Getting our music signed to labels and supported by other artists is a huge part of the journey for electronic music producers. After all, especially as we are coming up and establishing ourselves as artists, we need to get our music out on as many platforms as we can!
And so, ultimately, we can’t avoid the fact that in order to see these results, we have to pitch our music. And that pitch all starts with an email.
Here are a few ways to improve the odds of your emails being opened, songs being heard, and ultimately having them get signed and supported!
1. Only Send Your Best!
This one takes some discipline! We know it’s tempting to want to send every track because as producers, we want every track we make to see good results. But it’s important to be selective about what we choose to send to labels and artists. Don’t send every track you finish...send your BEST songs.
This is why finishing music is so important and why we focus on it so much during our Cosmic Academy bootcamp. The more you finish, the more chances for these great songs to be created and you’ll have a broad selection to pick the very best!
2. Send to the Right People
This one seems obvious to some, but we have seen many artists who take the approach that they should just send their music to as many people as possible. After all, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?
Well in this case it’s important to put a bit more thought in. Only send to genre appropriate labels and artists. Don’t waste people’s time with types of music they’d never sign or play.
The reason for this is that essentially we are asking someone for something when we send that email. And if we create the impression that we haven’t done enough research to know that what we’re sending is not the sort of music they deal with, we ruin that first impression, and that artist or label may not take us seriously in the future and open our emails when we do have a record that is a good fit for them.
3. Don’t Mass Email!
This one is so important! Do not BCC and mass email labels or artists.
Instead, send a personalized email that makes clear you addressed it to them specifically. This might take you some time, but it’s 100% worth it. Send to each label and artist individually!
The people on the other side of your email want to know you took the time to send it to them, not to “everyone.” If you personalize your message, you’ll be so much more likely to get that signing or support you’re looking for—or at the very least the recipient’s respect.
4. Use Links, not Attachments
This one is straightforward. Do NOT attach your files! Instead, use private, streaming links.
SoundCloud is a nice option because it tells you if someone has played the track (and if you have a pro account, it can even tell you who played it). On the downside, SoundCloud’s audio quality is notoriously inconsistent and might not present your music in the best light.
A great alternative with better playback quality is Dropbox. However, Dropbox won’t tell you who played the track unless you buy the more expensive enterprise account.
But no matter what, don’t attach a file. No one wants to download a 70mb wav before hearing it...no one! Haha
5. Pick the Right Day
When it comes to sending important emails in any form of business, the beginning of the week (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday) is your best bet. Early in the week, people are more likely to be in the right mindset to get things done and respond quickly. Toward the end of the week, it’s just too easy for people to “put it off until Monday” and then, inevitably, forget about it entirely.
Another pro tip is to aim to send the email in mornings “their” time (whatever time zone they’re in). For the same reason—people are more into a working mindset in the AM!
6. Consider Using an Email Tracker
This one can be a bit controversial, and it’s up to you. We’re just here to give you all the info!
Email trackers tell you whether someone has opened your email. This way, you know if your follow-up is appropriate (i,e., if they never even opened it, following up is probably fine). However, if you see that they did open the email, but didn’t reply, they probably didn’t like your song. It’s okay, move on!
We hope these tips help your music get signed and supported in 2022!