Looking for Radio Plays? 10 Things to Know Before You Submit Your Music to UK Radio
WEDNESDAY LEARN SLOT · 7 OCTOBER 2026 · 14:00
You have started building a fanbase. Now you want more people to hear the music.
Radio can help. But getting radio plays is not about sending one song to every station and hoping someone replies. It is about choosing the right route, preparing the right materials and building relationships over time.
Radio is one leg of the journey.
Not the finish line.
THE SHORT-PLAY VERSION
Before you submit your music to UK radio:
- Research the person, show and station.
- Upload to BBC Music Introducing if you are a UK-based independent artist.
- Send music 2–4 weeks before release.
- Give specialist shows 4–6 weeks.
- Aim for Tuesday or Wednesday morning, between 09:00 and 10:00 UK time.
- Use a clean edit and a streaming link.
- Keep your pitch under 200 words.
- Follow up once, only with new information.
- Thank anyone who plays you.
- Track every pitch and every play.
Ready for departure?
1. RESEARCH THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE STATION
WHAT IT IS
A generic station inbox is easy to find. It is also easy to ignore.
The stronger route is a named producer, presenter or show that already supports music close to yours. Your submission should feel relevant to that person’s programme and audience.
WHAT TO DO
Listen before you pitch.
Find the show. Find the presenter or producer. Check the station’s submission rules. Then explain why your track belongs there.
Do not pitch everything to everyone. A well-matched submission is stronger than a wide, careless send.
2. START WITH BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING
WHAT IT IS
BBC Music Introducing is the free grassroots route for UK-based artists who are not signed to a major label.
You upload your music through the Uploader. Your postcode helps route it to your nearest BBC Introducing station, where presenters and producers can listen and consider it for airplay.
It is a route into discovery. It is not a guarantee of a play.
WHAT TO DO
Create a profile. Tag your nearest BBC regional station. Upload your best work, not every unfinished idea.
BBC guidance also says that a track can be broadcast soon after upload, including before its planned release date. Upload only when you are comfortable with that possibility.
3. BUILD YOUR TIMELINE BEFORE YOU SEND
WHAT IT IS
Radio needs time to listen, decide and schedule. A release-day email is usually too late for proper consideration.
For most independent artist promotion campaigns, 2–4 weeks before release is a useful starting point.
WHAT TO DO
Use the route that matches your target:
- Specialist shows: aim for 4–6 weeks before release.
- Community radio: aim for 2–3 weeks.
- Commercial radio: allow 6–8 weeks and treat it as a later-stage target.
Add radio to your release planning from the beginning. Your release workspace should include the radio send date, follow-up date, release date and any confirmed coverage.
4. COMPLETE YOUR ARTIST PROFILE
WHAT IT IS
A producer needs enough context to understand who you are, what makes the track different and what they can say about it on air.
A bare profile creates extra work. Extra work creates friction.
WHAT TO DO
Complete your bio and keep it specific.
Say what is unique about your music. Add your influences. Include accurate social and streaming links. Make sure your contact details are correct.
Use a high-quality landscape artist image. BBC guidance recommends 1920 × 1080 pixels or larger, with the important detail centred. Avoid logos, gig posters and images that become unusable when cropped.
Your media kit can help you keep these materials together.
5. ALWAYS SEND A CLEAN EDIT
WHAT IT IS
A presenter may like your track but still skip it if an explicit lyric makes it difficult to broadcast.
They are unlikely to stop and edit the song themselves.
WHAT TO DO
Prepare a clean radio edit before you submit.
Label it clearly. Keep the explicit version available separately if needed. Check the full track, intro, outro and any ad-libs.
Song length matters too. As Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, says in BBC Music Introducing guidance: “Cut to the chase. It's not just true for radio; it's true for blogs, for YouTube.”
The cleanest submission is the one a presenter can listen to and use immediately.
