How to pitch your music to radio
Updated 5 October 2026 · 2 min read
Radio is not closed to independent artists. It is closed to generic pitches. Specialist shows, community stations and college radio are actively looking for music their audience has not heard.
Know which radio you are pitching
Different stations need completely different pitches.
- College and community stations: volunteer programmers with genuine freedom, and they read email.
- Specialist genre shows: the programmer is an expert in your niche. Know the show before you write.
- Regional commercial: format-driven and playlist-controlled. Realistically needs a story or local angle.
- National and streaming radio: programming teams, submission systems, long timelines.
The pitch
Programmers want to know what it sounds like, whether it fits the show, whether it is clean, and how to get the file. That is the whole pitch.
- Name the show and the slot you think it fits.
- One line on the genre, tempo and closest reference.
- State explicitly whether the track is clean or explicit — this is the most common reason a pitch is discarded.
- Give a direct download and a one-line bio. No attachments.
Give it time and follow up once
Radio schedules are built weeks ahead, so a play may come long after the pitch. One polite follow-up after two weeks is appropriate; weekly reminders are not.
Where we help
Our library holds radio stations, broadcasters, networks and music programmes alongside TV and press contacts — over 9,200 radio contacts. You can select the radio and TV categories inside campaign setup and pitch from a managed mailbox with free verification included.
After the first play
A single play is a beginning, not a result. Thank the programmer, and ask whether they would like a copy of the next release before it is public. That question is how an artist moves from a one-off spin to a regular rotation slot.
Keep a dated record of every station that played you, the show, and the presenter. When you are pitching the next single, a line like "your Saturday show played my last record in July" is the strongest opening a pitch can have, and it is only possible if you wrote the first play down.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a radio plugger?
A good plugger has relationships you cannot buy quickly, but they are expensive and usually work commercial formats. Start with specialist and community radio yourself.
Does radio airplay increase Spotify listeners?
Yes, particularly when the show publishes a tracklist or the station links out. The effect is strongest for regional and specialist shows with engaged audiences.
What is a radio edit?
A shortened or cleaned version of the track suitable for broadcast. Having one ready removes a reason for a programmer to pass.
Keep reading
- How to Pitch Music Bloggers and Journalists
A pitch structure that works for music writers and editors: the angle, the timing, what to attach, and why most press releases never get opened.
- Spotify Monthly Listeners by Country
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- Grow Monthly Listeners Without Paid Ads
You do not need an ad budget to grow listeners. Here are the channels that work on time instead of money, and how to sequence them.
- Building a Music Industry Contact List
How to build a contact list worth emailing: which categories to cover, how to verify addresses, and why a maintained list beats a scraped one.