Tracking your radio airplay with MTR
If you are ready to start tracking your radio airplay, then MTR is here to help. It’s as easy as uploading a song, filling in some information and choosing a tracking plan.
Check out the sample dashboard and list of radio stations MTR monitors. If you have already promoted your music to radio, then you are ready to start tracking your music. Sign up for MTR here.
If you haven’t sent your music to verified radio programmers yet, you can learn more about Caster – the leading music promotion tool here. As a Caster user you can get early access and discounts on MTR tracking plans before the official US launch on June 6th.
I uploaded my song to MTR – what next?
Once you have uploaded your music and paid for a tracking plan MTR will start monitoring your song(s) right away. If you want MTR to track your music across 5000+ radio stations in North America you can get early access and discounts when you promote your music with Caster. For all other users MTR officially launches on June 6th.
MTR tracks airplay in real-time so once a spin has been detected it will appear in your dashboard. Some stations may be faster to pick up or “add” a song than others. Tracking your song with MTR doesn’t guarantee airplay. The decision to add a song is up to the radio stations, programmers and music directors. However, promoting your music to verified contacts with Caster, can give you the best chance for success.
If you did promote with Caster you can cross-reference your release in Caster reporting to see which stations have downloaded your song. This can give you a good indication of which radio stations are considering playing it.
Viewing your radio reporting in the dashboard
MTR’s intuitive dashboard consists of easy-to-navigate modules including a top-level Overview and Spins over Time. You can also segment the spin data you see by Radio Stations, Cities, and Day Parts. Use filters to see your spins by selected time period or select a time period and compare. For example, the last 7 days or the last 30 days with the previous equivalent time period. In the Radio Stations and Cities modules you will see either + or – beside the current time period’s spins to indicate whether your song received additional or fewer plays compared to the previous time period.
When your song is gaining traction at radio
Professional promoters, artist managers and record label promotion teams will have well thought out strategies within an overarching plan. Getting airplay is an important part of the plan. Whether you are seeing increased airplay in a city where an artist is already established or noticing new spins in a city your music team had yet to see engagement in before. Knowing when and where a song is getting traction at radio, in real-time means you and your music team can act accordingly.
Consider building relationships with supportive stations for future visits, interviews or on-air performances, or pitch them on premiering your next single. Share radio data with your booking agent to help determine which cities may have previously overlooked when booking tours. MTR reporting is your radio heat map to see which venues to play, festivals to perform or even where to boost ads geographically. One play at radio may reach hundreds, if not thousands of ears compared to a stream. So when you see spins by radio station or city, that reach is exponential.
If you notice fewer spins when comparing time periods
Whether you are an industry pro promoting their 100th record or an aspiring artist promoting yourself DIY for the first time, having access to your radio reporting is essential. Instead of just sending your music far and wide wondering what happened to it, MTR provides real-time radio data, and knowledge is power.
If you are seeing fewer spins at certain stations or within certain cities, compare this information to your latest promotions. Is there an area in your rollout plan that needs more attention or a nimble pivot? MTR allows you to cross reference your music promotion tactics with radio reporting and identify trends or dips. Perhaps it’s time to put together a contest to give away free tickets and autographed merch. Or consider promoting the current single to another music market. Maybe you will decide to push the next single out sooner than anticipated. Having this key information helps you make moves that could make all the difference.
If you used Caster to promote your music to radio, consider using your free resends. If you haven’t yet, these can be a great way to refresh your campaign and jumpstart more engagement. Don’t forget to change up that subject line, and add some new information to your promotional email. New music video drop? Additional tour dates? Got some great press coverage? Share those soundbites and the latest news to entice those contacts that may have only previously streamed your song, or even lure new email opens. Who knows who might click on that “Get it Now” button next.
What to do with airplay data during your current release rollout
Share radio reporting with your music team. Whether you want a top-level all-time overview or a specific time period comparison. Export all data or choose a specific module and export only the data you want to see. View which cities your song is gaining traction in during a specific time period. Or compare your spins from the last 7 days to the previous 7 days by city. MTR’s dashboard gives you the flexibility to create reports that work for you.
How to optimize future promotion campaign strategies based on data
Using MTR radio data to drive decisions can amplify your existing traction and get you or your artist’s music in front of wider audiences that are hungry and ready for more. Build upon your latest successes and fortify plans to grow the smaller sparks on the heat map. Is there a cluster of cities close together where you can start connecting the dots? Radio reporting gives you the information you and your music team need to strategize, and optimize release rollouts and promotion campaigns that get music heard and played far and wide.
For more information about MTR head here. To learn about how you can promote your music to radio with Caster book a free 1:1 with an industry relations rep.