Should you really go through the trouble of setting up a press kit, finding good music blogs, and submitting your music for a (Possibly negative) review? The answer is a big, giant … maybe. It all depends on the kind of music promotion you’re seeking. So many artists will spend untold hours blindly sending EPKs out to hundreds of music blogs thinking that the resulting publicity will cause their popularity and career to skyrocket. It’s a bit naive. (Some might call it stupid) The reality is that the vast majority of music reviewing websites have a dedicated, but extremely small readership. Most of the traffic to these sites comes from other musicians looking to promote their own music, and other music industry professionals. Simply sending all your music out will not by itself do much to benefit you, even if you are reviewed by several blogs.
However, this doesn’t mean that reviews are worthless. Anytime you are releasing an album, EP, or an important single, you should submit it to several quality music blogs within your genre. The goal here is not to sell your music, but to draw the attention of the above mentioned professionals. It is quite possible that your music will be noticed by one of the above mentioned music industry pros. A good A&R rep from a record label or publishing company will always check out a blog before submitting music from an artist they represent. Read that line again. Good A&R reps from quality labels and publishers read blogs. This means that you should only send out your best music for review. If the A&R guy or gal checks out your review, and the music is substandard, you just lost your chance. Wait until you have something worth reviewing, and submit it to reputable blogs only. You never know who might be listening.
Matt Hundley is a West Coast musician and blogger. You can find his music review blog at www.IndieReviewer.com, and listen to his music at www.MattHundley.com.