Music Radio Promotion with strategy.
Beathoven supports artists, managers and labels with the preparation, targeting and rollout of radio campaigns: community radio, local, specialist, national and international stations — with an approach built around the track, the schedule and the project's positioning.
Radio remains a lever of credibility and discovery.
Radio does not replace streaming, social networks or press relations. It adds a different layer: editorial selection, repetition, local or national anchoring, and the ability to reach listeners outside your existing community.
Editorial credibility
Airplay or an interview provides useful third-party proof in an EPK, a press kit or outreach to industry professionals.
Discovery beyond algorithms
Local, community and specialist radio stations can expose a track to listeners who do not yet follow the artist.
Broadcast-related rights
Radio airplay can be included in the distribution of royalties depending on declarations, broadcast logs and the status of the rights holders.
Local territories & scenes
Campus, community and local networks provide a genuine discovery ground for emerging projects and regional scenes.
Interviews & content
A campaign can generate interviews, sessions, reviews or on-air spots that can then be reused in the project’s communications.
360° complementarity
Radio becomes more effective when it is part of a coordinated launch with press, playlists, content and music marketing.
Understand the networks before targeting programmers.
Not all radio stations work the same way. Some are national, others local, community, campus or specialist. These links serve as industry reference points and do not imply affiliation or partnership with Beathoven.
France Inter, franceinfo, France Culture, France Musique, FIP, Mouv’ and ICI.
Official source → Local / regional ICIRadio France’s local network, formerly France Bleu, with 44 local stations.
Official source → Campus Radio Campus FranceNational network of campus radio stations with contacts dedicated to music programming.
Official source → Community La FeraNetwork of community radio stations focused on discovery and artists with little national exposure.
Official source → Music FIPEclectic music programming and a strong digital presence.
Official source →The main types of radio stations to include in a campaign.
The level of accessibility mainly depends on the style, the track format, the editorial line, the territory and the project’s track record — not only on the artist’s size.
| Type | Examples / worlds | Accessibility | Strategic use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialised web radios | Genre, scene, niche, territory | Accessible | First airplay, targeted audiences, quick feedback. |
| Campus radio stations | Radio Campus France and local stations | Accessible | Discovery, emerging scenes, strong local and student roots. |
| Community radio stations | La Fera, independent local radio stations | Variable | Discoveries, musical niches, more editorial-led programming. |
| Local / regional radio stations | ICI, regional independents, local networks | Selective | Territory, local news, events, tour, regional scene. |
| National radio stations | FIP, Mouv’, France Inter, commercial radio stations | Highly selective | High credibility and exposure when a track genuinely fits the editorial line. |
Key points: the best radio strategy is not “send it everywhere”. It’s about identifying the shows, stations and programmers where the track has real editorial coherence.
Prepare a track for radio in 6 steps.
There isn’t a universal “radio standard” like −14 LUFS. The goal is mainly to deliver a clean, usable master that’s consistent with the target programme.
Finalise the master
Final version, consistent level, no clipping, clean metadata. Provide a clean version or a radio edit if the track, the length or the wording justify it.
Prepare a clear EPK
Short bio, HD visuals, artwork, ISRC, credits, release date, listening links, socials, press contact and track pitch.
Define the angles
Why this release now? What story, what territory, what current hook, what scene or what collaboration could interest a show or an editorial team?
Target before sending
Genre, show, city, station format, audience, current relevance and editorial coherence. A small, well-qualified list is better than a generic mass send.
Plan the schedule ahead
Beathoven recommends preparing the campaign upstream to give programmers time, allow for follow-ups, and create editorial opportunities around the release.
Track feedback and broadcasts
Centralise responses, airplay, interviews, rejections and editorial feedback in order to improve subsequent campaigns and document the project’s development.
A radio campaign designed as an editorial approach.
Radio fits into a broader strategy of music promotion : positioning, schedule, media, playlists and activating the right network at the right time.
Review the project
Title, identity, current relevance, format, history, territories and broadcast potential.
Choose the right relays
Radio stations, shows, programmers and geographic areas consistent with the release.
Pitch & follow up
Personalised messages, EPK, angles, follow-ups and conversations with the targeted contacts.
Document
Airplay, feedback, interviews, opportunities and recommendations for what comes next.
No mass emailing. Beathoven favours editorial coherence, human relationships and follow-up over the quantity of emails sent.
Radio works best when the rest of the release is aligned.
Radio airplay should not be a standalone action. Link it to your press, your playlists, your content, your distribution and your release schedule.
The cost depends mainly on the scope of the campaign.
