How to follow up after sending beats, without being annoying
You sent your beats a week ago and heard nothing back, and now you're wondering if a follow-up is too much. Here's how to follow up once or twice without being pushy, with messages you can adapt.
Why one follow-up is fair
Messages get buried. An artist can see your link on a busy day, mean to come back to it, and forget. A short follow-up gives your beats another chance, and sent once or twice, spaced out, it's a normal part of sending music.
What turns it into spam is the rest: following up every day, sending the same message again, or making them feel bad for not answering.
Whether they listen, and whether they use a beat, stays their call. If you haven't sent anything yet, start with how to send beats to artists.
When to follow up
A polite rhythm for a first send. If they answer at any point, the rhythm stops and you just talk.
Wait about a week
Give them time to get to it. A follow-up the next day feels like pressure.
Follow up once, with something new
One or two lines, in the same conversation, so they see what you sent before. Bring something: a new beat in the same direction, or the one that fits them best, on its own.
Maybe once more, a week or two later
Only if you have a reason, like a new beat that fits, or you saw they played the first one. Keep it even shorter.
Then stop
Two follow-ups without an answer is your answer for now. Give it a month or so, then come back with new beats, in a new message.
What to write in a follow-up
Shorter than your first message, with something in it they haven't heard yet. “Just checking in” and “did you listen?” bring them nothing new, and put them on the spot.
Stay in the same conversation, so your first message and your link sit right above. By email, a new subject line gives it a fresh start.
Keep it light. No guilt trip, and no “last chance”.
- Shorter than the first message
- Something new every time
- Light, with no guilt trip
Follow-up messages you can adapt
Change the words so they sound like you. Keep the length.
You have a new beat
“Hey [name], made this one after sending you the last few. It's closer to [song]: [link]. Thought of you first.”
They played it, no answer
“Hey [name], I've got a couple more in that direction if you want them. Happy to send.” No need to mention the play.
No sign they saw it
“Hey [name], new beats this week, a different vibe from last time: [link]. No pressure.” Send it as a new message instead of forwarding the old one.
They said “not now”
“No worries. When would be a good time to send you a few more?” Then follow up at that time, once.
Know who played before you follow up
Send your beats as a vvault link and you stop guessing. On every plan, vvault tells you each time someone plays, downloads or saves a beat, by name when they're signed in to vvault or got the beats by email from you. With the iPhone app, it lands on your phone.
On Pro, you also see who opened each email and who clicked, and how long each person listened, beat by beat. Your follow-up goes to the people who pressed play, with more of what they listened to longest.
On Ultra, you write a few follow-up emails once, spaced over days or weeks, and they send themselves. The rules above still apply: a few, spaced out, and none after a no. The details: see who played your beats.
- Every plan: a notification for every play, download and save
- Pro: how long each person listened, who opened and clicked, up to 3 scheduled emails at a time
- Ultra: follow-ups that send themselves
When to stop
A follow-up is polite as long as it's welcome.
They said no
Thank them and leave it. If you make something very different months from now, you can ask if they'd like to hear it.
They asked you to stop
Stop for good, and take them off your list. No “one last one”.
You're not sure
If you're wondering whether one more follow-up is too many, it probably is.
Questions
How many times should I follow up after sending beats?
Once or twice, a week or more apart. If there's still no answer after the second one, stop, and come back in a month or so with new beats.
Is it OK to follow up if they didn't answer?
Yes, once or twice. Messages get buried, and a short follow-up with something new gives your beats another chance. Whether they listen, and whether they use a beat, is up to them.
How long should I wait before following up?
About a week after your first message, then a week or two before a second follow-up. Following up the next day feels like pressure.
Should I tell an artist I saw they played my beat?
You don't need to. Let it shape what you send: more in the direction of what they played. “I saw you listened” can make them feel watched, and it asks them to explain why they didn't answer.
What should I say in a follow-up?
Something short with something new in it: a new beat, or the one that fits them best, on its own. Skip “just checking in”, and don't ask if they listened.
Read next
See who played the beats you send
What a play tells you, what it doesn't, and how to follow up with the people who pressed play.
Read
How to send beats to artists
From picking the beats to following up, a first send done properly.
Read
The best tools for sending beats to artists
Why vvault comes first, and how the other tools compare, from their own pages.
ReadNever wonder who listened again.
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Photos: Lum3n, Tara Winstead, Harvey Tan Villarino, cottonbro studio and Alexey Demidov on Pexels