Image via Complex Original
Help us help you. We know you, the artist, wants to get your music out as far as you can. Don't be your own worst enemy, though. If you're trying to get your music to DAD or any of these other websites out there, knowing what to send and how to operate can make it easier for us, which in turn can make things easier for you. And knowing how to act when waiting for your music to possibly be posted helps as well. Basically, know what you're getting into and how to move before clicking send. DAD's already shown you how to get your presskit game up to par; now let's delve into how you should be sending your music to sites for potential posting.
What’s Your Goal?
Be sure to let us know what you want to do with the file. Are you selling it? Does it have a release date? Is your single from a larger project? Did it come out through another platform? Is it exclusive to us? Is it already out? Help us help you.
Take Care When Emailing
We read it. We either liked it and reached back out, or didn’t and won’t. I don’t think I ever posted a track because someone hit me up to ask me to listen to something that I already put my ear to. If I didn’t like it enough for me to start a conversation, I’m not going to post it. Particularly if you’re attaching files, because now you’re taking up 45MB instead of 15 in my inbox. And I hate you for that. And don’t email me on a giant mailing list unless you BCC me. This holds true with my personal address more than anything. If I gave it to you, it’s for YOU. Feel free to CC your manager, your agent, or someone you want me to connect with. But PLEASE don’t add me to your general list of 100 music contacts unless you BCC me.
Know Your Audience
I really only post trap, dubstep, and moombahton on DAD. You should have taken the five minutes to see what everyone is pushing. Jeremy and khal are the resident juke / drum & bass heads, but both have an affinity for bass music. Tyler focuses more on disco and house, and Jake will listen to about anything but leans towards house music. We have a deep respect for each other’s taste in music. And we work incredibly well together in this way. I push submissions that I like but don’t have the palette for to my team.
Don’t Get Butthurt
Our jobs are dependant on our opinion. I trust my ear for music; call it stubborn if you want to, but you debating whether or not my opinion is valid will get you nowhere. Asking me to explain the nuances that I like in music is annoying, and telling me I’m wrong won’t change a thing. I like what I like. Conversation, money, and leverage have no effect the content that I post. I just want content that I like. I believe in everything I post.
Tag Your Files
I get hundreds of emails a day. I pull less than 5% of this content, and post closer to 1% of it. But imagine I come across your track a week later and can’t find where I got it from. If you’re sending music to companies that blast to email addresses, blogs, or putting it on your personal soundcloud or mediafire accounts, you MUST be sure to properly tag your files.
Don’t Be A D**k
I’m the disgruntled 30-year-old asshole. You don’t want to rub me the wrong way. I’m not saying you need to say “thank you," but keep in mind that an upbeat conversation will change ANYONE’S day. I get messages from people I love and respect constantly with the music that THEY love, and it’s uplifting. Anything that makes me forget that this is a job that requires my consistent dedication is a blessing. Music is joy. Music is fun. The business should be this way as well. But if you’re a condescending prick, I will go there with you.
Streams Always Win
You know what sucks? When someone sends a .WAV of a record. The only way to listen to it is by downloading it. And if I hate the record, I’m just asking myself why I just wasted time placing a large file on my computer. If you want it to be private, provide a locked SoundCloud link or attach the file in question to an email address.
Stick to What Works
If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, tracked me down on Twitter or Facebook, or sent me a track anywhere but my email address, I will say “here is where you can reach me” and direct people to my inbox. I can mark things as unread and organize better in gmail, and lose files (and focus) on social media. I’m certainly not taking the time to keep track of anything that doesn’t land where I can manage it. People might operate differently, but that’s how I work. I also rarely respond to anything unless it’s the weekend or the evening. Don’t expect immediate response. I put my heart into curating content and advocating for artists, but this isn’t my day job.
Add Links and Artwork
Say we love your tune. And want to get it up immediately. Your artwork is… where? We redirect readers back to you… where? You just added an extra step for us. And not to sound like what we do is a holy act, but none of us are leading relaxing lifestyles. Any platform that has numbers and results have them for a reason. Please keep this in mind and save us the time in asking for something that should already be attached. We might not post your track, but we’d love if everything was in place if we like your song.
320 or Death
If your track is not at 320kbps, I will not post it. If you don’t know what 320kbps is, you need to do some research. Or perhaps reconsider your career. The only people that should be submitting clips or rips at lesser quality are artists that are holding on to tracks that are going to change the shape of music. As a DJ, I also peek on Serato and remove all tunes that aren’t 320 or better. It’s our standard. Please stick to it.