6. SEND A STREAMING LINK, NOT A LARGE ATTACHMENT
WHAT IT IS
Large attachments can be blocked, buried or rejected by inboxes. They also make your pitch harder to open on the move.
WHAT TO DO
Send one reliable streaming link.
Test it on your phone and desktop. Make sure it opens without unnecessary sign-ins. Confirm that the track title, artist name and version are correct.
Only send a WAV when someone specifically asks for one. If a station requests a file, follow its preferred format and naming instructions.
Your EPK should make the rest of your information easy to find without turning the email into a file dump.
7. KEEP THE PITCH UNDER 200 WORDS
WHAT IT IS
Your pitch is not your autobiography. It is a short reason for someone to listen.
A useful email answers five questions quickly:
- Who are you?
- What is the track?
- Why does it fit this show?
- When is it released?
- What are you asking for?
WHAT TO DO
Use a subject line with your artist name, release type and one hook.
Open by referencing the specific show. Then include your artist name, track title, release date, streaming link and one real point of context. This could be a confirmed live date, a previous piece of coverage or a clear local connection.
End with one specific ask:
Would you consider the track for your next specialist show?
Then sign off professionally.
Need a place to organise your assets? Start with the Creator Hub media kit.
8. SEND AT THE RIGHT TIME
WHAT IT IS
Good timing will not turn the wrong song into the right song. It can, however, help your submission arrive when a producer has time to see it.
WHAT TO DO
For UK radio, aim to send on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, between 09:00 and 10:00 UK time.
Avoid Friday sends where possible. Your email may arrive at the end of a busy week and disappear beneath newer messages.
Check the station’s own instructions first. A published submission form or deadline takes priority over general advice.
9. FOLLOW UP ONCE, WITH SOMETHING NEW
WHAT IT IS
Following up is reasonable. Chasing repeatedly is not.
A follow-up should give the contact a reason to look again. “Just checking in” is not enough.
WHAT TO DO
Follow up exactly once, around 7–10 days after your first email.
Include new information only. For example:
- The song has received relevant press.
- You have confirmed a live date.
- Another suitable station has played it.
- You have reached a genuine release milestone.
Keep the message short. Cap the campaign at two or three touches in total.
If the answer is no, accept it gracefully. The relationship may matter more than this one release.
10. TRACK THE JOURNEY AND THANK THE CREW
WHAT IT IS
A reply is not the only sign of progress. Stations may add a track without responding directly.
If you only measure replies, you may under-count your coverage.
WHAT TO DO
Track every pitch and every outcome:
- Pitch date.
- Station and show.
- Named contact.
- Track and version sent.
- Response.
- Confirmed play.
- Follow-up date.
- Any next action.
When someone plays your music, thank them. Keep it personal and brief. Share the show respectfully. Do not turn their support into an automated sales message.
Radio is a relationship business. Contacts compound. A thoughtful submission today can make the next one easier.
NEXT STEPS: MOVE FROM GATE TO TAKEOFF
Your radio campaign is one part of a wider independent artist promotion plan.
Use this sequence:
- Prepare your clean edit, bio, image, links and release details.
- Research the shows and people that fit your music.
- Send a short, personal pitch at the right time.
- Follow up once with useful new information.
- Track every response and play.
- Thank the people who support the record.
- Keep building your fanbase beyond the broadcast.
Listen to MFM On Air to stay close to music, culture and emerging voices. Build your next release through the Creator Hub. And when you show up at a MARVO FM event, connect with the wider passenger community through events or register for your free MARVO FM Passport.
Radio can open a door.
Your job is to keep moving when it does.
WHERE MUSICIANS TAKE FLIGHT.
SOURCES
- BBC Music Introducing: How can I get my music selected on the Uploader?
- BBC Music Introducing: Frequently asked questions
- Total Audio Promo: The Complete Guide to UK Radio Promotion in 2026
- Total Audio Promo: Regional Radio Station Pitch Timing, A Practical Guide
- Hot Mic Radio: Music Submission Checklist for Artists, 2026 Guide