You can submit rock and alternative music for free to Kallitone for discovery through listener voting, or approach outlets such as Fresh On The Net, KEXP, Post-Trash, Various Small Flames and KUTX through their published submission routes. Radio Wigwam also offers a free artist membership with a monthly submission allowance. Each has its own process, and the most useful starting point depends on your sound and what you want from the release.
A band looking for an album review needs a different pitch from an artist seeking radio airplay. Before sending anything, listen to the station or read a few recent articles. You should be able to explain why your song belongs there.
This guide brings together seven places to submit your music, the main requirements and a short email template you can adapt.
Publisher’s note: Kallitone is our own platform. We include it here for its free artist uploads and discovery through listener voting.
Submission information checked on 28 September 2026. “Free” refers to the submission route described here: an explicitly free allowance or a direct editorial route with no submission fee stated on the official page. It does not guarantee a reply, coverage or airplay. Check the linked instructions before sending, as policies can change.
Free music submissions: a quick comparison
The suggested musical matches below are our editorial recommendations. Use each outlet’s recent coverage or playlists to judge whether your own track fits.
| Outlet | Suggested starting point | Submission route | Main condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kallitone | Discovery through blind listening and listener votes | Free artist upload | Create an account, add an artist profile and upload your music |
| Fresh On The Net | Independent music seeking discovery through listeners | Online form | One public SoundCloud track per week, during the submission window |
| KEXP | Alternative releases suited to its shows | Direct email | Streaming and WAV download links; no attachments |
| Post-Trash | Underground guitar music, including noise rock and post-punk | Direct editorial email | Check recent coverage before pitching |
| Various Small Flames | Independent releases, home recordings and DIY projects | Direct email | Include “VSF SUBMISSION” in the subject line |
| KUTX | New alternative releases that fit its programming | Direct email | Finished, mastered tracks; streaming and WAV download links |
| Radio Wigwam | Independent artists seeking radio consideration | Free Basic Artist account | One free submission per month |
1. Kallitone
Kallitone is our own music discovery platform. Artists can create an artist profile and upload their music for free to take part in a system shaped by listener votes.
During blind voting, listeners compare tracks without seeing the artists’ identities. Listening begins with randomly selected 15-second excerpts from within the songs, and votes contribute to the tracks’ rankings.
For an emerging rock or alternative artist, the appeal is the opportunity for a track to be judged on what people hear. It is a route to explore when your goal is discovery through listener participation.
To get started, visit Kallitone, create your account, add an artist profile and upload a track. You can use it alongside the blog and radio submission routes below.
2. Fresh On The Net
Fresh On The Net offers a structured route into its listening community. Its team selects tracks for the weekend Listening Post, where readers choose favourites. The most popular selections then receive Fresh Faves reviews.
Submit through the official Send Us A Track form. The inbox opens on Monday morning and closes after 200 tracks or by Wednesday evening, whichever comes first. You can send one track per week.
Your SoundCloud link must be public, embeddable and available in full worldwide. Previously submitted tracks are not accepted again. A Fresh Faves feature also triggers a three-month wait before another submission.
Read the voting rules carefully: artists featured on the Listening Post must not recruit friends or fans to vote. The team says it listens to valid submissions, but individual feedback is generally unavailable. Selection for the Listening Post does not determine radio airplay.
3. KEXP
KEXP publishes a direct submission route for releases being considered for airplay. Its official guidelines ask artists to email md@kexp.org with streaming and WAV download links, without attachments.
Include the artist and release names, release date, suggested focus tracks, credits, lyrics and a short biography or press release. Supply clean versions where required. The page also lists details such as name pronunciation and relevant upcoming shows.
KEXP allows artists to approach appropriate specialist hosts as well. Our suggestion is to listen to those shows first and choose a specific musical fit.
The station explicitly says airplay cannot be guaranteed and asks artists not to expect a reply or organise repeated requests from friends and fans.
4. Post-Trash
For underground guitar music, Post-Trash is worth investigating. Its recent coverage includes Unsane and Protomartyr; based on that coverage, we would shortlist it for noise rock, post-punk and related alternative releases. Read its current reviews and features before deciding whether your band belongs in the same conversation.
