Paul Sylvester who is the Head of Presentation for Absolute Radio took the second part of the Getting Into Media talk held by GoThinkBig. His presence captured everybody’s attention straight away, and his stories and anecdotes on how he got into radio made people chuckle and see that sometimes, you don’t have to do the degree that your dream job might require!
In his section, Sylvester mentioned some great pointers on getting onto the ladder in the radio industry. From the beginning of the journey when you make your demo tape until the end, these steps will surely get your foot in the door:
What kind of radio presenter do you want to be?
“Do you see yourself as a specialised music radio presenter? A Zane Lowe on Radio 1 or a Lauren Laverne on Radio 6?” He began, “Take inspiration from people on the radio, but don’t copy them.” This was one resonating piece of advice that Sylvester continued with throughout his talk. Being your own brand is important as a radio presenter, as sounding manufactured and ‘like someone else’ can be a little played out and a complete no-go when people listen to your demo tape.
What do they look for in a demo tape?
Sylvester describes the process of creating a demo tape as “finding your voice”, it allows you to follow through with the previous question of what kind of presenter you want to be until you are sitting in front of that microphone at your dream station. “Don’t make a demo tape sounding like Sara Cox, because if we wanted someone like that, we’d go to Sara and ask her to come and work for us rather than having a Tesco Value version.”
Sylvester talks about his experiences in listening to demo tapes sent by radio enthusiasts that were up to 30 minutes long. He questions whether it is better to send your best bits or do a demo of the station you want to be on. Best bits show passion and a personal thing you’re creating that could get you that job, but if you make a demo tape as if you were already at that station, it could be equally as rewarding.
The most important thing, as Claire Maxted from Trail Running magazine said, is to do your research. That way, when it comes to creating your demo it won’t be a remake of something that already goes live over England or the world. Once you’ve done your research, you’ll have done something that is your own, so get your friends to listen to and see how they react. Their honest feedback will help you before you send your demo tape to stations.
What kind of things should I show in my demo tape?
There are some key traits that stations and producers look for, so has your demo got the following:
- Personality
- Music passion
- Stationality
- Commercial awareness
- Cross-Promotion
- Interactivity
- Interviews
- A variety of textures?
You should question whether you have effectively made a mini radio show when you’ve completed your demo.
So what is the best way to send someone your demo?
Sylvester says, “Never email me your demo. I already have 11,000 emails to go through, I don’t need yours to clog it further. So send it in a Sound Cloud or YouTube link!”
Finally, Paul ended with a few tips, like Claire, on how to really succeed in getting employed by a radio station. It is more than likely that companies nowadays will look you up on social media platforms prior to your interview – so, as Paul says, “be a star before you get on air,” and be professional on all of your networks, which will make you a lot more employable than if you talk about your drunken antics or angry rants.
“Don’t ask for jobs in emails, instead, ask for a cup of tea. I’m more likely to say yes to someone who wants to meet me, speak to me and get some advice,” Paul said, as he rounded off his talk. This will demonstrate that you have the potential to be the keen and passionate person who could one day take over the station they are on.
By Anna Landi
