My recent posts about upcoming releases from Bruce Springsteen and The Eagles brought to mind a column Lee Abrams wrote over ten years ago.Lee's piece was about creating music credibility with your audience - including celebrating new releases and making them big events:
I'll now share a few ways stations can increase the confidence listeners have in their stations:
*Celebrate new releases. The core artists. The competition may have cash call, but you have the new _________! Some ways to accomplish this include:
--Don't add, locally premier. And number your premiers. In a year it'll sound like you've "broken" more music than anyone on earth.
--When you get it in, roll the whole thing. Then by popular demand roll it again at 6pm.
--A day before you get the CD, get the label guy on the phone. To you or I it's a business friend. To a listener it's like CNN talking to the head of the FBI after a bombing. Do a quick phoner to "set up" the release on the air.
--Throw a party at a club. If the band is Aerosmith, you can premiere the CD at a club, along with Steve Tyler lookalike contests, Aerosmith trivia contests, air guitar, etc. Turn a new release into a party.
--Cut special production to welcome the
new release to the air.
If you handle the important releases correctly, you could probably add five CDs a year and be perceived as the "new music" station (half jokingly).
*Celebrate new releases. The core artists. The competition may have cash call, but you have the new _________! Some ways to accomplish this include:
--Don't add, locally premier. And number your premiers. In a year it'll sound like you've "broken" more music than anyone on earth.
--When you get it in, roll the whole thing. Then by popular demand roll it again at 6pm.
--A day before you get the CD, get the label guy on the phone. To you or I it's a business friend. To a listener it's like CNN talking to the head of the FBI after a bombing. Do a quick phoner to "set up" the release on the air.
--Throw a party at a club. If the band is Aerosmith, you can premiere the CD at a club, along with Steve Tyler lookalike contests, Aerosmith trivia contests, air guitar, etc. Turn a new release into a party.
--Cut special production to welcome the
new release to the air.
If you handle the important releases correctly, you could probably add five CDs a year and be perceived as the "new music" station (half jokingly).
-Excerpt from "Creating Music Confidence" - All Access/May 1997.
Still valid ten years later? I think for the most part - yes. Some of this might not work today - certainly not with every release. But making an event out of a music event - such as a new album from a superstar band or artist - should be a no-brainer. Let's get excited again.
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