Every musician defines “success” in a different way. For some, it’s a major label deal. For others, the cover of a popular music magazine. And some just want to make enough money to pay for gas. But there is one big dream that most musicians out there share: hearing their music on the radio.

It’s a lofty goal, and one that’s not easily attained. To put things in perspective, here’s a little story for you. A few years ago, there was a major indie band who got a lot of attention for signing with a major label. This was a band that had been on the same independent label for about 10 years, and had risen to become one of the most influential and successful indie acts out there. In other words, a band that didn’t need great press, didn’t need tour support, didn’t need distribution, didn’t need sales. In fact, they would risk tarnishing their indie cred and alienating some of their hard-won fanbase just by signing to a major. So why did they do it? They wanted to be on mainstream radio and couldn’t get there themselves.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest department at a major label is radio promotions. These people have spent years developing relationships with program directors, disk jockeys and station managers in order to get their artists as many spins in as many markets across as many formats as possible. This is the kind of manpower the indie band needed to get to the exposure they wanted.

Now, before you become completely discouraged, here’s another story. The Gaskets are an electro-pop duo from Richmond, Virginia. Just two regular college kids with big dreams. Their “manager” (a.k.a. their best friend) convinced Howard Stern to play a snippet of one of their songs on his radio show, which boasts 10 million listeners. How did he do it? He called in and made Stern laugh by promising to publicly humiliate himself in return for a spin. Of course, the radio host made fun of the music—but hey, bad publicity is still good publicity. So never be afraid to put yourself out there.

Let’s talk about how you can get your music heard without (a) all the resources of a major label and (b) public humiliation.

1. Manage your expectations to get the most bang for your buck. Chances are if you’re an unknown act, you won’t instantly get your music played on major FM stations in major markets. So instead, start with the easy targets: college radio and Internet radio.

2. Be strategic about who you target. If you’re going on tour, choose college radio stations or independent radio stations that broadcast in each market you’re playing in. If you’re not on tour, start with local stations.

3. Bring your A-game. You’re building a relationship here, so make sure you make a good impression when you reach out. Do your research and listen to what the DJ for each program is playing. Contact them directly to pitch your music. Don’t immediately ask to get added to the playlist. Ask them to give your music a listen. Send them a professional-grade CD. If you’re playing a show, put them on the guest list. If they like what they hear, talk about doing a ticket/CD giveaway, a live acoustic set or other on-air promotion. If their listeners express interest in you, the better the chances you’ll be added into rotation.

4. As always, follow up and stay proactive. Keep in touch with your contact at the radio station. Give your fans the number to the request line and encourage them to call in. Don’t be afraid to pitch ideas. Be persistent!

Here are some resources to get you started:

For college radio stations by state, click here.

For all AM/FM radio stations by state, click here.

For satellite radio programs, click here.

For online radio stations, visit these sites:
www.LastFM.com
www.live365.com
www.onlineradiostations.com

Top 10 AM/FM  Radio Markets

New York: 15.3 million +
Los Angeles: 10.8 million +
Chicago: 7.8 million +
San Francisco: 6 million +
Dallas-Ft. Worth: 5.1 million +
Houston-Galveston: 4.7 million+
Atlanta: 4.3 million+
Philadelphia: 4.3 million+
Washington DC: 4.2 million+
Boston: 3.9 million+

For the Top 50 radio markets, click here.

Good luck!