December 10, 2009 Get Your Music On The Radio
Below is an article reposted by request from my blog Musician Coaching about the way Radio and indendent promotion works.
Meg MacDonald is a Triple A (AAA) independent radio promotion executive and the founder of M:M Music – one of the top independent promotion companies in the country. She has brought singles from brand new artists to radio as well as huge artists like Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Dave Matthews, Nora Jones and Jack Johnson to name a few and last year was named Triple A Independent Promotion Executive of the Year as voted on by Radio and Record labels at R&R.
Rick Goetz:
How does it work for you when you’re working with an artist just starting out and want to bring them to radio?
MM:
We’re very careful in that we don’t pitch new artists to have us work them to radio. M:M Music is very well known in the industry and part of the reason for that is because we’re very careful about who we work. The last thing I ever want to be known as is someone who takes on any record. It has to make sense.
Most of the independent artists who come to us at the beginning we can’t take to radio. There is no argument that gets a radio station to add Joe Shmoe – no matter how good his record is – over the new Death Cab for Cutie or Foo Fighters. It doesn’t exist. When a project comes to us wanting to hire us, our approach quite honestly is to first try and talk them out of hiring us. We give them every reason to reconsider, every disclaimer with an un-edited lay of the land.
I’m not a saint – I want your money, of course I do, and I don’t want to send business across the street. However, there is a bigger picture to be considered. We’re not that company who says yes to everything, we’re very fortunate to be in a position where we can be selective with projects and that’s incredibly important to us because it gets personal. So many of our friends are musicians and at one time or another, every artist I know has been on the receiving end of the “Screw You” stick in this industry. It seems that everyone gets whacked……I will never be the one wielding that stick.
The conversations I have with these artists are, “Imagine you’re a program director and you get an average of 100 CD’s on your desk every week. What is going to make them add your song when they’ve got records on their desks from Warner Bros, Atlantic, Capital and Universal and here comes the new Pearl Jam, or David Gray or Colbie Caillat? Record labels are in the business of putting records out. Your record, as fantastic as it might be, is not going to get the kind of attention you want. If you were that PD would you add it to your playlist at this point? Be honest.”
If by the end of the phone call, if they still want to go to radio and we as a company agree we like the record, then we come on board. We focus first on commercial stations in smaller less competitive markets who tend to be more open to newer acts. We also put a major focus on non-commercial radio stations. Non-commercial (non-com) radio stations are pivotal for breaking artists that are not household names yet. By definition, non-com stations don’t play commercials, so there’s more real estate available on their playlists to take chances on newer acts, and their listeners expect it.
If we have caused them to reconsider radio as their first step, then we try and help them with their next move. Radio is not always supposed to come first. There are exceptions to every rule, but usually radio is not supposed to come first. Go out and tour. Do you have a management team? If they really are just all by themselves, we try to direct them to people that we trust – people that deal with smaller artists and that sort of thing. And we put them in the right direction there, because they’ll come back to us; because we were honest with them and didn’t just take their money.
Some of the artists we’ve turned down and given that advice to have gone out and hired other indies who took their records on and have spent their entire budgets getting absolutely nowhere. They’ve actually called us back and said, “I wish I would’ve listened to you.” And I’ve said, “I wish you had too, because now you don’t have the money to hire me.”
With all the politicking, the bottom line is, good music is good music. Because we work so closely with these radio stations and help them with everything from assisting them in booking their shows, helping out with giveaways, artist on airs, charity events etc., and because they know we’re not a promotion company that takes every record that comes our way, they do us the courtesy of listening to the records we ask them to. This is incredibly gratifying, and we’ve worked very hard to earn that reputation and gain their trust; they know that we’re just not pushing every piece of schlock on them because we’re getting paid to do so.
I guess the short answer to your question (God is it too late to give a short answer?) - we’re just very honest with the people we work with and paint a very realistic picture. If the artist chooses to go ahead with radio and we feel it’s a solid record, we’ll take it on, but only after we’ve spent time on the phone trying to talk them out of it. But in the end, you’re responsible, you’re a grown up, we’ve given you every possible reason to view all your options and if you still want to go to radio, we’re your best shot at airplay.
Rick Goetz:
That’s very commendable. At what point would you advise a band that’s on the way up to actually go for radio?
MM:
It’s great when they already have a local or regional story, because for every band making it regionally there are 50 who are not. If you’re making a dent locally then you’re doing something right. I’ll ask for their story, what the audience is responding to, how many tickets are they selling, what size clubs are they playing etc.
