How to Pitch Your Song to DJs

DJs do not need your life story in the first message. They need the song, the tempo or a plain description of the groove, the city you are targeting, and a private link that works. If you want the record in Lagos, say so. If the vocal is in Yoruba, Pidgin or English, say that too. Context helps a selector decide faster.

One song per pitch. A zip of an entire unreleased album is how your mail gets archived. Lead with the version you want played. Offer the instrumental only if it is useful for a mix.

Follow up once. A second, short note is professional. A daily chase is not. Keep a list of who received the song, who replied, and who said they played it. “Sent to 2,000 DJs” is not a result if you cannot name the list.

Do not pay anyone who promises a fixed number of club plays. Real DJs decline records. A useful campaign includes those declines, because they tell you whether the song, the city or the brief was wrong.

After the campaign, keep the DJs who responded. They are the start of your own network, which is worth more than a one-off blast.