For those old enough to remember, cast you mind back to a BBC Top Of The Pops show in 1996 when a band called Bis performed. Heard of them? It is doubtful many people will remember them, but they were hyped as being the first unsigned band to perform on the show.
Has national TV and radio done much since to help independent acts?
My work with DEUCE frequently involves seeking radio presenters who have a genuine interest in new and independent music. By taking this approach, when promoting acts, I know they have a good chance of being played when I send their music out to my radio contacts.
Over the years I have had some success in obtaining national radio play for acts although this is few and far between. The general problem I experience is that radio presenters on national and commercial radio stations have no say in the music being played on their shows and if you contact their producers, the best you can expect 99% of the time is an auto-response email.
Below is a selection of responses I have received from national and commercial radio presenters primarily in the UK and USA after being asked if they are interested in being sent new music for consideration for exposure on their shows:
XXXXXX is the man in charge. We just play what he tells us to play. Even the ROTWs (Record Of The Week) are from a list he pre-approved so you may as well go straight to the source. Plugging me is pointless for XXXXX Radio Station currently. One day we may get free plays but it’s a distant dream at the moment…..
Hi Rob,
Unfortunately, as with most commercial stations, I don’t choose the music on my shows. The stations I work for are formatted and don’t have shows for unsigned music.
Thanks for the offer and keep in touch
Hi Rob
I’m a DJ…. Lol, Zero authority!
Try xxxxxx, he runs xxxxx radio station.
Good luck!
This brings me to the question, how genuine are national/commercial radio presenters when they tell us how great they think an act is when it is the producers that are selecting the play-list? Do they truly believe this act is amazing or are they being told to say this by their producer? How influential are their views about the act with their listeners? Is this why most music in the Top Ten charts sound similar?
In comparison, when approaching independent radio stations, the majority of radio presenters/stations are more than happy to be sent new music. They may not play everything I send them, but when they do play an act promoted by DEUCE, you know that they genuinely like the track which is reflected in their comments before and after it is played. This is because most independent radio presenters do not have anyone to answer to when preparing their show, and if they do have a producer, they are still allowed more freedom than a national/commercial radio presenter.
This is reflected in the music you hear on independent radio. When was the last time you heard an unsigned act being played on a daytime show on national radio? In comparison, a large number of my radio contacts have prime-time shows where they feature Deuce Acts; sometimes on more than one occasion, helping listeners become more familiarised with their music.
It may be a long time before we see another Bis on prime-time national television, but as long as independent radio stations continue supporting new music and stay truthful to their listeners, there is always hope an unsigned act can still break through to the mainstream channels once again.
For information on how DEUCE can promote YOUR music, please email rob@deucemusic.com