Apes On Tape
The Hip-Hop Blog: Apes On Tapes
The Hip-Hop Blogger: Nick Peterson
Looking beyond artists that we find on our own, the most important thing an artist can do when reaching out is make sure they are a match for our site.
Have you listed to what we have recently posted? Are there specific posts with genre/aesthetic parallels to your music?
Have we hosted an event with a band you toured with?
Basically, show that you are a good match for our site and that it will be a mutually beneficial connection. Be authentic, know why your music stands out from the dozens and dozens of daily submissions and reach out when it’s the right time.
It goes without saying that your music should be the best possible iteration you can create. Spend 95% of your time on mastering your craft and improving your music and 5% on hitting up blogs and you’ll be in a much better position from the get go.
Nick Peterson, Apes On Tape Hip-Hop Blog
On the flip-side of the approach above, showing that you have not done your homework about an individual site is a major turn off. If your music doesn’t fit our site at all, you spell our name wrong, you don’t know anything about what we’ve been doing, etc. this will lead to a quick “delete”.
Avoid sending shotgun style emails to 100 sites you know nothing about. Most sites dedicated to new artists are understaffed with few resources, Failing to respect those facts and the site’s time is a great way to land in the trash bin.
Nick Peterson, Apes On Tape Hip-Hop Blog