DEUCE is the go-to place for independent bands and artists from all over the world who are seeking low cost but high-quality promotion for their music. DEUCE takes great pride in providing its clients with the most competitive rates in the music industry for radio promotion. Unlike most PR companies, DEUCE can guarantee radio exposure on 50+ radio stations worldwide before an artist or band’s promotion campaign even begins via the Deuce Radio Show.
DEUCE has a large list of radio contacts and reviewers that have a genuine interest in new/independent music helping increase the chances of exposure globally. DEUCE is regularly seeking new opportunities to help promote Deuce Acts further – such as gigs, discount studio time, collaborations with established music producers, music licensing and plenty more. Success stories include national radio play, FM stations offering to broadcast The Deuce Radio Show, chart success for a number of acts, and most recently a live 25-minute interview and performance on BBC Radio London for a Deuce Act.
We recently sat down with Rob Saunders, the owner of DEUCE Music, to find out more about his company and how DEUCE is helping artists and bands reach new heights.
MIW: For those who don’t already know, where is DEUCE Music based and where do you operate?
Rob Saunders:
DEUCE is based in London, England and we work with clients worldwide.
MIW: How did you come up with your company name?
Rob Saunders:
Growing up, I was a die-hard KISS fan, so I named my company DEUCE after one of their songs taken from their first album released back in 1973. Rumor has it, I also have KISS tattooed somewhere on my body, but that’s another story.
MIW: What exactly does your company do?
Rob Saunders:
DEUCE offers bands and artists worldwide international radio exposure for their music as well as various other means of promotion at low-cost rates. The promotion also provides me with insight into how well received their music is by radio presenters and listeners and also how professional the acts are. In some cases, if I believe I can take things further for an act, additional promotion may be offered to them and occasionally management offers too.
MIW: What inspired you to start your company?
Rob Saunders:
After moving to London in 2001, I started managing my friend’s band. Like most people first starting out in the music industry, naivety plays a big part in decisions you make and there are plenty of companies who take full advantage of this.
We were approached by a PR company who promised the band national radio play, reviews in popular publications, high profile gigs, etc. Gullibly believing the company, we parted with over £1000 for a month’s promotion. The outcome of the promotion was a spot play on an unknown internet radio station which has since been long gone.
After researching further, I discovered that this was quite a common problem independent acts had experienced, not just with the PR company we used, but with plenty of other PR or promotional companies in the music industry. It made me think, what if there was a company that could offer promotion at affordable rates for independent acts, with a guarantee of exposure. From there, the seeds for DEUCE were sown.
MIW: What are the biggest challenges facing emerging bands and artists today?
Rob Saunders:
Being heard and making a living from their music. It is easier than ever for bands and artists to make their music available through various streaming services but when 40,000 tracks (at the time of writing) are added to Spotify each day, how do you get yourself discovered?
Most emerging bands and artists cannot live on revenue made from streaming royalties, so they have to make their money from touring. But how do you build up your fan base to be able to make money from touring?
That’s where DEUCE comes in. We help bands and artists navigate these choppy waters and help implement a solid gameplan that is customized specifically for them.
MIW: What is the best piece of advice you can give bands or artists that want to make their mark in the music industry?
Rob Saunders:
Have a good story about you; something that makes you different from the rest no matter how minor. With so much music being released daily, it is often the story about a band/artist that can grab people’s attention first before their material. A good story also increases your chances of radio interviews and reviews as it provides the interviewer with more questions to ask or write about. This in return provides you and your music with more exposure.
MIW: What is your favorite part about the music industry? Your least favorite? Why?
Rob Saunders:
My favorite part of the music industry is not knowing what the next day is going to bring. Sometimes it can be a great act that contacts you whose music excites you; other times it can be established figures in the music industry who have worked with famous acts who make contact with me after hearing about the work I am doing.
I also enjoy passing on good news to acts about their music being played on various radio stations or forwarding positive reviews about them.
My least favorite part about the music industry is the unscrupulous companies, large and small, that still operate within, who set out to unfairly monetize from bands and artists.
In addition to the PR company experience I had, I have also had encounters with an internationally wanted fraudster and a number of other people who like to promise the world but never deliver. It all makes for a good story though.
MIW: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Rob Saunders:
Always believe in what you are doing. Listen and learn from any snippets of information you can gather from established music industry figures you may have the opportunity to speak to. And never listen to advice from people working a standard 9-5 job – it’s likely to be negative.
MIW: Tell us about the DEUCE Radio Show.
Rob Saunders:
The Deuce Radio Show is presented by Matt Barker and features bands and artists promoted by DEUCE. It is currently being broadcast on over 50 radio stations around the world including the UK, USA and Australia after originally only starting out as a podcast show.
The show was set up so I am able to guarantee to bands and artists that when they are promoted by DEUCE they will receive radio play. At the time of writing, we are fast approaching our 500th show.
Strangely, I have still not met Matt Barker in person despite him hosting the show for over 5 years.
MIW: Are there any current bands or artists that DEUCE is working with that our audience should be looking out for?
Rob Saunders:
I am currently working with a Syrian born RnB artist called Mai K who is now based in London.
We met by chance in a Fish & Chip shop and after over hearing her talking about her music exchanged contact details. In the past she has collaborated with a number of top acts but has now released her own material which is receiving very positive reviews and a large number of radio stations playing her too.
Most recently, she was interviewed and performed live on BBC Radio London which has since opened the door to more opportunities.
You can listen to Mai K’s music on her website www.maikmusic.net
MIW: What does the future hold for emerging bands and artists?
Rob Saunders:
I recently attended the Camden Rocks Music Festival; a yearly weekend event in Camden Town, London, where bars and music venues open their doors to signed and unsigned acts. One band that I watched happened to mention they had CDs available after the show and all they wanted in return was an email address for their mailing list. It did make me wonder, is this how dispensable music has now become?
The truth is, no one really knows what the future holds for emerging bands and artists. One thing is for sure though, events like Camden Rocks prove there is still a huge interest in bands and artists old and new on the live music scene. The key now is to establish ways acts can monetize more from their recordings.
MIW: How can our readers connect with you or your company on social media, learn more about your company, or stream/download music/videos from the bands and artists you work with?
Official website: www.deucemusic.com
Deuce Radio Show: www.deucemusic.com/deuce-show
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deucepr
Twitter: www.twitter.com/deuceradioshow
Instagram: www.instagram.com/deuceradioshow
Email address: rob@deucemusic.com