Sales are still the yardstick by which we measure success. So many radio stations don’t do things like research; they can’t afford it. But they look at sales and say, “I’m the only radio station in town playing this band and they just sold 200 pieces this week.”
I’ll ask a band to give me at least one quote or one piece of valuable info that I can use with programmers because the worst music call I can do is, “Hey, here’s this band you’ve never heard of on a label you’ve never heard of … what do you think?” That’s a terrible music call. The artists, now more than ever, have a responsibility to provide the story. They need to create it and be out there working. They have to be able to come to me and say, “This is what I’ve got.”
Rick Goetz:
I’m less familiar with the triple A format, but I remember the days when WCPR in Biloxi, MS was playing a little unknown band called Three Doors Down and a hard rock station in Florida was playing “Pity for a Dime by Creed” and that launched their career.
MM:
It does happen, but it’s certainly more rare than in the past. Radio is still the main conduit for music and breaking new acts and they expect the artist to come with more than they ever have before because there are so many other options for listeners. The competition is fierce with options like Satellite radio and the enumerable ways in which to get music from the internet. Listeners now can easily create their own playlists for their cars, they can tune into the all 80’s channel if they want. It’s certainly a lot different than when I was growing up balancing my tape recorder up against my hi-fi motioning wildly for my sisters to shut up so I could record my favorite song. Music on demand makes programmers jobs much more challenging than ever before. But sales speak loudly. So does press. And it significantly helps when both are there for radio to see.
Rick Goetz:
Do you think radio still has the impact it used to have?
MM:
Radio still breaks artists, they are still the gatekeeper. There was a recent article in Billboard that used research from the Council for Research Excellence (CRE). What it did was dispel a lot of the myths about how people listen to music. There’s the myth that people don’t listen to radio anymore; according to this study, broadcast radio has the broadest reach and command, the most listening time. Radio has 80% reach and an average of 120 minutes per day from listeners. There was a myth that young people don’t listen to the radio. The CRE found that 79% of listeners from 18-34 listen to broadcast radio and average 104 minutes per day. Radio’s daily reach for younger listeners was only slightly lower in 35-54. It was a talk about not just about radio but also about CD’s. The myth is, nobody listens to CD’s and cassettes anymore. CD’s and cassettes are second in reach behind broadcast radio and get an average of 72 minutes today from users. History shows us that progress does not mean the death of the past. Radio was not the end of newspaper, television was not the end of radio, the internet was not the end of anything.
For us, it’s just validating what we already knew, radio is absolutely the key. People listen to radio, and yes people have more choices than ever before on where they get their music. That’s fine, because it’s challenged radio to rise to the occasion; and they have. Studies show that radio sells. Radio breaks. Where did Nora Jones break out of? Radio. Where did Jack Johnson break? Radio. Colbie Calliat was a combination; she had a huge Myspace following, but she didn’t become known national until radio. Radio is still the key to all of this.
Rick Goetz:
Have you had a story about anybody that was kind of DIY that got radio’s attention with the statistics they were able to capture online?
MM:
One of the most interesting stories to me is Regina Spektor. She is one of the hardest artist to work at radio. Yet Regina debuted in the Top Ten nationally in album sales in almost every market. She sells out venues like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and it’s like pulling teeth to get radio to play her. They hear her sound as polarizing. Our job is to get it past their ears. Warner Bros conducted on-site interviews with fans coming into and coming out of Regina Spektor shows asking how they came to hear her and become fans. Overwhelmingly they said through Pandora. So, there is a responsibility for radio to not let themselves get beaten…I love the passion that this format has, and that they take risks; sometimes it’s just more of a challenge to get them to take a chance on something even when it has a tremendous story behind it. It can be frustrating but is also understandable. Like I said, it’s a lot more competitive out there and that comes with a whole load of caution that wasn’t there 10 or 15 years ago.
Rick Goetz:
When calling radio do you go directly to the MD (Music Director) and the PD (Program Director)?
MM:
Yes.
Rick Goetz:
Do you bring records to DJs or to the local show guy?
