Pitch Writing for Your Own Music: A Practical Guide

Pitch writing is the craft of composing targeted outreach emails to radio producers, playlist curators, journalists, and bloggers, structured to get your music heard by matching the right release to the right contact with the right context, at the right time.

On BE I sent 1,790 outreach emails. The reply rate from named producer inboxes was roughly five times the reply rate from generic submissions@/info@/studio@ inboxes. Same campaign, same week, same copy. Pitch writing matters less than people think; pitch routing matters more. The framework below is how I make sure the email lands somewhere a person will actually read it, then earns the open when it does.

Most pitch advice is vague ("be authentic"), aspirational ("tell a story"), or written by people who have never had to hit Send on a pitch that their own release depends on. The framework below is the one I have used across campaigns including EG (153 WARM plays), RB (96 plays), and BE (1,790 emails sent), refined against actual response data.

What makes a pitch get a reply

A pitch gets a reply when it reaches a named person and earns the open with five components: a subject line that proves relevance, an opening that shows you did your homework, a clean essentials block, brief supporting context, and a clear ask. Miss any one and your response rate drops significantly.

1. A subject line that earns the open

Subject lines determine whether your pitch gets read. Here is what works:

Good:

• Arlo Parks - New Single "Weightless" (Radio 1 specialist)
• CMAT - Album Campaign / 6 Music consideration
• Beabadoobee - Live Session Available (Feb dates)

Bad:

• AMAZING NEW TRACK - MUST LISTEN!!!
• Music Submission
• Hi there!

The formula: Artist Name - Release Type (Relevance Hook)

2. An opening that proves relevance

Your first sentence is not an introduction. It is proof that you have done your homework.

"Saw you featured Wet Leg's session last month on Future Sounds, similar energy on this one, thought it might fit."

"Following up from the BBC Introducing upload. The track hit 50k streams this week and we are now looking at specialist playlist consideration."

Never open with:

• "I hope this email finds you well" (it finds them buried in 200 other pitches)
• "My name is..." (they do not care yet, earn their attention first)
• "I would love to introduce you to..." (passive, vague, no hook)

3. The essentials block

After your opening, deliver the information the contact needs to make a decision:

• Artist: Who, with one-line positioning
• Track: Title + streaming link (Spotify/Apple Music)
• Release date: When, plus any exclusivity offers
• The hook: One data point that proves momentum (streaming numbers, sync placement, support from other media, live show evidence)

Format this as a clean block. Producers scan pitches, they do not read them like novels.

4. Supporting context

One paragraph of supporting context. This is where you can mention:

• Press coverage or playlist adds already secured
• Tour dates or live appearances
• Artist story (only if it is actually interesting and adds something)
• Previous relationship with the contact

Keep this short. Two to three sentences maximum.

5. A clear ask

State exactly what you are looking for. Radio producers handle hundreds of requests. Make it easy to process yours.

"Would love Radio 1 specialist playlist consideration for the w/c 10 March."

"Happy to send a WAV if you would consider a live session slot."

"Full press kit attached if useful for a feature."

Channel-specific pitch templates

Radio pitch

Radio pitches are the shortest. Producers are time-poor and process-driven.

Structure:

1. One-sentence relevance hook (1 line)
2. Essentials block: artist, track, release date, link (3-4 lines)
3. One supporting data point (1 line)
4. Clear ask (1 line)
5. Sign-off with your name, role, and contact details

Total length: 8-12 lines, and nothing beyond that.

Blog/online pitch

Blog editors want slightly more context because they are writing features, not just adding tracks to playlists.

Structure:

1. Relevance hook referencing their editorial angle (1-2 lines)
2. Essentials block with streaming numbers (3-4 lines)
3. Artist story angle, what makes this interesting to write about (2-3 lines)
4. Assets available: press photos, quotes, exclusive content (1-2 lines)
5. Clear ask: premiere, feature, review, or interview (1 line)

Total length: 12-18 lines.

Playlist pitch

Playlist curators (both editorial and independent) respond to data more than narrative.

Structure:

1. Track positioning: genre, mood, comparable artists (1-2 lines)
2. Streaming data: monthly listeners, save rate, playlist performance (2-3 lines)
3. Link to track (1 line)
4. Brief artist context (1-2 lines)
5. Ask: playlist consideration with suggested playlists (1 line)

Total length: 8-12 lines.

What actually moves the reply rate

Three patterns held across EG, RB, and BE that mattered more than any pitch-craft variable:

1. Named producer vs generic inbox: roughly 5x. On BE's 1,790-send list, the gap between named producer inboxes and generic submissions@/info@/studio@ inboxes was the single largest driver of replies. Same email, same week, dramatically different reply rates.

2. Send window: Tuesday/Wednesday 09:00-10:00 UK. Monday is buried under weekend backlog. Friday afternoon is dead, the producer is already in close-out mode. On RB, the few Friday sends I tried got the lowest reply rate of any cohort across the campaign.

3. The fastest reply I have ever logged was WFUV on BE: 30 minutes. That campaign also generated a March 2025 6 Music line that reset how I build the specialist list ("Thanks, I'll give it a spin this week. Send the next one the same way."). Both came from named-producer pitches sent in the live window with one specific recent-show reference in the opener. Neither was about clever copy.

The numbers below describe the rough range I see across campaigns. Treat them as guidance, not benchmarks. Your release, your list, and your timing all move them.

| Channel | Range I see, named contacts | Range I see, generic inboxes | | --- | --- | --- | | Radio (specialist) | meaningful replies in the 10-20% band | low single digits | | Radio (daytime) | harder to break, longer cycles | almost always nothing | | Blogs | depends entirely on editorial fit | almost always nothing | | Playlists (independent) | data-led, less relationship-driven | varies widely |

Common pitch mistakes

The wall of text: If your pitch requires scrolling on mobile, it is too long. Cut it in half, then cut it again.

The generic broadcast: "Dear Music Lover" or "Hi there" signals that you did not bother to research the contact. Immediate delete.

Burying the link: The streaming link should be in the first four lines. Producers who have to hunt for it will not.

Over-selling: "The next big thing" and "revolutionary sound" are red flags. Let the music and data speak.

No clear ask: say what you actually want, whether that is a playlist add, a session or a feature. If you do not ask, you do not get.

Terrible timing: Friday afternoon pitches die over the weekend. Monday morning pitches compete with a full inbox. Tuesday-Wednesday mid-morning is the sweet spot.

What happens after you send the pitch

After the pitch, the work shifts to follow-up, asset delivery, and relationship-keeping. A great pitch gets you a response. What you do after that, how you follow up, how you deliver assets, how you maintain the relationship, determines whether that contact becomes a long-term supporter or a one-time interaction.

Track every response. Note what they liked, what they ignored, what they asked for next time. That is how a one-off pitch turns into an ongoing relationship, and ongoing relationships are what keep campaigns running year after year.