Email Etiquette For Dummies (I Mean Artists)

Email Etiquette For Dummies (I Mean Artists)

If you’ve read my previous article “Email Marketing: Why Every Artist Needs to Implement It” we talked about email marketing. In this article I want to talk about email etiquette. Far too often do we in the industry receive emails with written with poor etiquette. Normally it’s an email where the artist doesn’t introduce themselves or why they are writing. Others the email have grammatical errors or poor-quality images. This week, I want to teach you guys the importance of proper email etiquette.

First Impression (Your Subject Line) is Everything

When communicating with someone you don’t know via email, first impressions are extremely important. The reader reading your subject line is the very first thing they do when looking at your email. It is here where we start to get a feel for who you are. The subject will tell us who you are and why you are emailing us. It’s highly important you keep things simple and try not to overhype things too much. Be clear and concise about what you’re sending the mail. For example, an email subject line with “Music Submission: DJ Prodigee – Club Banger Mix” is much better than “Hottest Track in the Streets from the Dopest DJ Around”. The latter statement makes a bold statement which may not be able to be substantiated. Especially if we don’t know that statement to be true. This short statement sets up the introduction in the body of the email.

Who are You? (Introduction Etiquette)

First things first, introduce yourself. I, nor do I know anyone else, who does business with anyone they don’t know. Simply put, give me a little about you and who you are, but most importantly reiterate why you are emailing the person. This should happen within the first 2-3 sentences. A good introduction gives the reader an idea of who you are. By association, this also gives the reader an idea of what you are like as an artist. If your introduction/email lacks detail, we may already form a negative opinion of you as a person and as an artist. To overcome this first hurdle, it’s important to make sure the first thing you do is to form a good image of yourself and your product, in this case, your music. Using full sentences, proper grammar, and getting to the point helps accomplish this. Let’s be honest, no one reads the whole email anyway, so there is no need to include a biography starting at your childhood. Keep things 2-3 sentences max.

Body Got to Be on Point (What do you Want?)

Now that we got the introductions out of the way, what do you want? Etiquette dictates the very next thing you should be talking about in the email is why you are emailing the person. Be clear and concise about what it is exactly you want from them as well. If you are submitting music, then state that you are submitting music. If it’s for a particular show, mention that as well. Below is an example email showing proper etiquette. In this example, I’ll be posing as an artist looking to submit music to a station, so I’ll be writing it in a fashion that any artist can copy and paste and use for themselves. As a matter of fact, if you’re reading this feel free to use it.

Music Submission Example:

Subject: [Insert Platform Name] Music Submission: [Insert Artist Name] – [Insert Song Name] (DJ Pack)

Dear [Insert Persons Name or Title],

My name is [Insert Name here] an artist based out of [Insert City, State here] that goes by the stage name [Insert Stage Name]. I follow you on social medial saw your post on Instagram about artists submitting music and wanted to submit my track “[Insert Tack Name Here]” for your consideration. I think this track would be a good fit for the show for your [Insert Platform] due to [Insert Reason]. “[Insert Tack Name Here]” has gotten a lot of good reception  here locally here in my home state and now has roughly 15000 streams between Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal as well as 500 downloads on Apple Music and Google Play in the past month. I have attached a DJ Pack with the clean, explicit, instrumental, and acapella versions below. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing back from you.  

          Respectfully,

          [Insert Stage Name]

          [Insert Email Address]

          [Insert Social Media]

Here I strived to use proper email etiquette throughout the email. Notice how I stated in the subject line why I’m emailing the person. It’s obvious that I’m submitting music. I also address them by Mr. or Mrs. and their last name. If you don’t know their name, addressing them by their title is acceptable. Next, I simply introduced myself. From there I get straight to the point and state why I’m emailing them, giving the reader a little detail about the track. Notice I’m only stating verifiable facts. Please do not make false or inflated claims if you can’t prove them. If you were really killing, they’d likely have already heard of you. Lastly, I thank them. They’ve taken out time in their day to read your email and possibly listen to your track, so it’s only right to show a bit of appreciation.

Bring it on Home (Graphics & Attachments Etiquette)

Now that you know how to write a proper email, it’s time to bring it on home and add the finishing touches. Attaching the media that’s needed is the icing on the cake. At this point they are interested in what you have to offer, so let’s not disappoint. Attaching the requested material is imperative. Whether it’s high quality images or crystal clear, fully mixed and mastered radio ready tracks. Including the wrong content is just as bad as including trash, such as submitting unedited music to a station that only plays clean music. It does no good or justice to you or your brand and career to write the best email and attach trash. It destroys all of the image and credibility you just strived to create. If you aren’t sure of what’s required of a radio ready track or a performance track, please check out my previous articles “Radio Edit: What Makes a Good One” or “Performance Track: What is it and Do I Need One” You only make one first impression, so if it’s by email, make sure it is a good one.

Hopefully this article on email etiquette helps you strengthen your brand and make you a stronger more marketable artist. Check back soon for more articles or better yet subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss an article.