MM:
The local shows we work are mainly for the non-commercial radio stations. For the commercial radio stations, we go to the program directors and the music directors. For the non-commercial stations, the non-commercial person on my staff is Crystal Ann Lea, and she’s fantastic. She knows these non-com guys in and out and she works the specialty programs. For example with a station like KCRW, in Los Angeles, she’ll work music directly to the folks at “Morning Becomes Ecclectic”. So important is non-com to us that we’re the only independent promotion company with a dedicated, non-commercial radio person. That’s all she calls. You cannot be as effective on a music call if you’re pressed for time because you have too many stations to call. If we tried to cover two formats – commercial AAA and non-commercial AAA - there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day. It’s our obligation to give the records we’re on the best chance, and dividing up the stations and formats allows us to take the time to speak in depth with radio rather than rushing through a list and getting to the next call.
Rick Goetz:
Is there a palpable effect at these smaller non-commercial radio stations on a career?
MM:
Absolutely. These non-commercial radio stations take chances because they are publicly owned. They don’t have corporate owners breathing down their necks; they are responsible to their communities. The public radio listener is a very specific type of music lover. They support their radio stations and take pride in them. And radio takes pride in bringing them new stuff. They’re not going to settle for just some play list they can hear anywhere.
With other formats, if you drive across the country listening to just that format, you’re going to hear the same songs and all the stations will sound very very similar. That’s works for them, and that’s fine. But the wonderful thing about Triple A, commercial and non-com, is that if you cross the country you will hear no two stations that sound alike. Listen to KPRI in San Diego, and then listen to KTCZ in Minneapolis. Listen to WRLT in Nashville and WCOO in Charleston. Listen to WFUV in New York and KINK in Portland. You’d never believe they were in the same format. BDS and Mediabase both produce and print charts for Triple A, same as they do all the other formats. But the difference is ours is the only chart where you’re going to see Train, Kings of Leon and the Foo Fighters alongside artists like Bob Schneider, Maia Sharp, Rodrigo y Gabriela and NeedtoBreathe. It’s eclectic as hell and it should be – so are people’s musical tastes.
Rick Goetz:
Do you think that’s why AAA has expanded? Is it beyond the viability of the older music audience? Do you think it’s because they’re able to be so flexible with what they play?
MM:
I think the format has done so well over the past few years because the program directors recognized the potential for success in the Triple A format and embraced their role as tastemakers. They knew that if you want to expose new music, you also have to play the hits and they balance that beautifully. They have had to prove their success, they did and the labels paid attention. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You treat something as important, and all of a sudden it becomes important.
Rick Goetz:
It’s a different world. I could get Nic Harcourt (Now at KCRW) on the phone as an intern at Atlantic, because nobody cared about WDST. It was a very different world.
MM:
It is a different world, because when Atlantic calls us or Warner Bros calls us, and we’re going over targets, they are talking to us not just about the major markets but they absolutely do care about the smaller markets as well. Maybe not so much on the huge acts, but certainly on the ones we are breaking. We took Serena Ryder’s first single and it was Top Ten. We took Eric Hutchinson’s first single, #1; his second one was Top Five. This is done in AAA. AAA is also a building block to Hot AC. Hot AC sells more records than AAA overall and Hot AC has a bigger reach, but do you know where they find many of their hits? Triple A.
Rick Goetz:
That could be said about your non-com vs. com radio stations, No?
MM:
Yes. We have a responsibility to not waste program directors’ time. I think one of the least important things a program director and music director have to do during the week is deal with music calls. It’s incredibly important to us, because that’s what we’re doing. But they are dealing with less staff and are running a company. They don’t have time to take five calls about a record that they’re never going to play. We have to make our calls count so we listen to our stations online constantly, look at their playlists, read Soundscan so we can see what the top ten albums are in their respective markets. What’s gone up or down etc. You have to be educated before you get these guys on the phone; otherwise they’re not going to take your call. You can’t just randomly say, “What do you think of this?” These program directors have a huge responsibility, and we have to respect that and not waste their time.
Rick Goetz:
Do you have any advice for somebody that is selecting an indie to work their record?
MM:
Just be very aware and know about any company you’re calling to work your record. There are a lot of people out there who need business in this economy so it’s very tough. There are a lot of people out there who need business. Don’t listen to just what the person is saying on the phone. Hear what they have to say, but then you need to call around. You need to ask your friends and do your research. It is your responsibility. It’s incredibly important to know who you’re hiring. Look at their website and what they do, and look through the fluff. Look for the person that’s going to say, “No” to you. Look for the person that is going to be honest with you.
Rick Goetz:
Before somebody’s ready to go to someone like you for a national campaign, what’s some advice on approaching local radio?
