Of course you do and so does EVERY OTHER OF THE 5,000,000 people with myspace band profiles! There are a few things that are eating me alive that I’m glad I have an outlet like this to get this message out.
First of all, there are only a handful of djs like me in my market (Chicago), that on a consistent basis lends a helping hand to up and coming artists. I won’t break my arm patting my back and list all of them, but ask around and you can easily verify this.
I appreciate that you see me as a “gatekeeper” worthy of sending your new music to...With that being said…there are a few constant issues that arise on a regular basis and I’d like to stop wasting my time repeating the same stuff on a daily basis. Please read this carefully most of this applies to anyone that you send your precious work to as well as me.
1) If you see me mixing in a club...feel free to hand me your demo with contact info printed directly on the CD and I will eventually listen to it. DO NOT EXPECT ME TO PLAY IT ON THE SPOT. I don’t even do that for the artists on my own label. All the music in my set is loaded in my Serato with cue points, with a BPM, and properly labeled. I know when each preloaded song should be played in my set for the best crowd reaction. I’ve never heard your song, so chill out and I’ll get to it (maybe even on the way home from the club, if you’re not a dick about it). Side note… if I like it I’ll put it in my podcast and possibly my radio mix which is a much bigger audience than the thousand people that are in the club that night (more of a reason not to be a dick about it)
2) Don’t send me your songs on a spam list with 400 other email addresses showing. A) THE BCC FEATURE IS YOUR FRIEND…If not, You’ve just shared my email address with more people who will take my email address from your list and spam me with whatever they are promoting (giving me less time to spend on your song). B) Now I don’t feel like I am the first to jump on something because the intern dj at the radio station is getting same brand new hot song at the same time as me. So cool… let him break your shit 
3) Goto B96.com and find out the top 20 songs that we are playing…then tell me which song do you hear your song replacing in rotation… THINK LONG AND HARD, because you’re not going to convince my boss that your song is better for B96 than Lady Gaga. If its not as good or better (in my boss’s opinion) than what is playing on the radio at any given moment, a mixshow spin isn’t going to do ANYTHING for you besides give you bragging rights, waste both of our time, and get me in trouble with the boss for putting bullshit songs on the radio. I’m not trying to do any of that, my goal is to find a complete artist with complete hit music who’s only missing ingredient is a proper outlet.
4) Don’t bitch to me how not having your song on the radio is messing up your career… No you lazy prick, you are. Susan Boyle didn’t need B96 or any radio station to outsell EVERY ARTIST ON RADIO. If you hit a brick wall with traditional radio, hit online radio, start your own station, get your music playing in the clubs, start a podcast. You have hot music, people will listen, and eventually radio will find you, WHEN YOU ARE READY!
5) Don’t resend the same song to me more than 2 times & Don’t tag me on a facebook video that I’m not in. At any given time in the last 5 years I have over 200 emails in my inbox. I’m working on this, currently I’m down to 40. I don’t have the space in Gmail to store 10 copies of the same version of your song, chill out I’ll get to it. And better yet, send me an email first asking for permission to send me a song…that way I will be on the lookout for your email and move it to the top of the cue when it arrives because you displayed a level of respect for my inbox and my time.
6) Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. Yes I may have given some of your music in the past a shot at radio in my mixes, that doesn’t mean that every song you send me in the future will air. I played your song in the first place because it was hot, it fit the genre of that particular mix, you weren’t a dick about it, and you showed the capacity to be a star. If you didn’t do anything to promote it, that’s on you. I’m not going to like every song that you send me, and that’s ok, but I will show you the respect of telling you why (whenever my schedule allows). Either correct the mistakes, and resend or send me your next hottest track (that meets the criteria described above) and I will give it a listen when I can.
7) I am just ONE DJ… and offer ONLY MY OPINION! If I don’t play your song or even like the track, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a hit. I’ve missed some major one’s and caught a few as well. Don’t give up and don’t burn the bridge…because I may love your future work. My 2 friends Erik J and Vi are perfect examples of what I’m talking about. Years ago I gave both artists honest and constructive feedback and they didn’t tell me to go fuck myself (though they may have thought it) since then they have really listened to my suggestions and are both establishing themselves in the LA scene. And because both artists were open to feedback, hungry and have since moved on to making great music… I invited them both to open for me when I was in Hollywood for the Grammy’s! AGAIN, IT’S A SMALL INDUSTRY DON’T BE A DICK!
I am so passionate about music… I live it! I make music and help other artists whenever possible, out of love. I have challenges just as you or any other artist or person that can keep me from my passion. Inefficiency also keeps me away from my passion, but I can and will control that…sharing this with you is my first step towards it!
Thanks for your time and sending me your hit music!
Dan Morrell
