Streaming is where most new songs live now, but in Azerbaijan radio and TV still reach people who never open a playlist: drivers, families at dinner, small shops with the radio on all day. Getting a song on air isn't about knowing the right person. It's mostly about preparation and a little patience.
Start with a radio edit
Stations play songs that fit their programming, and long intros or six-minute versions rarely do. A radio edit is a version made for air:
- often around three to three and a half minutes long
- a short intro, so the voice or the hook arrives quickly
- no words that can't be broadcast; if the original has them, make a clean version
- an ending that works on air, either a clear final hit or a short fade
Don't push the loudness to the limit. Stations run their own processing, and an over-compressed master tends to sound worse on air, not louder.
Export it as a WAV and as a high-quality MP3, and fill in the file tags: artist, title, composer, lyricist, year and a contact. Music editors handle hundreds of files, and a file named "final_v7_master2" without tags gets lost.
Prepare a small press kit
Put together one folder you can send anywhere:
- the radio edit and, if they want it, the full version
- a short bio of three or four sentences, written for people who don't know you
- one or two good press photos in landscape and portrait formats
- the release date and the main credits, including who wrote the music and lyrics
- a sentence or two about the song itself: what it's about, how it was made
- your phone number and email
Keep the bio factual. "Elvin Rza is a singer from Ganja whose second single was recorded with a live string quartet" says more than a paragraph of adjectives.
Find the right person and write a short message
Listen to the station first. If it plays mostly classic pop and your track is drill, the best email in the world won't change their format. Make a short list of stations and shows where your song would actually fit, including regional stations and online radio.
Then find out who chooses the music, usually a music editor or programme director. A short, polite message works best:
- Who you are, in one sentence.
- Which song, when it comes out and why it suits their audience.
- The files, or a way to download them.
- Your contact details.
Write in the language the station works in, usually Azerbaijani. Send one song, not your whole catalogue, and never send one email to twenty stations with all the addresses visible. If you hear nothing, follow up once after a week or two. If they play it, say thank you. People remember that.
Before you start sending, check in the CULT portal that the song is already live on the platforms, so a listener who hears it on air can find it the same day.
Television and other local media
Music channels and morning or entertainment shows need a video, and TV has its own technical standards. Ask the channel what format they accept before you send anything, and make sure you have a clean version of the video without on-screen text that can't be broadcast.
Beyond radio and TV, there's a lot of local media that's easier to reach: online music portals, YouTube interview shows, podcasts, city and university media. A short live performance or an honest interview often spreads further than a press release.
Live events matter too. Concerts, festivals, open mics and university events put you in front of people, and organisers often know the radio and TV editors. A good set at a well-run event is one of the most natural introductions you can get. Bring a one-page sheet with the song title, release date and your contacts to every event, printed or on your phone. Many introductions happen backstage, in a short chat between two sets.
Register your songs before they're played
Radio and TV pay for the music they broadcast, usually through collective management organisations that collect and distribute royalties to authors and, in many countries, to performers and rights holders. To get your share, your songs need to be registered with the right organisation, with correct credits.
Find out which organisation handles authors' and performers' rights in Azerbaijan and what it needs from you. Do it before the campaign, not after your song has been on air for months. The credits in your press kit and in your file tags should match the registration exactly, down to the spelling of every name.