MM:
Don’t just call and say, “Hey, we’re in your backyard.” So are 30 other bands. Approach it as, “I would be a value on your playlist because” and then insert your reason. It has to be more than just, “I grew up listening to you.” That’s nice, but that doesn’t help the radio station. This is a business. Give them ammunition and a reason to play you. Offer to play a free show for them. In your approach, be very respectful. Don’t just say, “I’m local.” Say, “This is where we play, this is the number of tickets we sell” and ask if there is local programming. Offer to do a free show for them to get them interested right away. And don’t be a pest. It is not their job to play your music. It is your job to convince them it’s in their best interest to play your music. Or hire us to do it for you!
———
Rick Goetz is a Music Consultant and Music Business Coach by way of a fifteen year career at major record labels and various online and TV projects. Visit Meg MacDonald’s company M:M Music for more information on her and her work.
Reader Comments (14)
Great interview! Very useful to hear advice from someone with the real-world experience that Meg MacDonald has. I'll gladly forward this article to my recording artists that aspire to get their music on the radio.
Thanks!
Damon Cisneros
Music Producer & Songwriter
YouTube | MySpace | Twitter
*Sorry about the double-post! - Some wrong links in the 1st post :P
Great interview. I attend the Triple A Radio Summit in Boulder every year and am quite familiar with Meg and her company. This is the best, most honest discussion of radio promotion that I have read. Having something like this to show to musicians is very important. Thank you for posting this.
Most excellent, and reinforces some of my opinions regarding how new tech augments, rather than replaces, existing tech.
Great article.
It's good to get some, quality, first hand information about the world of radio and radio plugging.
Print this and keep it.
Laurence
360 Degree Music
I've gotten my music on some stations in some markets. I find that music directors don't answer phones, but will answer an email once in a while, so I agree calling them is nearly pointless. I disagree with the major label argument, I've already got more airplay working out of my basement then my former guitarist did while signed to Warner Bros. When the performance fee legislation passes "local" stations will be begging for independent artists content that they can get either performance fee free or at a lower negotiated rate than the Major Labels. My advice for getting on the radio is, always produce your single for radio and don't worry about the 15 track CD mentality. When you can email the track to the MD and don't waste a CD and postage for something that will not even be opened. Try to target trend setting stations, not the other 300 stations in a format that follow, for example WBCN in Boston used to brag "we played it first", then they stopped, then they followed and now they are out of business. If you're target station is local, show up in person, don't bother calling they won't call you back. Make sure your shit fits the format!!!!!!!!! Quirky Indie garbage isn't going to be played on the Active rock station. Lastly if your stuff doesn't sound like it's meant to be commercially successful, then don't expect commercial stations to waste 3 minutes of airtime on it. Good luck!
If you don't have the support of a label, you kind of need a trust fund to hire radio promoter/publicist to work your album.
Every single one of the radio promotion companies I've contacted over the years (or that contacted me) feels "my album is good enough to try to promote on the radio". While I stand by my own material, I'm not sure it's radio-friendly. How can I tell if they just want my money or they're being honest? Does it do any good to get radio play if you aren't touring in the places the music is getting played?
BULL SHhhhT...
I say it again...
BULL, SHhhhT...
One word....PAYOLA....research the settlements people...
These independent companies do nothing for any artist that wants to stay truly independent! In order to get any place with radio an artist needs their songs played in regular rotation eventually on a BDS monitored radio station period. Good music does not have to be sold it will sell its self it does not matter who the musician is.
In the event any of these Program directors cared about good music they would play at least 1 song in regular rotation that is not affiliated with a major record company. I challenge any one to find me 1 song that gets played in regular rotation across the Country that has not ever been affiliated with a major record company I will give you $1000 cash.
There are millions of songs and twice as many artists across the Country yet there are only 4 major record companies. Tell me why all the songs that get played in regular rotation across the Country are all affiliated with at least 1 of the 4 major record companies. Any body? can you tell me? We all know of at least 1 dumb song that we hear on the radio over and over again an it is only because it is an artist that has a Major Record Company sending the song to radio.
Any radio station across the country that gets 2 calls that come in at the same time. One is from Clive Davis, the other is from Meg MacDonald who do you think is gonna get through?? Clive Davis can send any "Joe Shmoe" to radio and that "Joe Shmoe" will get played in regular rotation.
Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Dave Matthews, Nora Jones and Jack Johnson? Nice name dropping give me the name of these so called "New Artists" that was helped and received regular rotation.
What a waste of my time reading this crap!
You should be ashamed of yourself re-posting it!
