Sending tracks to labels is already a big step for producers, and finding the right time could be one factor in your favor, or against if you do it wrong…
4 THOUGHTS FROM ME
1. Don’t send tracks to labels when you know they are not in the office. For example, from Dec 21st to Jan 3rd, possibly Jan 10th, labels could be on holiday, and sending tracks to labels right now could just make your track sit on their inboxes, and go down after each day. Not that this will be the key factor, but it’s better to be on top of their inbox than right at the bottom when they go back to work. Other periods that might be ‘not recommended’ for that are Miami Music Week, Tomorrowland week and ADE Week, and any other big festival moment from your genre (Ex. ABGT550 for the trance scene & Movement for Techno).
2. Especially if you don’t know the A&R you’re sending to or it’s the first time you’re sending to a label, don’t send tracks when you think they might not be checking emails. Consider sending emails on Monday mornings to be the first thing they see when they come for a new work week. This is not a guarantee of opening, but just trying to maximize your odds. If you’ve discovered they normally open and answer your emails on Thursday, consider sending the previous Wednesday.
3. If you’ve sent an email in a “not recommended” period as in #1, or if you just didn’t get a response from a label, make sure to follow up with them. But, when? At least a week after you first sent the song to them and when you think they are available. If you’ve sent it on Dec 24th, make sure to follow up only after Jan 3rd or even Jan 10th, to make sure they will be back when you follow up.
4. If you already know and/or have a relationship with that label’s A&R, or if you’ve already released with them, I still don’t advise you to email them in these ‘not recommended’ periods. But, they will likely know your name and check your email anyway afterward. Waiting 2 weeks until you send the song will not give you any disadvantage when sending it to that label.
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
How do you keep track of when to follow up? When is that label A&R opening your emails?
1. Consider using an email tracker like Hubspot, Polymail, Yesware, and Mailtrack to track email opens and link clicks.
2. Make label specific private links of tracks so you know when/if that label listened to your track