Rates vary depending on territories, targeting volume, level of support, duration and any combination with press, playlists or marketing.
| Format | Scope | Objective | Indicative budget* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targeted web radio stations | Thematic / digital radio stations | First airplay, niche, comebacks | From €149 |
| Local / regional campaign | Web radio + local / community stations | Local credibility, airplay, interviews | Depending on the project |
| Expanded campaign | Local + specialist networks + national | Wider development and a multi-outlet strategy | On quotation |
| International | Europe / francophone world / targeted territories | Export and development outside France | On quotation |
* Prices to be confirmed according to the commercial offer in force at the time of the campaign. See Beathoven pricing.
Adapt the pitch to each radio universe.
There isn’t a single “radio entry point”. Editorial lines, programmes, audiences and programming methods differ greatly from one station to another.
| Universe | Positioning | Useful approach |
|---|---|---|
| FIP | Eclectic, strong identity music | Coherent sound universe, solid artistic context, precise editorial pitch. |
| Mouv’ | Music programming geared towards hip-hop / urban cultures | Track, news and positioning adapted to the station and its target audience. |
| ICI | Local community network | Local angle, concert, local news, artist originally from the region. |
| Radio Campus | Discovery, emerging, diversity | A local, direct approach to the music programming of relevant stations. |
| La Fera / community stations | New discoveries, contemporary music, emerging scenes | Identify member stations that are genuinely compatible with the project’s aesthetic. |
| Major commercial stations | Highly selective programming | A project already structured, evidence of traction, a professional network and strong format coherence. |
What weakens a radio campaign even before it’s sent.
Sending the same email everywhere
A generic pitch shows no understanding of the radio station, the show, or the programmer.
Target only the biggest stations
A strategy with no intermediate steps overlooks local, community and specialist networks where real support can be built.
Using unsuitable technical data
Streaming and radio do not share a single loudness standard. Above all, prepare a clean master and a radio-ready version if needed.
Neglecting the listen-back after broadcast
Smartlink, Spotify, YouTube, artist website and socials must be ready so the listener can easily find the track.
Following up too often
A concise, useful follow-up is preferable to a succession of messages that can damage the relationship.
Confusing a promise with editorial selection
No agency cannot seriously guarantee airplay on a radio station that is independent in its editorial decision-making.
Building the entire release around the radio campaign.
The framework below makes it possible to move from radio to the rest of the development: press, playlists, marketing, distribution, international and release preparation.
A few useful references to check the radio ecosystem.
Stations, audience figures, network names and rights arrangements change over time. For institutional information, favour official sources.
Distribution of copyright royalties, in particular for radio broadcasts and other public uses.
Official source → Radio FranceOfficial presentation of the stations, including FIP, Mouv’ and the ICI network.
Official source → Radio Campus FranceNetwork contacts and music programming information for campus stations.
Official source → La FeraThe 2026 project for the network of community radio stations and its mission to spotlight new musical discoveries.
Official source → FIPOfficial information on the station, its history, audience figures and digital offering.
Official source → Mouv’Mouv’s current positioning, music programming and audience data.
Official source → National Centre for MusicStudies, grants, training and professional resources for the French music sector.
Official source → MédiamétrieReference source for radio and media audience measurement in France.
Official source →Frequently asked questions about music radio promotion.
Prepare a final master, a clear EPK and a short pitch. Then target the stations that are genuinely consistent with the style, the area and the project’s current news. The quality of targeting and presentation is generally more important than the volume of outreach.
Not necessarily. A campaign can start before the release. However, distribution must be ready, and it is useful to plan a smartlink or a landing page so that listeners can easily find the track once it is available.
Radio broadcasts may be included in SACEM’s distribution of author’s rights depending on broadcast data, the work’s declaration and the status of the rights holders. For details, consult SACEM’s distribution rules directly.
Community and campus radio stations are often more open to new discoveries and emerging scenes. Local stations place greater value on news territorial. National radio stations have a stronger selection process and very specific editorial lines.
A professional campaign can guarantee the preparatory work, targeting, sending, follow-ups and reporting. It cannot impose an editorial decision on an independent radio station.
Is your track ready for a radio campaign?
Tell us about your release. We look at the positioning, the schedule and the radio / media outlets that can make sense for your project.
| External resource | Link |
|---|---|
| CNM – National Centre for Music | https://cnm.fr/ |
| IRMA – Information and Resource Centre for Contemporary Music | https://www.irma.asso.fr/ |
| France Musique – Industry news | https://www.francemusique.fr/ |
| Ministry of Culture – Music funding | https://www.culture.gouv.fr/ |
| SPPF – Society of Phonogram Producers in France | https://www.sppf.com/ |
| ADAMI – Performers’ rights | https://www.adami.fr/ |
| SCPP – Civil Society of Phonographic Producers | https://www.scpp.fr/ |
| SPEDIDAM – Management of artists’ rights | https://www.spedidam.fr/ |
| MAP Network – Contemporary Music of Paris | https://www.reseau-map.fr/ |
| CNRS – Musical studies and innovations | https://www.cnrs.fr/ |
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