You should be reporting the truth not these lies....
Tracy R. Underwood
TRU Entertainment
TRULY Independent Records
Post Office Box 232385
Sacramento, Ca 95823
(916) 535-1905
(510) 636-5469
I have to agree with Tracy R Underwood. When I was working my 1st single off my album "Living A Dream" I called the local radio station in my area. The 1st thing the lady asked me was WHAT LABEL are you from? When I told her my label name (Tytanium Music) she said, Oh OK (You're not major)!
She did put me through to talk to the program director. The program director told me he would give my singles a listen, which he did. But he too asked what label was I with.
At the end of the day I didn't get any play but my album is being played on Pandora and my video "I'm Still Cool" is featured on Pandora as well. I wasn't good enough for local station but I'm good enough for a big radio station such as Pandora?
Also I do have a name buzz in the Raleigh-Durham area. I'm the rapper getting sued by the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey team! Which made national attention.
So I can't speak on other genres of music but in Hip Hop payola is in full swing.
Tye Banks
Tracy,
I have neither the time nor the interest in debating this with you in public forum. By all means post your first hand stories of how AAA radio really works on MTT - I'd love to read them - especially if that is your area of expertise. If you are so inclined call me - my number is on my website...
There are long odds in going to radio as an indie or an unsigned band but it does happen that people build up their following this way and wind up making a living as regional or national acts...and yes - many of them wind up on majors. I have watched and been a part of many of these stories.
I have absolutely no issue with you disagreeing with what was presented in the article but frankly the tone and accusations in your comment were rude and uncalled for. I hope for the sake of your clients that you don't conduct your business in the same manner.
R
Great post Rick. Whether or not people agree with you...this is the way radio works. Thanks for shedding light on this process and hopefully saving people time, money & heart ache. My only suggestion is that along with Non Commercial radio, artists should also look to College Radio. There are a ton of BDS and Non BDS tracked college stations that can help build a fan base and possibly a big enough buzz to warrant play on major radio.
Cheers,
Kevin
Music Think Tank: "Where The Music Industry Thinks Out Loud"?
I think out loud and what I was thinking I should rephrase. I stand behind everything I wrote.
It was brought to my attending my delivery methods, even though truthful were in appropriate for this forum and I do apologize for being in appropriate.
The Assurance of Discontinuance was the results of the Office of Attorney General of New York investigation into "payola" and settlement. Since "payola" is a crime, even though radio did not admit any guilt they still where investigated by the FCC. The FCC terminated the investigation, with the public interest in mind with a Consent Decree and Rules of Engagement are the results.
The original payola investigation looked into the ties major radio and companies similar to Meg MacDonald's had to do with payola, how only artists affiliate with major record labels where being played and still are the only songs that get played over and over again in regular rotation after the settlements over 5 years latter. This is the "truth" it is documented. I am not telling this truth to hurt or publishing this to discourage musicians, bands, producers, young up & coming future record label owners. Contrary to popular belief, I am here to help, not to discourage and I would never advice any "struggling" artist to hire an outside company to promote music. Any artist that is not "struggling" dose not need an outside company to promote music. We all know an artists can use a major label to get big. Once the artists is big they don't "need" a major label it is a "choice" to be on a major label and the bigger the artists gets the more control they have over the major label.
Most all bands and artists ask, How, Can they get signed to a major record label?
The question I ask is: Why do you want to get signed to a major label?
"A THE LABEL CAN MAKE ME/US SUCCESSFUL, RICH AND FAMOUS"
All artists/bands can do the same things independently, that labels can do with a huge staff. It will just take longer and in most causes indie bands make more money and have less headaches. Yes a label can sign you to a deal and give you a big advance. When you get signed to a record deal and get an advance, you are in the red, you start your major label career owing the label money. Now as your project goes along you will become more in debt to the company with production costs to the producers, studio time to both the mixing/mastering engineers, advertising, CD manufacturing cost, marketing expenses, travel expenses, album production and other fees that can land you in debt for more than a million dollars, every dime spent on you is a loan you have to pay back. Everyone else has to be paid before you see any money in the form of a royalty check. Not to mention the label has the authority to reject your music. Not accepting music you submit to be released is common practice.
