Radio Promoters, Regional Promotion Managers
Secure radio airplay and playlist placement to grow an artist’s audience
The promotion department (also called the radio department) takes care of promoting the releases to radio stations all over the country. Their goal is to get new radio adds and spins across different radio stations to bump a song on the charts and ensure its commercial success. To do so, they work closely with radio stations to keep them aware of the latest hit song at any time and pitch new tracks, records, and artists.
Since the streaming era, they also got involved in the promotion of songs on streaming platforms. Similar to what they do for radio, they promote new releases to curated playlists, both editorial, playlists curated by editors at Spotify or the DSPs (ex: Today's Top Hits, Rap Caviar, or BEATstrumentals) and user-generated, playlists created and curated by individual listeners or companies.
Finally, the promotion department gets involved in the decision process to choose which song is going to be a single. They also help out with the routing and timeline of the promo tour, especially when scheduling interviews at local radio stations.
!! LABEL VS RECORD COMPANY !!
Assigned to a certain region, the RPM is an expert on all radio stations. They are in charge of maintaining the relationships. They do not work at the office but more independently in their region, and travel a lot to meet Program Directors.
They market new songs to program directors, music directors, and DJs by relying on a network of professional connections at radio stations across the country.
Inside the promotion department, you can find teams mandated to one musical format. Some representatives may handle only pop, rock, country, or r&b radio stations (a title example can be ‘Head of Urban’).
They make sure the record has been distributed to DSPs around the world; Spotify, Apple Music but also Gaana and Jioaavn (India), KuGou and QQ (China), etc.
*sometimes the part of the international sales is centralized for all labels under one group* For example, Sony's Global Digital Business & US Sales record division deals with international sales for all Sony Labels (RCA, Arista, Columbia, etc.)
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The songs don't always last but the relationships do.
A big part of promotion is creating and maintaining relationships with program and music directors. I spend most of the day talking to people on the phone from radio stations all over the country. You have to make sure they know what new titles are coming so they can make space for it. It’s a job of contact, you have to be a people person! You need to be in touch and get to know the people early. You won’t always agree on the potential of a single and how it should be promoted so your relationships will be constantly tested by being told no and having to tell people no. When starting out, your job will mainly be to use Mediabase to track radio ads and every time a song gets added to a station's rotation. You’ll pull out charts and analyze song placements. Soon enough you will start to pitch. Pitching is the main and necessary skill you need for promotion.
Promotion @Columbia Records & Promotion @Atlantic Records
Who they work with and what they do
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
- Keep them in touch of the new titles coming
- Schedule interviews with local radio stations during promo tours
MUSIC DIRECTOR (MD)
(Also called Music Curators)
- Pitch new songs and new artists to be played
INDEPENDENT CURATOR
- Pitch new songs and new artists to independent curators who have their own playlists (≠ editorial playlists) example: Sound Plate
DSPs
- Pitch songs to the editorial playlists
MANAGER & ARTIST
- Choose the singles
- Strategize how to turn songs into hits (which radio to push the song in - Hot AC, Urban, etc.)
MARKETING & SALES
- Work hand in hand with these departments to strategize the marketing and promotion strategy together
- Keep them in touch of the new titles coming
- Schedule interviews with local radio stations during promo tours
- Choose the singles
- Strategize how to turn songs into hits (which radio to push the song in - Hot AC, Urban, etc.)
- Work hand in hand with these departments to strategize the marketing and promotion strategy together
MUSIC DIRECTOR (MD)
(Also called Music Curators)
- Pitch new songs and new artists to be played
INDEPENDENT CURATOR
- Pitch new songs and new artists to independent curators who have their own playlists (≠ editorial playlists) example: Sound Plate
DSPs
- Pitch songs to the editorial playlists
- Distribute artists singles & albums to DSPs on time for the release
- Negotiate business partnerships with DSPs -- Examples:
° Reduced royalties rate per stream for artists of a specific label in exchange for free ad credits
° ‘Artist Social Boost’: DSPs are granted advertising access to an artist's Facebook or Instagram to run
ads offering their followers 3 months free premium. In exchange, the label gets a portion of the profit from the fans signing up through the artist's link
- Partner with DSPs for marketing initiatives such as:
° Billboard in Time Square
° Playlist takeovers
° Example: Olivia Rodrigo's Car Wash with Spotify in LA.
- Licence songs before release
- Make sure the metadata is complete (every detail about the song is filled out - producers, singer, date, title, etc.)
- Curate playlists on streaming platforms to promote their artists
- Establish the number of copies of an album that needs to be produced
- Make sure the production and delivery runs smoothly (with Production Dep)
A music supervisor reaches out to the label with interest in a song. They provide 3 elements for a possible contract and give a scene description and information on the use of the song.
With those elements in mind, the Sync Department defines the licensing fees for the use of that song. The amount usually depends mostly on the artist, scene description and length, and part of the song used.
The label asks for the artist's approval; both on the budget and the use of the song (which project it will be featured on).
Important to know: For a song to be used, it needs the approval of both the master recording (label) and the publisher. This means all songwriters have to approve the use of the song too! And if an artist is also a songwriter they need to approve it twice, once through the label and once through the publisher.
Spins
When measuring airplay on the radio, the number of times a song is played is measured in spins. Spins are very important for the label as they are one way to get a song to breakthrough. The more spins a song gets on the radio, the higher it will climb on the charts.
Once negotiated, the deal has to be sent to the publishers for approval.
This step is necessary legally to ensure that the Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause is respected.
If a music supervisor confirms the use of a song then the license is created.
On their side, they will have to pay a fee for the use of the composition (copyright to the publisher) and a fee for the master (to the label).
“For NY and LA, there is always a member of our team at shows to organize business encounters, escort our partners backstage. It’s kind of a concierge service”
- Tour and Special Events @Interscope
"When there is no covid I travel a lot so I am divided between being with the artist on tours and promotion - with visits to my offices for strategy and planning meetings around the world and in London with my team on a day-to-day basis when we are not traveling. My boss travels much more than I do so we are used to working remotely and maintaining constant communication."
Is a degree required?
Specific to Promotion:
In promotion, depending on your level you can stay almost all the time in the office (inters, assistant) or you can spend most of your time visiting radio stations (especially Regional Project Managers).
Written by Lou & Fran.
Designed by Lou.
Published June 17th 2021
Copyright © 2021 Gen Admission.