Record Pools Explained

June 16, 2008
By: Keith Kennedy

Record pools.  What are they and how truly effective are they?  First off, let’s understand the idea of the perfect record pool.  It is a collection of DJs from a specific region that receive music directly from the label or artist ahead of the main push of a record.  They are usually directed by one or two individuals that receive a monthly fee from the DJs to receive this great service.  The purpose of which is that the DJs are asked to provide feedback about the record to help with the record’s promotional campaign.  In this system everyone wins.  The artist/label is happy because they get a head start on the vibe of a record which can save time and money in the long run.  The DJs win because they get to claim credit that they broke a record or were the first to play it.  The trouble is, though, is that there is no record pool utopia.

Unfortunately, the dark side of record pools is that for one, they are a dying breed.  With the decline of vinyl, many pools did not properly foresee the change in environment to CDs and mp3s causing extinction when they no longer had any vinyl to service.  Another downfall of record pools is that there are a few fly-by-night operations that take the name of record pool but do not produce the quality of service worthy of the name.  In some cases, you will send product but will never be able to catch them on the phone or by email while others do not provide feedback.  Furthermore, record pools have fallen by the wayside due to the rise of DJs being able to receive music from a variety of sources through mp3s, reducing the monopolistic identity of some record pools.  In addition, DJ coalitions have taken the place of these traditional pools in the way that they provide the same services, but in larger more direct quantities, without the fees of record pools and greater contact and opportunities for DJs to spread their hustle.

Although there are those knocks against the record pool, they still can be a great help to you and your project.  In fact, there are quite a few quality pools still in existence including Impact Record Pool in California (Fut), Starfleet in North Carolina (Ronnie Mathews), and Jamlando in Orlando (Ray) to name a few.  Think about it, for the cost of postage and product, you can spread your music in a specific region as an opening salvo in your battle to be heard.  For instance, if you were to service TJ’s DJ’s you would be able to touch Florida, Georgia, and parts of Alabama even though you may live in Virginia, California, or New York.  But, don’t expect the pools to do the work for you.  It is still up to you to track your product to make sure they received it.  Plus, it would be a great idea to follow up and build with the pool director to discover cost effective ways to spread your influence in these markets.

In closing, utilize the record pools as another tool in your effort to be heard.  But, they are only as good as the effort you put into them.  Remember, a good pool will receive hundreds of titles a month -what makes you stand out?  Simple, your rapport with the record pool director, follow up of your product, and supporting the pool with DJ meet-n-greets and other promotional opportunities.  In fact, if you need a jump start visit http://tjsdjs.com/rpd.php for a listing of active, quality record pools.  Happy hunting!

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