Most advice about a music promo email template stops at a pretty layout or a list of tips. Neither tells you what actually gets a DJ to press play. We send promo emails for labels and artists every day, so we looked at what works across 294,039 promo sends: the subject line, what sits above the button, how long the label's own words should be, and the one thing that matters more than any of them. Below is the template, then the numbers behind each line.
The template
A promo email to DJs needs six things, in this order: a subject that names the label and the record, the sleeve, what the record is, one button, a few short paragraphs from the label, and a way out.
The template, line by line:
- Subject: [Label] Promo: [Artist] - [Title]
- At the top: the sleeve, large
- Under it: [Title], [Artist], [Catalogue number] · [Genre], Out [release day]
- One button: Listen and download
- Your words: two or three short paragraphs: what the track is, who already supports it, where it works in a set
- At the foot: You are receiving this because [Label] added you to their promo list. Unsubscribe.
That is the shape PromoLink sends for every promo: the subject reads "[Label] Promo: [Artist] - [Title]", the sleeve and the record come first, one button follows, and the label's words come after it. Everything below explains why each part is there.
The subject line: the label, then the record
Put the label name and the word "Promo" first, then the artist and the title: "[Label] Promo: [Artist] - [Title]". A DJ scanning a crowded inbox decides by who sent it before what it is, and a consistent subject teaches them to recognise your label release after release.
Leave the subject plain. No all-caps, no exclamation marks, no "you will love this". The label name is the hook if the label has earned it, and the record name is what the DJ will search for later in their inbox. The same rule applies to the sender name: the label, not a person's first name, so the email files where the DJ expects it.
Above the button: the record, then one action
Everything a DJ needs to decide sits above the button: the sleeve, the title, the artist, the catalogue number and genre, and the release day. Then one button: "Listen and download".
One button, because listening is the step that decides a promo. Across all sends, 9.5% end in a listen, and 48% of the DJs who press play go on to download. A second link, a social icon row or a "read the press release" button above it all compete with that one action. The download should let the DJ choose MP3, WAV or AIFF: half of all promo downloads on PromoLink are lossless.
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The label's words: a few short paragraphs
Write two or three short paragraphs, roughly 300 to 800 characters. On sends to a label's own list, promos with text of that length had the best listen rate (12.0%) and download rate (7.1%). Text over 800 characters did worse (8.2% listens, 4.5% downloads), and the median label text is 710 characters, so most labels are near the right length already.
What to put in those paragraphs:
- What the track is, in one sentence a DJ can picture: the groove, the energy, where it peaks.
- Who already supports it. A recognised name in "supported by" pulls far more attention to an unknown artist than anything else you can write.
- Where it works in a set, if you know: an opener, a peak-time tool, a closing record.
What to leave out: the artist's full biography, a list of every past release, and anything the DJ cannot check. The words come after the button for a reason; most DJs decide on the sleeve, the name and the first seconds of the track.
Personal or template?
A DJ can tell a mass email from a note written for them, and a little personal touch helps: the DJ's name, and a line that fits why they are on the list. On PromoLink a label can write the text itself or have it written for the release in a chosen tone.
The data leans toward care. On lists of the same size (100 to 299 DJs), promos with AI-written text got 11.2% downloads against 8.6% for promos where the label pasted its own text. Only a handful of labels used the AI text, so read that as a signal rather than a rule: what moves DJs is copy that reads as written for this release and these people, whoever writes it.
The list matters more than the email
The size and fit of the list decides more than any line in the email. Download rates on PromoLink by the size of a label's own list:
- under 100 DJs: around 18 to 21%
- 100 to 299 DJs: around 9 to 11%
- 300 to 999 DJs: 4.8%
- 1,000 DJs or more: 1.1%
A small list is not better because it is small. It is better because a label with a hundred contacts usually knows each of them: they play the genre and they know the label. Twenty DJs who play your sound beat two thousand who do not. Clean the list as well: about 5% of promo emails bounce, and every dead address is a promo that never arrived.
When to send, and what to do after
Send the promo at least two to three weeks before the release, and earlier to the top names. 78% of DJ downloads happen before the release day, and promos sent four or more weeks ahead converted a little better (6.2%) than promos sent less than two weeks ahead (5.3%). At IAMT the promo goes out right after the release is sent to distribution.
After the send, do not chase. Half of the DJs who download do it within three days and 71% within a week, so give each wave that week. If you write again, make it useful: a digest of what is new, or a second wave that names the DJs who already supported the track. A reminder that only says "did you get my promo?" reads as nagging.
FAQ
What should a promo email to DJs say? The label and the record in the subject, then the sleeve, title, artist, catalogue number, genre and release day, one "Listen and download" button, and two or three short paragraphs about the track and who supports it.
What is a good subject line for a music promo email? "[Label] Promo: [Artist] - [Title]". The label first, so the DJ knows who sent it, then the record they will search for later. Keep it plain.
How long should a promo email be? Two or three short paragraphs of your own words, about 300 to 800 characters. On PromoLink that length had the best listen and download rates; longer text did worse.
Should I attach the track to a promo email? No. Link to a page where the DJ can stream it in one click and download it in the format they play (MP3, WAV or AIFF). Attachments bounce and fill inboxes.
How many DJs should I send a promo to? As many relevant ones as you have and no more. Lists under 100 DJs saw downloads of around 18 to 21%; lists over 1,000 saw 1.1%.
When should I send a promo before the release? At least two to three weeks before, and earlier to the top names. 78% of DJ downloads happen before the release day.
Should I send a reminder if a DJ does not download? Give each wave a week first. Then send something useful, such as a digest or a second wave that names early supporters, rather than a reminder.
Send your next promo on PromoLink: the email above, your own words or a text written for the release, and a page where DJs listen in one click and download in their format. Your first 20 releases go to the DJ pool free, and the template from this article is below as a PDF.
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