As a independent artist you have many advantages. Technology and the world wide web has enabled the independent artists to release and promote their music to millions of consumers worldwide. An independent artist can have 100,000 people download one song for 99 cent, that independent artist will see just as much money as the average major label recording artist that sell 500,000 albums with a major label. Remember:
"GOOD MUSIC DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SOLD"
Good music will sell it's self all that music needs is ears to hear the good music. Trust me you move enough units on your own and you decide you would like to try a label deal they will come knocking. Sign up for your digital distribution. There are millions of potential consumers on social sites such as myspace, you tube, twitter and others that is why when you go to them you always see major label artists on those same sites. The only major task you have as an independent artists is to develop music that will appeal to your target consumers. By any means necessary get your music out to the masses.
DJ's, Bands, Writers, Musicians or any individual that wants to make a dent in the music industry
You can do it all yourself without being by yourself! Remember, Good music does not have to be sold it will sell it's self! Get on stage and perform! It does not matter how many are in the audience! Your merchandise does not have to be sold. Put on a good show and the audience will want to have something from the show to remember that is was a good show!!!!
Now As A Musician: Do You Have A Manager?
This manager is not in the band and does not date a band member.
Your manager should be someone you trust, that will speak the truth to you.
Who really helps you sell your music?
you can have a million "friends" do they really, support your posts, bulletins and download your songs, go to your shows, pass out flyers call radio stations every day twice a day and request your song?
What kind of representation do you have?
we all need support especially in the music biz. who can you go to in order too ask a question get some feed back?
This is common sense. You need a product something to get in the hands of others. Record at least 5 songs (called an EP) Make sure you get in the studio to have your songs ready, mixed and mastered the way they should be.
Have your copy rights, http://www.copyright.gov, to prove that the songs are yours or at least half yours in the event you working with another.
Make sure you have Sound scan, http://www.soundscan.com, you need this for each album so get at least 1 number.
Get your BDS encoding, http://www.bdsonline.com this is keep track of how often you are played on BDS monitored radio stations.
In order to get payment of royalties for radio air play you need to join one of theses organizations: http://www.ascap.com, http://www.bmi.com, http://www.sesac.com
Sign up for Digital Distribution, iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Emusic and Yahoo! Music.
Song Cast Music is a good example of how easy it is to sign up and get your songs for sale http://www.songcastmusic.com/affiliate/sc.php?id=681
Make enough noise you will get radio play all you need is the public on your side. Send out emails to every email address you have. In the email include a link to buy your songs, phone numbers and email address of all the radio stations in your town, your parents town or any town you would like to visit, also include college, NPR and internet radio song request information.
Ask everyone too forward that same email too at least 5 other emails that you don't have. It does not matter if you think they like your music or not they like you and will support you and what you do to follow this dream of yours. This should be done every other day starting on a Sunday for 8 days. Wait a week and then start again. So it should go like this, the first email sent on Sun, Tue, Thu, Sat, Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun etc.
You must now learn as much as you can about the legalities of your music right. This is one of many good books to help answer your questions.
"All You Need To Know About the Music Business"
Donald Passman: http://www.donpassman.com/allabout.html
If any of this is helpful re post it all over the web. Knowledge is power and we must take the music industry back 1 song at a time.
"stay true too be true"
Tracy R. Underwood
TRU Entertainment
TRULY Independent Records
Post Office Box 232385
Sacramento, Ca 95823
(916) 448-7839
(510) 636-5469
Tracy,
I'm not sure if I should respond to the last comment or grade it. I have been in independent bands that have gotten support by using radio independents and it helped our careers out greatly. You clearly need to do you homework (and check your spelling) before writing such drivel. Sure, there might still be payola but that doesn't mean that everyone is on the take.
With your attitude and obvious frustration with your place in life I'm sure that you and your artists will "Stay Indie"
Have fun with that.
MD
Mario Dalto
English has always been difficult for me, spelling, grammar the English language as a whole very difficult I never claim to be a spelling champion.
Staying independent is just an option.
I still have the $1000 to back up what I wrote as true. Prove me wrong to all these readers of MTT post your proof to show what I write is "drivel"...
Put your money where your mouth is or should I say put your money where your "key" board is. I stand behind everything I write and have $1000 cash my friend for anyone to prove my writing wrong. As a matter of fact for you and my "drivel" I will up it $2500 cash.
PROVE ME WRONG MARIO DALTO then send me a pay pal request trueajtn@juno.com
Tracy R. Underwood
TRU Entertainment
TRULY Independent Records
Post Office Box 232385
Sacramento, Ca 95823
(916) 448-7839
(510) 636-5469
Buffalo Soldier Music Rules The Earth
www.jango.com/music/Buffalo+Soldier