So you are a local artist/rapper/producer
and you want to know how to get
airplay for your music on 104-5 WSNX.
Please read the following very carefully:
A few things I say may seem rude but please don't take it that way.
Please understand we're approached hundreds of times a month with these same exact questions. This blog simply answers a lot of the questions everyone has all in one place. It saves us time. The more time we save, the more time we'll have to try and help local guys.
FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT:
I CANT BELIEVE I HAVE TO EVEN SAY THESE TWO:
-DO NOT TRY OFFERING US ANY TYPE OF MONEY, GIFTS OR COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND IN ORDER TO PLAY YOUR RECORD! YOU CANNOT BUY YOUR WAY ONTO WSNX.
THAT IS A FEDERAL CRIME CALLED PAYOLA.
-DO NOT COME AT ME WITH A BUNCH OF HATE FOR ANY OTHER LOCAL GROUP THAT WE'RE ALREADY PLAYING. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THEM FINE, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. WHETHER YOU THINK THEY SUCK OR NOT, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THEY ARE ON THE AIR, YOU AREN'T.
OK NOW....
We can HELP expose ONLY the BEST of the BEST local artists.
We can help through three ways:
1) limited airplay on our Sunday "Local Flava" feature at 9pm.
2) our highly visited website, www.wsnx.com
3) on rare occassions, we'll share the VERY BEST CD's with record labels.
Things you need to know:
- Understand that just because you have recorded a CD/MP3
doesn't mean it deserves radio airplay. Anyone today can record a CD/MP3.
- Just because your friends like your CD doesn't mean it's good.
They are your friends and may be just telling you what you want to hear.
- Just because we've played one of your "friends" tracks or just because
you know someone we've played on the air before doesn't mean we'll play your track.
- 104-5 WSNX is not required to play any local artists at all.
- Your song MUST have a radio edit.
We will not consider any songs with any version of the
N Word, F word, and most other cuss words.
Before submitting your song to us,
ask yourself these questions:
Is my song recorded with the same quality (or very close to)
the national artists I hear everyday on WSNX?
If the audio quality is not excellent, it won't get played.
WSNX listeners only expect the best and that's what we deliver to them.
Will my song sound good between songs by Eminem, Ludacris,
Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Fergie, etc.?
If it sticks out like a sore thumb between our core artists, we won't play it.
Is this my VERY BEST effort I can possibly put into this song?
If you have just slopped something together, we'll be able to tell.
And we surely will not waste four minutes of our listeners time with it.
Put your ego aside when dealing with us
Let me say this again.
Put your ego aside when dealing with us.
We are really busy and we are more than happy to listen to your stuff but telling us you are bigger than Eminem or that EVERYONE loves your stuff is silly.
If you're THAT big already, you don't need us.
Sell us on you, your skills, your goals, etc.
How to submit your song to us:
1) Best way is to send an MP3 along with information about you/your band
to both holmes@wsnx.com and eob@wsnx.com .
We go through MP3's & CD's when we have time.
Asking us everyday if we've listened does not help you.
Once a week tops is good.
2) You can drop off your CD to our offices in downtown Grand Rapids at 77 Monroe Center, 10th Floor, Monday through Friday between 830a and 5pm. Leave two copies, one for EOB, one for Holmes.
I highly suggest your CD come with information about yourself in nice package. Leaving us a CD that has "play cut 1 on WSNX" scribbled on it doesn't cut it. CD's will not be returned.
EOB and Holmes are not able to meet with everyone when you drop CD's off.
- We do not go searching through MySpace/Facebook profiles for songs.
Want exposure on the web???
Every artist has this opportunity for national web exposure. First go here:
http://www.wsnx.com/cc-common/artist_submission/
Fill out everything there if you'd like national exposure through all of Clear Channel's radio station websites (there are over 1000).
This is a VERY cool new feature.
Make sure to check it out and take advantage of it.
If we've told you we'll be playing your song on our
Sunday night "Local Flava" feature, read this:
- Understand that it is a one time thing. It's your one chance to get heard on WSNX. It does NOT mean continued airplay afterwards.
- We will do a short interview with you on air so you can say who you are, what you're doin, plug your MySpace, whatever.
- I HIGHLY suggest you record WSNX the night you are played somehow. Then you can use that to prove you were played, post it on your MySpace, Facebook, etc and hopefully further yourself.
After we've played your song on the air read this:
- Having your friends call us in mass on the request lines to request songs we've never even played only wastes their time and ours. If we get honest requests, then we may play your song again, but we can tell real requests from requests you asked your friends to do.
- If you only get the one spin on the air, understand that may be the most we can do for you right now and it was more than you had before we aired it.
If we did play it, approx. 75,000 people will have heard it.
Hopefully all of this helps you understand how we work.
These rules/guidelines are set in stone with EOB and I, so please respect them. Disprespecting them won't get you anywhere except for us to ignore you
and throw your CD's in the trash.
And again, some things said above may seem rude but they are not meant to be. It's meant as a guide to help us help you. Holla.
- holmes
104-5 WSNX
Assn't Program Director /
Host of The Freak Show