RadioAirplay.com Blog

We're pleased to introduce the 2016 Spring Song Contest grand prize winner and latest Center Stage artist, Peter Graham  - A  talented singer-songwriter from the small town of Millbrook, Ontario, Canada.    He recently began promoting his music on Jango, but his song has already made a big impact among our listeners, and on the staff here at Radio Airplay.  His winning song, For The Fall  features a refreshingly raw and calm vocal performance,soothing melodies, prolific harmonies and accompaniment, and a very honest and personal glimpse into the artist's life.  Get to know Peter, his musical process, and what he's got planned for his promising career. We here at Radio Airplay would love to hear more from this artist!  What was the inspiration behind writing and recording the winning Spring Contest song "For The Fall"? The inspiration behind this song came from an honest conversation I had with my father about an e...

A DIY tour can be very expensive. There are ways to be successful, but for a band just starting out, you should try to spend as little money as possible.  Our friends at Music Think Tank posted a great article with some suggestions on how you can minimize your expenses to ensure you get the most out of your tour. Read up on it here!  http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/frugality-on-diy-tour-some-simple-suggestions.html

"The easy and obvious way to make good recordings is to find a good producer to work with. But what if you can’t work with a good producer?" This great and informative new article from our friends over at CD Baby's DIY Musician blog has 6 super-helpful quick tips to keep in mind if you're considering self-producing your next record, to help you get the very best out of your song recordings and production! http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/notes-independent-record-producer-part-6-six-tips-successful-self-producing/

Top PopScore artist Michael Wark   was chosen for Week 12 as the Musician's Atlas PopScore Pick for his song Silver Spring     Listen here! Michael Wark  received a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service. _ ​ ​ _ But you don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get VIP access to the best performance, promotion & distribution. _ ​ Become a member of Musician's Atlas today

Thank you to everyone who submitted to the 2016 Spring Song Contest. We received a whopping  2,000 submissions this year!  135 songs were chosen by our panel of judges to appear in Jango's  Independent Spring '16 station and winners received 100 free play credits in their Radio Airplay accounts.  The 9 runners up winners received the following:  1,000 Play Credits  added to Radio Airplay account  Exclusive promotion in our weekly newsletter and social media outlets Exclusive placement in Jango Radio's Independent Spring '16 station One month rotation in Jango Radio's Ear Poppin New Music station   Our GRAND PRIZE WINNER received the following:  4,000 Play Credits added to Radio Airplay account  Exclusive Grand Prize feature in our weekly newsletter and social media outlets Exclusive placement in Jango Radio's Independent Spring '16 station One month rotation in Jango Radio's Ear Poppin New Music station...

"Traveling is great, but the wear and tear of the road can completely destroy guitars. Although guitars have a reputation as rough-and-ready instruments that you can take anywhere, they are actually quite delicate. Not only can they easily get dented or scratched from a bumpy ride in a trunk or airline luggage apartment, but they are also very sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure and humidity." Whether you're an experienced touring artist or planning a trip with your instrument for the first time, check out this great quick read by our friends at Music Think Tank, with helpful advice on protecting your guitars (and other instruments) when you travel and tour! http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/scratches-and-dents-keeping-your-guitar-safe-on-the-road.html

"Blog premieres (where you give a blog a limited window of time in which they’re the ONLY place someone can go to hear a song or watch a video) have become a ubiquitous way of promoting new music — but are they WORTH it?" Find out some Pros and Cons on Blog premiers, and how you can set one up to have the best possible release of your song in this great read posted by our friends at DIY Musician (CD Baby's Blog)  http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/music-promotion/blog-premiere-for-your-song/

Top PopScore artist  iBECK   was chosen for Week 10 as the Musician's Atlas PopScore Pick for his song  The Last Match.     Listen here! iBECK  received a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service. _ ​ ​ _ But you don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get VIP access to the best performance, promotion & distribution. _ ​ Become a member of Musician's Atlas today

Meet our newest Center Stage artist, Connor Vance  - a young and promising artist  with an undeniable talent in creating catchy melodies with heavy influence in both the Pop & Alt Rock worlds.  His song Run  (video below) has been a big hit among Jango listeners, and it's easy to see why. The heart-felt lyrics accompanied by an Alt. Rock feel in the instrumentation, creates a relatable and feel good world easy to get lost in.  Growing up in a small town in British Columbia, Canada (Prince Rupert), you pretty much have two options: become a pro hockey player, or become a fisherman. When an injury forced Connor to relinquish his dreams of becoming a pro Hockey player, his rehab opened up his eyes to music. While not being able to walk, he found an old red Epiphone SG lying around and dusted it off… and so began his musical journey. Connor’s debut single “Run”, which was released December 14, 2015, was inspired from true traumatic events ...

