Start your releaseHonest comparisons.
TAP is the team behind a release: the plan, the pitch emails, the posts. Here is how it sits next to the other choices you have as an independent artist.
TAP vs doing it yourself
A spreadsheet stores names. It does not rank them against the release, draft the pitch, prepare the posts, or track what happened after you sent. TAP does all of that in one place, with you approving every message before it moves.
When DIY makes sense:
If you already have a tight list of 10–20 contacts you know well, a spreadsheet and Gmail is fine. TAP earns its place when you are working outwards from that circle and need to do it properly.
TAP vs SubmitHub, Groover, and Musosoup
Submission platforms are marketplaces: curators and playlist owners opt in to receive music, and you pay per submission. That is a different job from what TAP does. TAP is the personal pitch to a journalist or radio producer who did not ask to be on a platform, ranked against your release, drafted, and sent with your approval.
When submission platforms make sense:
For playlist coverage and blog reviews from curators who are actively looking for music to cover. Many artists use both, TAP for the press and radio pitching, SubmitHub or Groover for the curatorial side.
Side by side
The rows that actually decide it, including the ones where TAP is the wrong answer.
| Question | TAP | Spreadsheet and Gmail | Pay-per-submission | Hiring a plugger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides who to contact | You bring the list. TAP shows why each name suits the release. | You, from memory and old threads. | The platform, from curators who opted in. | They do, from their own relationships. |
| Who writes the pitch | TAP drafts one per person from your brief. You edit it. | You, from scratch, every time. | You write one blurb, sent to many. | They do, in their voice. |
| Do you see it before it sends | Always. Nothing sends without you approving that message. | Yes, you are the one sending. | You approve the submission, not a personal pitch. | Usually not. You see the report afterwards. |
| Where replies land | Your own inbox, logged against the person and the release. | Your inbox, and nowhere else. | The platform, as feedback rather than a conversation. | Their inbox. You get a summary. |
| What it costs | £59 a release. First release free. | Your time, which is the part people underestimate. | A fee per submission, so it scales with how many you send. | Agreed up front, normally per release. |
| What you keep afterwards | The contacts, the replies, the coverage log and the press kit. | Whatever you remembered to write down. | The feedback on that submission. | The coverage. The relationships stay theirs. |
| Guarantees | None, and anyone offering them is selling bots. | None. | A listen, not a placement. | None, if they are honest with you. |
| When it is the wrong choice | You have ten contacts you know well and email them anyway. | You are working outwards from the people you already know. | You want a personal pitch to a named journalist. | You cannot justify the fee on one single. |
What to watch out for in this market
This industry has a real problem with tools that promise more than they can deliver. Before you spend anything on promotion:
- Guaranteed playlist placements — anyone who guarantees these is selling bots, not music PR. Real playlist curators make their own decisions.
- Pay-to-play that skips your approval — you should see every pitch before it goes. Any service that sends on your behalf without your sign-off is not protecting your name.
- Monthly fees for one-off work — a release campaign has a start and an end. A monthly subscription that runs when you are not releasing anything is usually the wrong shape.
See the pricing, then decide.
See what’s included — £59 per releaseHow does TAP compare to submission platforms like SubmitHub or Groover?
Submission platforms let you pay per submission to a curatorial inbox. They are marketplaces that connect you with reviewers who have opted in to receive music. TAP is a different job: it handles the plan, the personal pitch emails to specific journalists and radio producers, and the posts. Both can be useful. They don't compete in the same lane.
How does TAP compare to doing it myself with a spreadsheet?
Spreadsheets are fine for keeping a list. They don't rank contacts against the release, draft pitch emails, prepare posts, or track what happened after you sent. TAP does all of that and puts everything in one place. You still make every decision. It does the preparation.
What does TAP not do that I might expect?
TAP does not post to social media for you, buy ads, or guarantee any placement. You approve every message before it goes anywhere. If a tool promises guaranteed playlist placements, it is selling something TAP does not sell.