For our final songwriter in session, we talk to radio presenter and DJ Tom Ravenscroft about what makes a song successful and how you can get your songs heard on the radio. Tom is the son of famous British broadcaster John Peel and, following his father’s death in 2004, has become an established presenter and DJ in his own right, championing new and emerging music. He hosts a Friday night show on BBC 6 Music and previously had a regular music column in the New Statesman.
Here are some key points to take away:
- Radio DJs are sent a lot of songs and often won’t have much time to listen to them so it’s up to the songwriter to communicate what the song is about as quickly as possible.
- Songs can benefit from sounding ‘rough and ready’ so don’t worry too much about production – sometimes a lack of production can make a good song stand out.
- It’s hard being faced with a blank page but the more songs you write the more likely you will succeed.
- Do send your songs to radio DJs as they do listen!
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