Are you ready to pitch?
Before you start cold-emailing supervisors, blogs, and curators, here's the 12 things they expect you to already have. Check them off below — your progress saves locally in your browser.
Most no-reply rates are about readiness, not the music. If a supervisor opens your pitch and there's no instrumental, no clearance line, and no 1080×1920 photo, they move on — even if the song is great.
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Identity
Claim your profiles. Editors check these before listening.
Spotify for Artists profile is claimed
Why: Editors check this. A blue checkmark + a real bio with a photo says "real artist, takes themselves seriously." A blank or generic profile makes the pitch look like a one-shot test.
Done when: You can edit your bio, photo, and pinned playlist from artists.spotify.com.
Apple Music for Artists profile is claimed
Why: Less critical than Spotify, but supervisors do check Apple for clearance and territory info. Claiming it also enables you to update your bio and photo.
Done when: You can sign into artists.apple.com and see your dashboard.
Assets
What press uses to write about you. The bio you don't supply gets invented.
One-page press release (PDF or web page)
Why: Press, supervisors, and PR firms ALL skim a one-pager before listening. The pitch email is to get them to open this; this page is what actually sells them.
Done when: One-page document with: artist name + city + genre, 100-word bio, 3 reference artists, recent wins (placements/press/streams), full track list of the release, cover art, contact + clearance info.
High-res cover art (3000×3000 minimum)
Why: For press features, retailer listings, social shares. Tiny / pixelated art makes them choose another artist to write about.
Done when: 3000×3000+ JPG/PNG hosted somewhere public (Drive, Dropbox, or your own site) with a stable shareable link.
2–3 hi-res press photos
Why: Bloggers will use what you give them. No photo = no feature, or a generic stock photo. One landscape + one portrait covers most blog layouts.
Done when: At least one landscape (1920×1080+) and one portrait (1080×1920+) photo. Hosted at stable public links.
Bio in two lengths
Why: Editors and supervisors don't want to write copy for you — they want to paste-and-trim. Have a 50-word version (for IG / Spotify pre-save) and a 200-word version (for blog features).
Done when: 50-word + 200-word bio, written in third person, somewhere you can copy from.
Music
What sync supervisors and labels need to actually use your track.
Private stream link for unreleased tracks
Why: Never send mp3 attachments — they trip spam filters. Use a private streaming link (Songtradr Disco, Drop.com, BandLab, even unlisted SoundCloud). Supervisors expect this format.
Done when: You have a working private link to your unreleased track that doesn't require a login to play.
Instrumental version available
Why: Critical for sync. Supervisors filter pitches by "instrumental available — yes / no" because TV cuts often need just the instrumental for dialogue scenes.
Done when: You have or can produce within 48 hours a clean instrumental (no vocals, no spoken word) of every track you pitch for sync.
Stems available on request
Why: For sync placements, advanced edits need separated stems. You don't need to send them with the pitch — just have them organized so you can deliver within a day.
Done when: Stems for your latest release are exported and stored somewhere you can quickly find them.
You can describe clearance in one line
Why: Supervisors and ad agencies want one-stop clearance. If you self-produced and own the masters + publishing, say so. If your label/publisher owns part, identify who controls what.
Done when: You can answer "who controls masters and publishing?" in one sentence on the pitch email.
Outreach
Hygiene that makes the difference between 20 pitches and 200.
A dedicated pitch email address
Why: Replies to your pitches go here, not lost in your personal inbox. Also helps you track which campaigns generate which leads.
Done when: You have an email address like yourname.music@... or yourname@yourdomain that you check daily.
A tracking system for who you've pitched
Why: Without tracking you'll either re-pitch the same person twice or forget to follow up on the ones who almost said yes.
Done when: You log every pitch with: contact name, date sent, channel (email/form/SH), and outcome (no-reply / pass / reply / placement). A free Heard list works fine — or a spreadsheet.