• “These days, most DJs can be contacted by e-mail. I’ve occasionally received e-mails from bands offering their music. I always listen to stuff that people send directly to me, and I’ve definitely ended up playing some of it.”
• “Simply calling up and asking DJs to play the CD will work pretty good, if you can put in the hours necessary to call lots of stations.”
• “A station member sorts the stuff into genres, and it’s put into a new music section. DJs look through the new music selection and play whatever strikes them as cool.” (Lesson: Make sure your style of music is crystal clear to whomever opens your package.)
• “Putting a big sticker on the front cover that says “SOUNDS LIKE:” helps. Compare yourself to heavily played college radio music.”
• “List the tracks you think are the best and describe them in basic terms (poppy folk, folky slowcore, whatever).”
• “Don’t use the words ‘lush’ or ‘soundscape’ anywhere on your promo material.”
• “(Point out) your best track. No music director has the time to skip through six tracks — they’re probably doing it between classes, or while they’re eating lunch.”

Read the whole thing at the Ask MetaFilter discussion raging right now.