provides songwriters and indie bands with a great opportunity to be heard. Sure you can put your songs on your website and MySpace but if someone hasn't already heard you how will they know to go to your site? By getting your songs played on internet radio alongside other songs that are similar you will be heard by a new audience that hasn't heard you before. Then if they like your music they will find your website and MySpace to hear some more.
more...
There are two types of internet radio stations. Them that pay and them that don't.
Live365 is the leading provider of internet radio infrastructure with royalty payments in place. The advantage of using a service that pays royalties is you can broadcast any song you want whether it's your favorite top forty act or the indie band down the street. Live365 and similar services will make sure the royalties get paid keeping you legal. Another advantage to using a service like Live365 is that they provide all the software setup and support. All you have to do is manage your station.
Blues City Radio contacted me yesterday through MySpace.
Blues City Radio MySpace
The station is run by Sheila. She has a blog entry about how to submit your material to her station.
Attention Indie Blues Artists
They are on Live365.
Blues City Radio
Or you can listen from her website.
Blues City Radio website
The other type of internet radio station is called royalty free. Since they don't pay royalties they must have permission from the songwriter to play the songs. One way of getting this permission is by contacting the songwriters directly. Permission can be written or verbal.
Another way to play songs royalty free is through blanket permissions. This is often called cleared for internet distribution or podsafe.
Podcasting is like blogging but it's audio instead of text. Podcasters produce a show and then make it available for download from their website or from a podcast internet service like blogtalkradio. Most podcasts provide RSS feeds so listeners can subscribe to the show. Since the music on podcasts is available for download it must be precleared or podsafe.
Fortunately many artists and labels realize that the internet is the new AM radio and preclear selected songs. Even major labels are getting on the podsafe bandwagon. Recently I added Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis doing "Bright Lights Big City" to Delta Boogie Radio. I was also able to add the Elvin Bishop hit "Struttin' Your Stuff". Of course most of the songs on Delta Boogie Radio are from indies. That's not a bad thing. I get a lot of CDs from bands you've never heard of and I mostly prefer them to what the majors are putting out.
I discussed Creative Commons licenses in this diary. They have a search engine for podsafe music. Here's a couple more good sources for podsafe music.
Podsafe Music Network
Ariels Cyber PR
If you're promoting your music on the internet you should clear some or all of your songs for internet distribution and make downloads available. Then you should contact internet radio stations and podcasters that play similar music and make them aware of your songs. They are always looking for new and interesting material so you will be played. Then their listeners will get to hear what you do.
Another option is to start your own podcast or station and include your music along with other songs providing your listeners with variety while still highlighting your recordings.
That's what I did.
I run two internet radio stations.
Delta Boogie Radio - All Originals!
KGPL - All genres and all styles
If you have songs that you would like me to play get in touch. I'm always looking for new and interesting material.
Both of these stations run on different versions of my KGPL software. Both versions are free software licensed with the GPL license. If you are interested in using this software to program your internet radio station I'll be glad to help you.
Do you listen to internet radio? Please post your favorite stations in the comments. And don't forget. If you're a songwriter or musician Pimp Your Song!
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
Click here for discussion and more clips.
Tags: blues, internet, music, radio
Views: 53
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kool Breeze~ on -
Hey Larry great blog!!
I am a DJ on Live 365 and yes I love showing support to Indie bands ( I was one at one time) my ranking on 365 is in the top ten on a few of the blues genre & 62 overall out of thousands of blues stations (sunday the hardest day of the week for numbers) Yes my station is a pay station Radio Scooter Internation and we have an excellent rating on 365. I do the sunday morning "The Morning Breeze & Blues Show. I also do a tues night Bike Nite N' The Breeze where I feature Blues, Blues Rock, Southern & Classic Rock. I feature at least one Indie band every show I would do more if I had more to feature, and welcome all who want to get their music on the radio. My show is strong in Electric Blues but I play all Blues genre. We have another DJ as well who does blues and I will share with him any music I receive..
tune in sunday morning 9-noon est >> http://www.live365.com/stations/radio_scooter
So feel free to message me and "Pimp your songs"
Thanx for this blog it was excellent information
Bam
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Permalink Reply by John Kepler on -
Great info Larry, thank you very much. I have all tracks from our CD on my page and would be tickled if you could give them a listen. If on your first visit you only find one song, leave and come back and all 10 songs should be there. Dont know the reason for that glitch. I hope you will hear something that you would like to include on one of your broadcasts.
Thanks again
John
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Permalink Reply by Texas Jake Lee on -
Hey Larry!Great to see you!Didn't know you were here...
best regards...
Jake
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Permalink Reply by Hairy Larry on -
Jake,
Guess we're even. I didn't know you were here. Looks like it's a watering hole for people promoting the Blues. Of course I'm all for that.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
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Permalink Reply by BJ Boyd on -
Hi Larry, I just tried to send a cuppla tunes to your email: hairylarry@deltaboogie.com and I got an error message "Malbox Quota Exceeded". Mebbe it's time to clear it!
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Permalink Reply by Hairy Larry on
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BJ Boyd,
Oops. I fixed it. My email has been out in public since 1995 and sometimes the spam surges in.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
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Permalink Reply by Norman P. Thompson Jr. on -
You left out the best blues site anywhere: www.smokestacklightnin.com
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Permalink Reply by Hairy Larry on
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Norman,
Thanks for the link. I got in touch with them.
Everyone please add more stations in the comments. We all want to know what you listen to so we can get in touch with them and stick our stuff in your ears.
Hairy Larry
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Permalink Reply by Sac Blues Man on
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One of the top blues and blues rock internet stations is BellyUp4Blues.com, which is a listener supported radio [Free 24/7] that has grown from 3 listener spots 5 years ago to international acclaim..
We are here only to promote major label and indie blues artists. Check out the Belly at BellyUp4Blues.com.
Thanks,
Sac Blues Man
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Permalink Reply by Hairy Larry on
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Hi,
I appreciate that. I sent Jeff an email.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
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Permalink Reply by Sheila Cain on -
Hi Larry!
Just wanted to say thanks for the mention. Very kind of you.
I've been hearing from a lot of Indie artists that I was not familiar
with and have been able to get their tracks up on the station. It
being a small Live365 station, I've run out of room for more
tracks.
I'm in the process of looking for a BIG sponsor or two who would
like to help back Blues City Radio. In the space I rent from Live365,
I'm limited as to how much track space and how many listeners I can
have at any one time. Unfortunately, that means some people go to
the station and it's "sold out" and they can't listen in. And it also means
that I can't add any new tracks w/o taking off some others.
I feel confident that with Blues City growing the way it is, I will be
able to find sponsor/sponsors, just a matter of time and patience.
If you're an Indie artist/band, don't give up. I'm trying to get
all some air time if possible. Right now about 35% of the tracks
are from Indie artists.
Thanks again!
Sheila Cain
Blues City Radio
© 2012 Created by Eric.
