Joe Swank is the owner/operator behind full-service radio promo company Swank Promotions. Before striking out on his own, he served as a Promotion Staffer with some of the biggest indie labels in the US.

In describing the job duties of a Radio Promoter, he says, “I work records as whole projects, so there are two elements [to the job]. At the beginning of a project, I select stations to receive hard copies of the CD, then produce stickers for the front of the disc with focus tracks, FCC info, and contact info.

I follow the hard copy mailing with a digital blast to all my contacts who didn’t get a hard copy, offering a digital download of the record.”

“The second element is the day-to-day. After the record has been received, I start sending emails and making calls on receipt and review of the disc.”

“Radio people usually have a two to four-hour window, one day a week in which they take calls, and I am usually trying to follow up with around 100 people per week, so each day begins with checking the call list for the day, and cross-checking to see if the station is already playing the record I am asking about.”

“The rest of the day is scheduled calls and emails, interspersed with communications on bands that are touring and the specific cities they will be traveling to. That can mean on-air appearances by the band, show presents, CD/ticket giveaways, guestlist for the station personnel — a variety of things — all of which I have to set up and get confirmed.”

“Ultimately, my job boils down to trying to get the person at the radio station who selects music for airplay to listen to the disc I send them and let me know if they will be playing it or not. If they add the record, my job becomes to get them as involved with the artist as possible.”

Radio Promoters spend a good deal of their time interacting with station Music Directors, Program Directors. and sometimes Video Jockey. If they’re part of a large promotions department, they’ll work with Promotion Staffers, Website Content Producers, and Website Marketing Managers under the supervision of the Promotion Manager. (Some record labels have Radio Promoters on staff whereas other labels have long-standing relationships with outside promotions companies who work on their releases.)

The salary range for Promotion Staffers runs from $27,000 to $65,000+.

While Promotion Staffers employed by record companies are salaried, the payment structure works differently for independent Radio Promoters.

Swank says, “In my current scenario, I am paid upfront with an agreed-upon amount to work a project for a specific amount of time, usually twelve weeks. Once I receive the check, I send the materials for the client to do the hard copy mailing.”

“I am then engaged by them to work their record for the next twelve weeks. Occasionally a deal is worked out for a lower up-front rate, with bonuses paid per added station, but that isn’t very common and not always an ideal scenario. [I’m] mostly paid per project.”

“My top-end rate is $5,000 per project, but depending on the artist, the timing, the referral, and several other factors, I will occasionally lower that rate to get a project I really want.”

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The work lifestyle of a Promotion Staffer varies depending on if he or she is employed by a record company or works independently as his or her own boss. “For fifteen years, I worked as part of a team,” Swank says.

“In the record companies, you usually have the following: Radio, Press, Digital (encompasses social media, iTunes, Pandora/Spotify, music blogs, etc.), and Sales. Those four people/departments work together at different times. You keep all these people informed of anything big that is happening, so that they may utilize it to help further efforts on their end.”

“A big press article is something Radio can use to solicit attention. A big radio appearance is something that needs to be shared on both the artist’s and the record label’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. The stations/publications expect you to push their event, as they are pushing your artist. Sometimes press and radio are working with the same person towards different goals, which requires a little discussion.”

“For the last two-plus years, I have been doing the same thing, only as an independent agent. I work at home, usually alone and very often I put in nights and weekends.”

“The weekday workday is scheduled with contacting people at specific times and I have to be available for them to contact me. So, any non-contact/communication-related work (like proposals, gathering materials, printing materials, listening to projects for future work) has to be done after hours.”

Many Promotion Staffers begin their career as Interns before landing a job at a record label or promotions company. Others come from the world of radio, working as DJs or in the music department.

Career advancement can mean anything from founding their own promotion company or getting hired to head the promotions department at a well-known record label with superstar artists and a big budget (and hence a higher salary.)

What’s the best way to get involved in radio promotions?

“Internships!” Swank says. “The more you can be involved with the business, the more you pick up. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to see what positions exist and what you might want to eventually aim for. I’ve worked with Interns who spent over two years interning without pay at publications, radio stations, [and] record labels, just looking for the best options and opportunities.

“You make contacts that will become valuable later in your career without even knowing it at the time. The crazy Warehouse Manager may end up booking the biggest club in town. The kid in accounting may end up owning his own label down the line. You never know, but every friend counts in this business.”

