Getting your music out
How to Follow Up on a Music Pitch (With an Example)
The quick answer
To follow up on a music pitch, check the recipient’s submission rules and wait until any stated reply window has passed. If a reminder is welcome, reply in the same email thread with the song, one useful detail, a working listening link, and a clear request. For an unanswered first pitch, we suggest one follow-up, then leave it there unless they invite more contact.
First, check whether another message makes sense
A pitch is the message where you ask someone to consider your music for a review, feature, or radio play. You sent a song you care about. Now the inbox is quiet, and you’re wondering whether to try again. Before writing, open the person’s current submission page and reread any reply or confirmation you received.
Some places explain how to check progress without asking. KEXP, for example, says it often can’t reply about submission status. It points artists to its playlists, reviews, and charts. A quiet inbox alone doesn’t tell you whether your song has been heard.
A repeat submission can also break the rules. Fresh On The Net says it won’t accept a track submitted in a previous week. These are examples of why you should check the actual place you pitched before sending a reminder or uploading the same song again.
Sources: KEXP: Music submission guidelines · Fresh On The Net: Track submission rules
Decide: send, wait, or stop
If the person gives a reply window, let it pass. If they asked you to check back on a date, use that date. Their instructions matter more than a general email tip.
When no timing is given, our suggestion is to set yourself a reminder to review the pitch about a week later. Use that reminder to decide whether another message would help. It doesn’t mean the person owes you an answer by then.
This checklist is for an unanswered first pitch to a blog, writer, or radio contact. If you’re already discussing a feature or show together, follow the dates you agreed on.
| What’s happening? | What to do next |
|---|---|
| They say no follow-ups, or they’ve declined. | Stop. Record it so you don’t send another reminder. |
| Their reply window is still open. | Wait. Keep working on the rest of your release. |
| They asked you to check back. | Reply when they asked, with the details they need. |
| A reminder is welcome and your request still fits. | Send one short follow-up after giving them time. |
| You’ve already followed up once with no reply. | Leave this pitch there unless they get back to you. |
Keep the follow-up short and easy to answer
For an email pitch, reply in the original thread so the earlier message is there for context. Briefly name the song and the request. Add a useful update if you have one, then include the listening link again so it’s easy to find.
An update could be a newly available clean version for a radio host, a confirmed local show, or the live video a writer asked about. Use something that matters to this person. You don’t need to invent a milestone to justify the message.
If nothing has changed, say plainly that you’re checking whether the song fits the feature you mentioned. Leave out complaints about waiting, claims that they must have missed the email, and pressure to answer immediately.
Before sending, check the song link and press-kit link from a signed-out browser or an account with the intended access. Follow any format or attachment instructions the recipient gives.
- Name the song and remind them what you’re asking for.
- Add one relevant detail, if there’s something new.
- Include a tested listening link.
- Ask one clear question and thank them for their time.
A music pitch follow-up you can adapt
Here’s a made-up example for a local music writer whose submission route allows email follow-ups. The artist, writer, song, show, and date are fictional. Replace the details with your own and keep only what’s true.
Subject: Re: Mira Lane — “Last Bus Home,” out October 16
Hi Alex,
I’m following up on “Last Bus Home” for your local releases column. Since my first email, we’ve finished a one-take live video that shows how the song sounds with the full band.
The single comes out October 16. You can hear it here: [listening link]. The live video is here if useful: [video link].
Would it fit an upcoming edition of the column? Thanks for taking a look.
Mira
No new video? Remove that line and link. A simple reminder of the song and the original request is enough when a follow-up is appropriate. If you’re pitching a radio show, change the request to match that show instead of copying the column wording.
Need help with the first email? Use our music outreach template →
Write down what happened, then move on
Keep a small note for each pitch: who you contacted, the song, the date sent, their submission rules, and what you’ll do next. Add a follow-up date only if another message makes sense. If they decline or ask you to stop, make that easy to see.
For the fictional example above, a note could read: “Local releases column; Last Bus Home; first email September 21; one follow-up September 30; no reply yet; no more reminders planned.” That’s enough to stop you wondering whether you already sent it.
In AirTrax, you can keep contact notes and connect contacts to a release campaign. Its outreach templates prepare a message for your email app. You still review and send it yourself; AirTrax doesn’t automatically send follow-ups or read replies.
After an unanswered follow-up, put your time into the next part of the release. Share a clip with your listeners, finish the next song, or research a different contact whose work fits. You can leave one pitch alone without giving up on your music.
Common questions
Should I send a DM if my email gets no reply?
Stick to the person’s stated contact route. If they invite music pitches through DMs, follow those instructions. Otherwise, don’t switch to their personal accounts to chase an email reply.
Can I follow up on a Spotify editorial pitch this way?
Use Spotify for Artists for that process. Spotify lets you edit a song pitch up to release day, but says its editors might not see the changes. After release, check Music > Playlists in Spotify for Artists. The email example above is for a person who accepts email pitches.
Sources: Spotify for Artists: Pitching music and checking playlists
Does no reply mean my song is bad?
No reply doesn’t give you enough information to judge the song. For example, KEXP says it often can’t correspond about submissions. Record “no reply” as exactly that, and get specific feedback elsewhere if that’s what you need.
Sources: KEXP: Music submission guidelines
Where the facts come from
We checked the platform details using these official pages. The plan and examples are our suggestions, so adjust them to fit your music and your time.
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