This post is a long time coming. If you’re an artist, you’re going to get a lot out of this one…

There are more artists and bands out there than ever, which is great. But it also means our email traffic increases. One thing I’ve noticed, is that bands are getting lazy, all too often music companies will receive a one liner email saying “Hi, we’re XXXXX band from XXXX, check out our MySpace here and let us know what you think, thanks.” What part of that sentence motivates me to go and check out you’re work? Would you approach a prospective employer with a one liner email saying, “Hi, my name is XXX from XXXX, here is my Linkedin profile, let me know what you think, thanks”

Approaching a music company, be it a label, publisher, agent, whatever is like applying for a job, so treat it like one. Below I’ve listed some points, which if you abide by them, should yield greater results.

• Your CV in this case is your band bio, keep this INTERESTING, no matter how short it may be, it isn’t a deal breaker to know that you used to be in a metal band but thought you were too good for them and decided to start a new band, include press clippings, upcoming gig listings.
• Why not use something like Sonicbids for your Bio/Mp3 needs – (EPK).
• Also, check out Soundcloud, new site but has amazing potential.
• Send tracks you think are the best and most polished, quality over quantity.
• Some companies can get arsey about mp3 attachment emails as it slows down their inbox, offer alternative links, your MySpace, Sonicbids, Soundcloud or even straight off your server.
• DO NOT ADD THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS TO YOUR MAILING LIST WITHOUT PERMISSION – these get blacklisted straight away and sometimes your band name tagged as spam, so any emails you send at a later date won’t get through.
• Ensure you add a covering letter equivalent, doesn’t have to be long, an introduction and to who you are and why you are emailing. Don’t be shy, in the industry emails usually contain what they’re looking for, so an email from one label to another may be trying to sub licence one of their act’s, so they state it: “Looking for sub licencing in the UK, JAP, GER etc.”
• Try to add the personal touch, make sure it doesn’t look like a mass email out, something like “like the new website” or “XXXX’s last single was amazing” (Flattery can get you places but not everyhwere).
• Be original, it’s hard to calculate how many black and white photos of bands standing under a railway bridge looking moody I get a day, but I reckon it’s a lot.
• Try to use different methods of communication, if they’re on Twitter, converse with them, if they run a live night, attend and maybe give them your cd in person & comment on their news stories/blog posts etc.
• Go to their website, do they have a preferred method of submissions? follow it, don’t email asking what the procedure is if they have already specified it on the website.
• If you’re sending something through the post, can you add something for them to remember you by, if your calling up chasing up feeedback “We’re the band that sent you mini eggs with our demo” they’ll remember you, like you for it and be MOTIVATED to give you feedback and check your stuff out, mini egg’s did go down nicely, thanks.
• Are you selling yourself right? “We released this ourselves under our own label” doesn’t sit well, pretty much says, we’re shit because we’ve failed in our own self release and have already sold as much as we can to all our family and friends and now we want you to do something with it…
• Avoid the phrase “Hope we can work together”

To sum up, be original, try to motivate, make it easy for people to check your stuff out.

I may update this post when more come to mind, in the meantime, if you think I’ve missed anything out, please comment them below.

Also check out Andy Derricks post on promotional packs.