“You will most likely be working for free, but often there are many perks like free records, concerts, t-shirts, invites to industry events. Most importantly, you are learning a skill. The more skills you have, the less time you will have to work for free. Plus, you are resume building.”

• “Get a job or internship at a radio station. Learn what happens in radio.
• Read as much as you can about the industry past and present, as well as the artists you are interested in.
• Talk to radio people about how their station operates and how they choose music.”

Essential skills for a Radio Promoter include, first and foremost, “being comfortable on the phone” and “being able to write a business email properly.”

Swank adds, “Know what different genres/formats are out there and know the stations. A lot of this job is research: looking up stations, going to the website to see what shows are available that might play your record.

“Do they have local programming? Do they support live music? Do they take chances on new bands or stick to major label tried-and-true artists? Do they carry outside programming (like NPR affiliates) and when? Do they work with any particular club(s) with any consistency? Everything you can know gives you a little leg up.”

Swank says successful Radio Promoters are “gregarious, outgoing. You rarely find timid people in this industry. [They’re] level-headed. You will be working with people you love and people you hate and they all have to be shown the same respect up to a certain point.

“You will be working with a lot of people who know way more than you do, and you try to learn as much as you can from them while understanding they are not here to teach you. You will be working with people who know way less than you and you have to help educate them without talking down to them or letting it deplete your time to a detriment.”

“Even the smallest of fish can end up in the biggest of ponds. Everyone gets respect upfront. People who are difficult to work with rarely last — outside of the talent. Talent can and will be a pain in the ass often. However, they are ultimately making the money that pays your salary. If they are not as talented as they are annoying, they will go away soon enough.”

“You are ultimately selling a product to people who don’t necessarily want to be sold anything so you have to keep the information coming at them, without overstepping the line of annoyance. It helps to be a meticulous note-taker. Keep track of specifics about people.”

If you’re interested in a career as a Promotion Staffer, majoring in Music Business or a similar program can help you understand the industry and make valuable connections.

Swank advises, “Education is not as important as experience, but knowing about the industry you are interested in, and specifically the genres, is extremely helpful. What happens in Americana music is a million miles away from what happens in heavy metal music, which is a million miles away from what happens in hip-hop. The way people conduct themselves and how they do business changes based on the culture.”

“Know who the players are in the field you are interested in. Read all you can, see as many shows as possible. Read liner notes and biographies and take note of the names. The more you can speak about the industry, the more you can hold your own in conversations with people who might be beneficial to you.”

“How can an aspiring radio promotions person acquire the necessary training to be competitive in this field? “Interning is the most direct way to get the attention of a potential employer,” Swank says.

“Offer to work for free and then really put your all into it. They will take notice. I’ve worked with a ton of Interns and most people don’t last a week. The ones that do are given increasingly difficult projects, which are all learning experiences, even if they don’t seem like it.”

“Packing and posting 200 packages may seem like grunt work, but if you are paying attention, you will absorb the people and locations. Keep your eyes and ears open. An interested and hard-working Intern has a good chance at a position when something relevant opens up.”

“Every bit of knowledge you can bring to the table is helpful. I know how to set up a stage for a band. Not something on the job description, but it has come in handy on multiple occasions when trying to set up bands for radio. I know the gear they will use and have a better idea of any issues that may come up.”

“Having traveled in some of the more major cities in America, I can factor in additional drive time based on where they have to go. I know many of the venues and can often give them a heads up if there is anything funky about the place or the staff. All knowledge is valuable.”

There are no unions or professional associations created specifically for radio promotions professionals. However, individuals can join organizations dedicated to their specific genre interests. Swank, for example, has been involved with the Radio Advisory Committee for the Americana Music Association.

For aspiring Promotion Staffers interested in online resources to help their careers, Swank recommends radio-locator.com.

He says, “It is the most valuable site I use. You can plug in any town in the US and it will tell you what radio stations broadcast into that area, what kind of format they have, power, ownership, and it will show you where the station signal reaches. They also hyperlink the station website.”

“Most of the information you would need about any station or area is on that site. You are limited to a couple dozen uses a day for free but it cleans the slate after twenty-four hours and you have free access once again.”