GaragePunk Pirate Radio (GPPR) Promo Policy

If you're in a band (or run a record label) and you want to submit your music to us to see if we'd be interested in playing it on our podcasts, we'd actually prefer it if you did not send us your records or CDs. Why? Well, it's really a waste of time, and more importantly, an unnecessary expense for you. Besides, with the advent of the Internet, social networking and online music sharing, sending promos the old-fashioned way is, well, archaic and outdated. Postage costs money, packaging costs money, records cost money... not to mention you're mailing out free copies of records that you could (or should) be selling at your shows, in record stores, or on your website! Most, if not all, of our podcasts are put together from digitized recordings of vinyl or CD, anyway, so why not just rip MP3s of your songs and share those with us (not to mention thousands of other podcasters) in a way that won't cost you a cent nor cost you any copies of your records or CDs? Sound like a good idea? Yeah, we think so, too. But how can you share your music with us without having to email us the songs? Please read on...

Instead of sending us your music the old-fashioned way, here's what you should do: Just rip MP3s of your songs (you probably have done this for your Myspace, Bandcamp, or Hideout band page already, anyway) and upload them to Mevio's Music Alley (formerly known as the Podsafe Music Network). You'll need to register your band and create a page for yourselves there if you haven't done so yet, so make sure you do that first. Please note: You can register as a record label there, too. Just click the "I am a label" box during the registration process if you happen to represent more than one band. Then just start uploading as many songs as you'd like (it's totally FREE—no postage costs!), preferably originals, but you can also upload cover songs if you've paid for the licensing for them. We also recommend that you choose either "Garage Rock," "Garage Punk" or "Surf" for the genre... that way it'll be a lot easier for GPPR podcasters to find your stuff (each of them has their own separate podcaster account on the MMA, since all of our shows are individually produced). The "Rock 'n' Roll" genre is good, too, but that's a pretty crowded category, and includes everything from hard rock and metal-type stuff to just boring-ass mainstream-style "modern rock," and your stuff may get lost in the Generic Rock 'n' Roll Sea. PLUS, putting your music on the MMA not only makes it available for our podcasters here on the Hideout, but thousands of other podcasters and streaming online stations as well, so you may end up getting "podplay" from all over the world and on many different programs, which is a good thing, right? The more exposure, the better! And much easier and more satisfying (not to mention CHEAPER) than mailing out free promo copies of your records or CDs. Plus, you can add a nifty button like the one below to your social networking pages or band/label website:

After you've finished uploading your songs, feel free to post a message on the GaragePunk Pirate Radio Fans group here letting us know to go check 'em out. And while you're here, be sure and set up a page for your band, too, if you haven't already (where you can upload up to 100 MP3s and unlimited videos per account). But please remember that none of this guarantees your songs will get played on any of the GPPR shows, as our show producers are pretty picky folks. But it doesn't hurt to try, right?

Thanks, and good luck!