Band Tips: Writing a Quick Letter to Get Your Band's Album Reviewed

Album reviews are really nice for independent bands, as they're one of the best ways to publicize a new CD. Even if your band gets a negative review, you'll likely get a few fans if the writer is well-known.

However, bands often have a hard time finding reviewers who will listen to their stuff. If you're thinking about sending emails or snail-mail letters to a bunch of music editors, you've got to remember that those editors probably receive hundreds of letters from bands each day. In order to get a review, you're going to have to make your letter stick out.

Figure out who to mail. You could just send out dozens of letters to everyone who works for your target magazine, but that won't work very well. Instead, find the names of reviewers and, if possible, the music editor.


Be quick and weird. You shouldn't take up too much of the potential reviewer's time talking about your awesome band's album. Let them decide for themselves.

What you need to do is get their attention as quickly as possible and make it clear that your band's music deserves a listen. Your email should be one or two paragraphs long, with no more than four sentences per paragraph.

Start it with something weird or unusual. Get their attention. What you don't want to do is make your email seem like a form letter, so don't use "Dear Sir or Madam" or anything like that. Explain that you think that your band's music would be a good fit for their music reviews and give a link if you're sending an email. If you're sending snail mail, get creative. Use art and make a personal, handwritten note.

Be professional, but not too professional. A lot of bands make the mistake of writing formal letters. A magazine or newspaper's music editors probably don't care about formality. You're not trying to get a ticket to a gala and your letter isn't going to some stiff in a suit, so don't be afraid to be casual.

When I was trying to get my last CD reviewed, I sent dozens of letters to a magazine. Finally, I got frustrated, so I sent them a funny, casual letter with a lot of personality to it. I received a response in about a half hour.

The moral is that you'll have more success if you write the type of letter that you want to read. Show value and give them a reason to review your band's music. You'll have a much better chance of catching the right reviewer's eye and getting your music heard.