How To Get Drum Products To Review? Please Help

MikeChimmy

Junior Member
Hey everyone,
I have a drumming Youtube channel (it's called SimplySnare and it's in my sig), and I do some drumming product reviews on the channel. However, the number of drumming products that I can review is limited to my budget (which isn't very big).

I was curious if anyone knew of any drumming companies that would want to have their products reviewed and published on my Youtube channel. The channel has almost 2,000 subscribers and each video receives a few hundred views within the first 2-3 days.

I would be willing to review the product and use it in at least 2 future playing/tutorial videos.

Ideally, I would want to keep the product and use it in many more future videos. However, I would still be happy to return the product to the manufacturer once I have reviewed it and made 1 or 2 additional videos with it.

Any advice or contact information would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks, in advance, for all of the help and info!
 
Mike, you have a great attitude, but most drum companies are fairly careful about the environment their products are reviewed in. They need to be confident of the credibility/expertise of the reviewer, & also the quality of the recording setup. Being as honest as I can, I think you have quite a bit of work to do. Certainly, your idea of keeping the drums after review is a non starter. Bear in mind, most drum companies receive many requests for equipment review instruments, & make their choices based on the elements I've mentioned, plus traffic to the videos. A few hundred views isn't even on the radar.

Good luck in building your presence.
 
Note: I have absolutely no experience with these things, this is just a suggestion.

Instead of going straight for the manufacturers, you might have much better luck talking to a local drum shop. In return for a bit of exposure like "This product was graciously lent to me by XYZ Drum Shop in Blahtown", they might let you borrow a bit of gear from time to time, or maybe you could record some product review videos in their shop.

Could be a way to get a footing if you're serious about doing something like this. However, if you're only trying to do this for the free gear, I'd say just forget it.
 
Thanks for the honest opinion guys! You're absolutely right when you say that a couple hundred views is not even on the radar, but hopefully I'll stand a chance when I get to the couple thousands views.

And with regards to the idea of approaching a local drumming shop, I love it! I'm going to look up some drumming shops right now and make some calls! Thanks for the opinions and info!
 
I'd say the biggest hurdle is, you're hardly the only one with this idea, and no where near the only one doing it.

As KIS said, a few hundred viewers is not even a consideration for most manufactures.

Naigewron does have a good idea. If you want to take it to the next level, team up with a retail store. Many bigger stores already realize posting youtube reviews is a good way to draw in customers. Find one that isn't already doing this.
 
I'm considering doing something similar but with a very different approach (it won't necessarily be drum set focused). I hear what you are saying. Here are my thoughts about the way that I'll do it.

First off, I assume that this is somewhat of a business decision - meaning that you eventually will want to see some kind of profit. As with most of businesses, there is a cost of doing business.

Not trying to tell anyone how to profit but my plan is that I'll use what I have presently combined with equipment and/or supplies that I invest in to review. That means that it will probably be a financial loss at first. The idea being that once there is momentum (i.e. significant numbers of people watching and getting value from my content) manufacturers can see my site as a viable marketing option. So can other advertisers.

But until then I have to beg, borrow or...buy (not steal) what I'll present and keep track of my spending for the taxman at the end of the year. It's all got to make good business sense or else it's just a hobby that you spend non-recoupable money on because you love it. Which is OK too. :)

My .02

Jim
 
Re: How To Get Drum Products To Review? Pt 2

One thing I forgot to mention is your approach would be different depending on whether you took offers from 'benefactors'.

Because you need them to provide you product, if a store or manufacturer lends you gear that they are trying to sell, they don't expect a negative review for that product, even if that is the truth. That flies in the face of them trying to use you as a marketing tool to sell products. But if you cave to that, then of course your reputation as a truthful and knowledgeable reviewer goes out the window.

Ex.
There is a theory going around that some drum and music gear magazines never give bad reviews to any of their advertisers. Think first on how you and others feel about that if it is true. Somebody maybe aglow about a snare drum but when others buy it they feel taken advantage of and see the review as disingenuous. I believe this is true in some cases and that these trade periodicals don't fear any real consequences other than the internet smack talk that goes around. Magazine sales won't suffer.

A worse example lives in the movie review world where there are dubious publications that always without fail, give a movie a good review so that those that stand to profit from it can throw a review headline up like "Blockbuster of the Year!!!!" in their own advertising. This gives the appearance of legitimate reviewer giving a thumbs up to a pretty terrible movie. That's all that these publications furnish and they accept advertising (and other) dollars gladly from said companies for their ridiculous 'vanity' reviews.

The only way to build up a rep as a credible reviewer is to be truthful with what ever gear you display or review. There should not be any 'pay back' expected for any gear provided. Then at least your opinion can be respected as you telling the truth. (Although not necessarily your credibility as a player of that gear. That's another topic.)

Jim
 
Note: I have absolutely no experience with these things, this is just a suggestion.

Instead of going straight for the manufacturers, you might have much better luck talking to a local drum shop. In return for a bit of exposure like "This product was graciously lent to me by XYZ Drum Shop in Blahtown", they might let you borrow a bit of gear from time to time, or maybe you could record some product review videos in their shop.

Could be a way to get a footing if you're serious about doing something like this. However, if you're only trying to do this for the free gear, I'd say just forget it.


That is an excellent idea!! Smaller shops can always use more exposure.
 
Just put your pitch together and start contacting companies-- probably their marketing/advertising departments. Probably it would help to go to start going to the NAMM convention and meeting the company representatives in person-- something I need to start doing. I guess you might have your best luck with smaller companies, at least at first. If you can't get free gear-- or anything else in trade-- I would not start doing gear reviews just because you want to do them-- you'd just be advertising somebody else's product for free. Maybe you could do up a few of them about products you already own, so the companies can get an idea of what you'll be doing for them.
 
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