Compare your music with current music. It must be up to industry standards in quality and style. The music industry changes rapidly. Keep up to date with the latest trends.
Send your music to different publishers, radio and television stations, video gaming companies, and advertising agencies (the most comprehensive resource in advertising is the Standard Directory Of Advertising Agencies, or the Redbook). This is going to require that you keep a music contact database of all the companies to which you send material.
Join TAXI. TAXI is an A&R Company that screens and forwards music to companies that are looking for it. The upside is that if your music is forwarded, it gets put into the "we'll listen" pile. The down side is that it costs to join ($299.00) and it's $5.00 per song you submit. If you're serious about your music career, TAXI is a great tool to have.
Submit songs through Sonicbids. Sonicbids is primarily for gigging and touring bands. However, there are many opportunities that come up on a regular basis from licensors that are looking simply for songs for their library, an internet radio program or podcast. It cost $5.00 per song to submit with some submissions being $10.00.
Attend music conferences where publishers, music supervisors, and producers make appearances. Have several packages of your product that include a letter of introduction (preferably on simple letterhead), business card, and a CD.
Be ready to make your pitch in about ten to fifteen seconds. Leave a package and ask for their card. When you get back home, be sure to put their information in your music contact database.
Enter song contests. Many of the songs that win either get placed on a CD, get radio play, or are added to a publisher's library, where they can use it as background music.