Think Outside the Box
by Larry Weir
It's always a major undertaking going to radio with a single, especially when you are a new artist. Most of the time, when taking a new artist into the field, you hear "Who?" from music and program directors, and an add is far from automatic. It is always hard to break new songs, even for a name artist, but for the upstart artist it can be a very big hill to climb.
A good friend and associate, Buck McCoy, mentioned a few months ago that he had a shot to be on a new television series called the Next Best Thing. It was a new reality-based show that featured people that looked and acted like established recording artists and stars. Buck has always been compared to Tim McGraw, and that attracted the producers of the television series. Little did we know at that time that it was set to be a prime-time show on ABC television. Some people told Buck that it would be a stupid idea to do the show and that it would be a career killer, while we thought, Go for it. Anytime you have the opportunity to be seen by a national audience—outside of being on America's Most Wanted—it makes sense, especially if you are a new recording artist or band that might be pushing a new release. This particular show ended up bringing Buck in front of nearly 8 million viewers for the premiere, and it came in at No. 1 in its time slot. The advance preorders for Buck's debut CD, Top Dog, which features his first single, "A Few Steps Away" (Caption), shot through the roof. It gave him an instant national profile. That also led to many requests from radio stations for morning show call-ins, and has helped to propel the single up the country charts of New Music Weekly, Music Row and on monitored stations as well.
You really need to start thinking of things outside the box when bringing a new single and artist to radio. All of the old ways of doing business can be discarded at times, and one has to find new ways of adding different and unique things into the mix, even if it is local television or charity events in conjunction with the release of your new CD and single. One must look at all of the possible vehicles and ways of getting in through the back door.
There are hundreds of independent films that are being produced on shoestring budgets. It would make sense to approach some of these young filmmakers and let them put your song in for free, just for the coverage. The license can be of no cost to them, but if the movie does anything, there may one day be a soundtrack, and the worst you could do is end up with a free video.
Don't get us wrong; you still have to follow a certain pattern of making sure you have a tight edit for the stations and that you have picked the most radio-friendly song from the bunch as your new single. It's just that in addition to the normal drill, you need to find other ways of adding stock to the plan. You still need to put together a very tight team made up of the best people you can find, including a reputable radio promotion company, but as an artist or band you can do many things to help the process along.
You could just be the "next best thing."
Larry Weir and Masika Swain run National Record Promotion out of the Los Angeles area. Send your CD for consideration or evaluation to NRP, 137 N. Larchmont Blvd., #500, Los Angeles, CA 90004. Call 323-658-7449, e-mail lweir@larryweir.com and visit them online at www.heartlandent.com, www.larryweir.com and www.masika.net.