"One of the biggest challenges musicians face is booking tours. Many bands don’t have a booking agent, so booking a tour can seem like a daunting task the first time out." Whether you're planning your first tour or are a touring veteran, check out this new article post from our friends at Music Think Tank, with great advice and things to keep in mind for your next round of shows! http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/how-to-book-a-tour-without-a-booking-agent.html

If you’re going to be taken seriously as an artist, you need your own website, and it's crucial you have a good one!  Here's a great artcile posted by our friends over at CD Baby's blog DIY Musician, with 10 things you must have in place on your website to make an impact. http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/website-pass-press-test-passing/

Top PopScore artist  Steven Long   was chosen for Week 10 as the Musician's Atlas PopScore Pick for his song  Change My Ways.     Listen here! Steven Long received a full year's membership to Musician's Atlas, the music industry's most reliable contact database service. _ ​ ​ _ But you don't have to wait until you reach the top of the PopScore charts to get VIP access to the best performance, promotion & distribution. _ ​ Become a member of Musician's Atlas today

No matter how long a winter, Spring  is sure to follow. Here at Radio Airplay, we're getting ready for those sprouting blooms and longer days with our Spring 2016 Song Contest. This contest has no theme or genre limitations. We want Radio Airplay's best! Click the link to enter now!  http://radioairplayblog.blogspot.com/p/spring-2016-song-contest.html

"It can be difficult as an independent musician to determine the best path to take for long-term growth and success. Ultimately this crossroads is met with three separate avenues: DIY (Do It Yourself), Independent Label, and Major Label.." Check out this interesting and informative new article posted by our friends at Music Think Tank, explaining the pros and cons of different label situations and how to make the most of each one to maximize your potential and take your music to the next level. http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/major-vs-indie-what-really-happens-when-you-sign-a-record-de.html

"If you’ve been playing in a band for more than a few weeks, you should probably be thinking about booking your first show. Seriously. “Shows” are as old as music itself, and with the exception of a few pretty fantastic recording artists, most serious musicians perform regularly. It’s one of the best ways to hone your skills, it gets your music out there, and it builds your fanbase."  Check out this great post by our friends at CD Baby, posted on the DIY Musician blog, to help you find the best approach for your band when it comes to booking your first gig http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/book-your-first-gig/

You've probably noticed by now, we've been making some changes within Radio Airplay, and here is one new change to help you gain more control over your account.  Now you can decide the order in which your songs will appear on your Jango.com profile. This can simply be done from your Radio Airplay dashboard's Artist Content>Songs page.  From that section, you'll see all your uploaded songs on your account. On the left of each song title you'll see which number position each song is currently in. By clicking on the number you'll find a drop down menu with the option to change the song to another position on the list.  After you make a change to a song, make sure you click on the "Save Order" button on the top. You will then see the "Saved" text letting you know your changes have been updated. Any changes made in your song order on this page will be reflected in your Jango.com artist profile page, visible to anyone th...

We're pleased to announce our latest Center Stage artist, John and the Time Traveling Bicycle - the latest project of Artist and singer-songwriter, John D. Harmon. The alternative-folk artist creates a dreamy soundscape, like in his song " Like a Leaf ", ideal for an escape into a world of mystery and self reflection.  Get to know John and his band, and find out why he's been making such an impact among Jango listeners in this latest feature. "Prior to my time as John and the Time Traveling Bicycle, I spent from 1994 to 2007 as a founding member of/writing for and performing in several Central Kentucky-based bands, including: Chiaroscuro (1994-2000), Attic Down (2000-2003), and Van Gogh Sky (2005-2007).  After relocating to San Diego, CA in 2008, I recorded and released the 2009 studio project/electronic album, “Life in the Temporary,” under the moniker, Carriage House Saints. After taking a three year break from live performances, I took the stage again...

"The key for musicians today is to diversify their revenue streams. No musician makes their income strictly from one method anymore. For the most part, we each have our hands in several different pots. You know the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket“. Musicians just can’t afford to do that anymore. There are just so many baskets and each one has its benefits. Some baskets will be more important to you, and some will be more important during specific times in your career." Our friends at Music Think Tank just posted this excellent new article and comprehensive list of 14 great ways for active artists and bands to make money from live shows and gigs, while at the same time getting your music out there and pushing your music promotion to the next level! http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/14-ways-musicians-can-make-money-from-live-shows.html

"When you’re just starting out on Instagram, growth will feel painfully slow. Those first couple hundred followers may take you a while, but once you establish a routine and get some momentum going it will pick up, so stick with it!"  Take a look at this handy blog post on the CD Baby site with great techniques to get more followers on Instagram. http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/social-media/how-to-get-more-followers-on-instagram/