Things used to be easier for people like us. We would get in a van, drive to LA, open for Whitesnake on the Sunset strip and be famous overnight. Yup, those were the days.

It's a whole different ballgame now, though. You actually have to work to get a fan base going. And it ain't ever easy.

Good thing for us there are people in the industry willing to take a chance on an unknown kid. And those people are called College Radio DJs. Really, it's very egalitarian. You send in your music, they listen to it. Then, if by some chance it's actually good, they might even play one of your songs on a station listened to by hundreds if not thousands of college kids with daddy's credit card in their hot little hands. And you know what happens next.

It turns out, getting some spins on college radio isn't rocket surgery. To prove it, we scoped out an interview with EricTheReDD, former General Manager of WJSC-FM.

He goes into great detail and the interview is worth reading. But if you're on your way to a gig and you're already late, let us break it down for you a bit:

  1. Send a good looking, professionally produced disc, not a CD-R with Sharpie on the front.
  2. Leave the plastic on.
  3. Send more than one if possible.
  4. Include a PK (Press Kit). One page only, with all the vital stats including contact info.
  5. Don't put a dozen screen printed guitar pics in the mailer. It just makes a mess.
  6. Address it to the MD (Musical Director) unless you know the name of the person that handles your particular genre.
  7. Feel free to call in and request your own music.
  8. Let the DJ know if you're playing in the area, and offer to do an interview.

There. Now you can go ahead and be famous. Remember, Dave Matthews and company spent the better part of a decade touring colleges in a van. It probably smelled terrible in there. Our point is, there's no such thing as an overnight success. Do the work, get the reward, period.

Source: HYPEBOT.COM