How much should one expect to pay to have a publicist run a 1-song radio release and publicity campaign? I've never done this before, and I'm considering it right now. I just thought I should get the opinions of some others who may have done it.

We have always been kind of small potatoes when it comes to volume. We have a reliable niche market in the medieval group we're in (SCA), and we gross a few thousand a year and sell a couple hundred CDs a year from our catalog of about a dozen (my wife, me and 3 other artists make up Raven Boy Music). Anyway, with the release of this new CD I was contacted by someone from a company (I'm usually VERY wary of this kind of thing) that does publicity world wide. After several e-mails back and forth with the owner, who is a VERY nice and professional lady, we started talking about potential packages. The 1-song campaign I talked about earlier would be pushed at 1,000 radio stations for a period of 4-6 weeks. This would cost me $900.

I have no frame of reference for this. Is it reasonable? I mean the major labels spend lots and lots of money on promotion. I've heard that about 90 percent of the cost of a CD at a major is promotion.

So what do y'all think?

Thanks!

Ken

Ken's new album - Outlaws and Bystanders


Ken's Music Raven Boy Music