We love writing about Boston music and we really want to cover a diverse set of great local bands. Our purpose is to be informative and provide a resource for information about local bands and shows, and not to be a critical/review-based site.
We do get many requests for coverage and we simply don't have the time or resources to write about everything that is brought to our attention. We wish we could answer every email but it's just not possible. So here are some suggestions for submitting your info to us in order to get covered on Boston Band Crush. Many of the suggestions below are specifically aimed toward covering events, but the general ideas also apply to other types of coverage:
1. ADVANCE NOTICE: The more notice you give us, the better. Send us all the details a few weeks before the show/event. Following up with a quick reminder a week or so beforehand is also recommended. *The date of your show/event should be in the email subject line*
2. PRESS RELEASE/BIOs: Provide clear and detailed information about the show or event including relevant links, date/time/cost, other bands, etc. Don't expect us to chase down this information; we typically don't have the time or resources to research every post. And hey, we know you're creative, but an email full of fancy prose does not do you any good. Just get to the point, and give us all the info we need to put a post together.
3. MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA: Include links to MP3s, videos, and photos that we can post (email attachments are limited by Google Groups email, so keep attachments to a minimum). We love embeddable content - your videos should be available on YouTube or another site that allows embedding and your music should be on ReverbNation. We prefer ReverbNation because we can embed a player with some or all of the songs on your profile. You can set those songs to be streaming-only or downloadable. As you change your song settings and add new songs, these will then appear in our embedded content as well. This means that our posts will always have your most relevant and current music included.
4. YOUR MUSIC: Think about this: If we don't even know what you sound like, why would we be compelled to write about you? Send us a link to where we can download your music. Include album artwork if possible. If you don't have your files hosted, please use something like SendSpace or another service that is quick and free (and doesn't suck like Rapidshare). And no, sending us to your MySpace or other streaming player doesn't count. We don't have much time to give undivided attention to streaming media, and we're much more likely to listen if we can put it on our iPods and play it when we have the time. Plus, some of us have day jobs that block streaming media, so you're probably shooting yourself in the foot if you rely on a stream instead of a download link. We do try very hard to download and listen to everything that's submitted.
5. YOUR SHOW: Offer a +1 for your show so that we can try to see you live and become more familiar with you. This further motivates us to write a show preview, even when we can't attend. Keep in mind that we're all very busy, so our ability to cover shows is very limited. Advance notice is again useful here.
6. DON'T BE SHY: We really do want to hear from you, so drop us a line and we'll do our best to get back to you in a timely fashion. The main reason that bands get covered in all of the media is because they, or someone who represents them, are politely persistent.
7. KNOW WHO YOU'RE PITCHING TO: We're a blog started by some friends who really like local indie rock. We don't claim to be an umbrella resource for ALL things Boston music, so if you veer towards jazz or classical or folk or R&B or rap or crabcore (Mike actually LOVES crabcore) or whatever, we don't have anything against your kind of music, but it's just not what we do here. You'll save yourself a lot of time and energy by knowing how to target your pitches and finding the right media outlets for your niche. Peruse our blog, get to know our voice and our practices, and customize your pitch accordingly. You've now completed today's PR 101 lesson.
We also highly recommend you submit a song to our C.D. On Songs column. Not only will it put your name and your music on our radar, but it will also get it out there to our readers. It's a great way for new bands to be introduced to the BBC community. See the end of any C.D. On Songs post for submissions information.
Email us!
And, for a little added fun, read an excellent example of what *NOT* to send:
[Subject line] Check out our music! (no, that's not going to get lost among the 100 other blog-related emails in my inbox)
Hello,
My name is [Band Dude], and I wanted to tell you how much I like heart on a stick (wrong blog dude). I've checked out a bunch of the music you've recommended, and never been disappointed. (Two sentences in and I still don't know why the hell you're writing. I have a lotttt of emails to sift through. You're dangerously close to deletion.) I'm in a band called [Band Name], based in Brooklyn (so you failed to realize that we only cover Boston bands, despite the very first sentence of our Submissions Guidelines), and we are coming down (you mean up?) to Boston and Connecticut for a weekend tour. I am ridiculously proud of this music, and I think you'll like it too (who can resist that sales pitch? If you like it, Random Band Dude, then I'm gonna love it!). I've included a link to stream (you didn't read #4 above, did you) our new album "[Album Name]", and have included an itinerary of our shows on the tour. Check out the music if you have a chance (and if I don't?). If you like what you hear, we would love it if you wrote a review about it on your blog, posted links to stream any of the track, or posted one or more of the shows in your upcoming events section (we have an "upcoming events section"?). We could even be available for an interview if that is something you'd be interested in (nah).
To stream the album in it's entirety, you can go to:
http://www.YouStillHaven'tRead#4HaveYouBandDude.com
To download "[Song]", the single from the album you can go to:
http://www.AhaNowYou'reGettingIt!.com
Our schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Thursday: Some club not in Massachusetts, thus not relevant to us
Friday: P.A. Lounge (close, but not quite), Somerville MA
Saturday: Some club not in Massachusetts, thus not relevant to us
Sunday: Some club not in Massachusetts, thus not relevant to us
*Yes, this is a real email we got. Don't be Band Dude.
Submission Guidelines
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