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Promotional recording
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A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in
order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent
directly to broadcasters, such as music radio and television stations, and to tastemakers, such as DJs,
music journalists, and critics, in advance of the release of commercial editions, in the hope that airplay,
reviews, and other forms of exposure will result and stimulate the public's interest in the commercial
release.
Promos are often distributed in plain packaging, without the text or artwork that appears on the commercial
version. Typically a promo is marked with some variation of the following text: "Licensed for promotional use
only. Sale is prohibited." It may also state that the promo is still the property of the distributor and is to be
"returned upon demand." However, it is not illegal to sell promotional recordings,[1] and recalls of promos
are extremely rare and unenforced.[2] A promotional release may be standalone or as part of a press kit,
which may include items such as promotional photos, music videos, press releases, or biographies of the
artists, with electronic press kits being common.[3]
Because promos are produced in smaller quantity than releases made available to the general public, they
are sometimes considered valuable collectors' items. They are never intended for sale in record stores.
Contents
Promotional single
Acetates and test pressings
Distribution
Radio outlets
Nightclub outlets
Promotional compilations
Online promotional distribution
See also
References
Promotional single
See also: Single (music)
A promotional single (digital single in South Korea) is a single that is made available to radio stations,
nightclubs, music publications, and other media outlets by a record label to promote a commercial single or
album. A song may be released as a promotional single even if no commercial version of the single is
available to buy. An example is "Theme to St. Trinian's" by Girls Aloud, released as a promotional single for
the movie St. Trinian's. The song was later removed as a single to avoid confusion with Girls Aloud's actual
single "Call the Shots".
The promo single is usually recognized by its limited liner notes and cover artwork as well as its unique
catalog number (or the occasional lack thereof). Quite often, vinyl records will be issued in a generic
cardboard jacket or white paper sleeve while CDs will be issued in a slimline jewel case or cardboard sleeve.
There may also be promotion-specific terms stamped on the disc or its cover, most notably "For
Promotional Use Only" and "Not For Resale".
The advance promo single is furnished to DJs sometimes weeks or months in advance of a domestic
release to give record labels an opportunity to build interest in the single and gauge response to the single.
Unlike a finished promo single, these are commonly test pressings or white labels and thus are
manufactured in limited runs. Traditionally, these promotional copies were supplied to DJs through music
pools. Despite the good intention, there has been some dispute within the industry whether an advanced
promotion is a good thing or not. Building interest is naturally considered a good thing, but it may have the
opposite effect when interested persons are unable to find a new song in the record stores for quite some
time.[citation needed]
Acetates and test pressings
On rare occasions a special type of demonstration record known as an acetate disc has been distributed to
radio stations as a promo. Instead of being mass-produced these records are cut one at a time in the
recording studio from a master tape source. They were generally made in very low quantity with hand-
written labels. The soft acetate surface of these discs can be played no more than about 10 times before
they start to wear out.
Another type of rare item which has occasionally been used as a promo is a "test pressing" or white label.
These are the first disc copies pressed at the factory. They are used to check manufacturing quality before
mass production begins.
Distribution
Radio outlets
Promotional recordings are distributed to commercial AM and FM radio stations for airplay. These singles
typically feature just the radio edit of the song, but may also include alternate remix edits, the original album
version, or even call-out hooks.
Nightclub outlets
When it comes to electronic dance music, 12-inch records and CDs still have been replaced by digital music
files (such as MP3 or MP4) as the most popular media by which promotional recordings may be distributed
to DJs in the nightclub industry. These singles typically feature one or more extended remixes (sometimes
dubbed a "club mix") of the title track that are not generally available to the public as well as the original
extended version, which in many cases is itself club-friendly. In some cases, the release may have
anonymous track labeling or lack labels altogether. Previously, the corresponding CD might also have
carried radio edits and other alternate cuts that did not make it onto the 12-inch record itself, in which case
the CD is referred to as a maxi-single CD. It is not unusual for a promo single to have no commercially
available counterpart particularly in those genres that are predominantly oriented to nightclub applications.
Promotional compilations
Many companies currently offer promotional compilations to DJs, radio use and nightclubs alike. The format
is growing on the CD format, but some companies still offer promotional compilations in vinyl
also.[citation needed] Most of the compilations are genre-specific (like most of CD Pools' compilations) but
there are also compilations that offer a combination of different genres (like compilations from DMC and
Music Factory). Such compilations are normally released monthly. In addition to companies that work
internationally, there are also many companies that offer national promotions material in the form of
compilations.
Versions in the compilation are usually either radio edits or extended / 12" remixes of the song, depending a
bit on the targeted audience. Club scene music is usually in the longer and easier to play format of
extended remix, whereas more street targeted music is usually released as radio edits. It normally takes a
couple of weeks after the release of the original promo single to be available on promotional compilations.
This has the added benefit of having the songs when they're already had some airtime and are thus not the
bleeding edge no-one has heard from, but still have usually not been released to the mass markets yet.
Some of the internationally established companies are CD Pool and DMC. Many fledgling companies are
also available offering both well-known and lesser known releases.
Online promotional distribution
Since the advent of broad-bandwidth Internet access and professional tools such as iPool or Haulix, the
online promotional distribution of music has been established. Record companies make their music
available as audio files and use the Internet as a distribution channel. In contrast to the conventional way of
distributing promotional recordings, this kind of promotional distribution is faster and cheaper.
See also
Press kit
References
1. ^ ...at least not in the U.S., where the UMG v. Augusto case clarified in 2011 that promos are gifts, not the
property of the distributor, and that the first-sale doctrine entitles the recipient to dispose of the recording as
they wish.
2. ^ That is, at least in the U.S., the recipient of a promo has no obligation to comply with a recall, unless a
separate contract is in effect.
3. ^ Kelaey, Melanie (8 February 2021). "The 8 things that should be part of every band's electronic press kit" .
Bandzoogle. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
Last edited on 15 September 2023, at 22:48
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Acetates and test pressings

Online promotional distribution

See also: Single (music)

Acetates and test pressings

Online promotional distribution

Last edited on 15 September 2023, at 22:48

Content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise noted.

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