The official About page directs submissions to editor Dan Goldin at dgoldin2012@gmail.com. It provides a direct email route without stating a submission fee.
We suggest sending one clear listening link, the release date and a short description of the record. If you are offering a premiere, say what is available and when. An unsolicited pitch is a request for editorial consideration, so plan your release without assuming coverage.
5. Various Small Flames
Various Small Flames describes its focus as music from independent artists, particularly home recordings and DIY labels. That makes it a useful outlet to investigate if your project sits within those worlds.
Its contact page accepts music submissions by email and asks for VSF SUBMISSION in the subject line. Use the address published there. The site also offers SubmitHub as an alternative, but the direct email route has no stated submission fee.
The editors specifically ask people not to use personal addresses or social accounts they have found elsewhere. Keep your pitch within the published process.
Read the publication’s description of its approach and a few recent reviews. Then give the editors a concrete reason to listen: a distinctive recording process, a lyrical idea or a detail that helps explain the release.
6. KUTX
KUTX, based in Austin, publishes detailed music submission instructions. Its general rotation inbox is music@kutx.org, with the subject line Music Submission – [Your Artist Name]. Austin and Texas artists are asked to flag their location with ATX or TX.
Send a streaming link, a WAV download link and a brief introduction covering your location and release. If you include several tracks, identify your first choice. The station asks for finished, mastered recordings, new or upcoming releases and clean radio versions.
The same page provides separate contacts for specialist shows and features. We suggest checking those programmes before choosing where to pitch. KUTX says it cannot respond or provide feedback on every submission, so a silent inbox should not become your only measure of the release.
7. Radio Wigwam
Radio Wigwam offers a free Basic Artist membership with one submission per month, as listed on its website. Paid memberships offer additional features, so select the free tier if you are keeping the campaign within a zero-budget plan.
Its submission instructions explain the account-based process: create an artist profile, add your music and submit it for airplay consideration. Creating a profile alone does not complete those steps.
Use the monthly allowance for a track that represents the release well. You can confirm the free account option on the membership page before signing up. Submitting a track does not guarantee a broadcast.
Prepare a submission people can use
Follow each outlet’s instructions first. For email pitches, we recommend keeping the essential material together:
- A clear listening link. Check that it works without an access request. Use a public or private link according to the recipient’s rules.
- The release date and status. Say whether the song is unreleased, available now or part of an upcoming EP or album.
- A short introduction. Give your artist name, location and a useful description of the music.
- A download link when requested. Follow the outlet’s file-format requirements and label the track correctly.
- Supporting material. Keep artwork, photos, lyrics and credits accessible through one organised folder or press-kit link.
Describe something a person can hear. “A three-piece making tense post-punk with spoken vocals and distorted bass” gives an editor more to work with than a claim that your music is revolutionary.
A short music submission email template
Adapt this to the outlet and replace the subject line wherever specific wording is required.
Subject: Music submission: [Artist] – [Track] – [Release date]
Hi [Name / Editorial team],
I’m [Name] from [Artist], a [genre] project based in [Location]. I’m sending our [new/upcoming] single, [Track], for consideration.
[One sentence explaining why the track fits a recent article or show you have actually read or heard.]
The song [one concrete detail about its sound or story]. It [comes out on / was released on] [Date].
Listen: [Link]
WAV download, if requested: [Link]
Bio, artwork and credits: [Link]Thank you for listening,
[Name]
[Artist website / contact]
Only mention a review or programme you have actually checked. A straightforward introduction is better than invented familiarity. Keep any follow-up brief, respect published policies and avoid repeated messages across different channels.
Choose your first three submissions
Choose your first three destinations around what you want from the release. If you want your track to enter a discovery system based on listener votes, start with Kallitone. A home-recorded alternative project might investigate Various Small Flames, while a noisy post-punk band might approach Post-Trash. A finished single intended for radio should be checked against the programming at KEXP, KUTX or Radio Wigwam.
Keep a simple record of the track, outlet, date and outcome. If a feature appears, save the link and make sure an interested reader can easily find the rest of your music. For Fresh On The Net, remember that sharing a Listening Post appearance is restricted by its voting rules.
At Kallitone, we care about discovery through people listening to music. Independent blogs, radio hosts and listening communities can each give a release a different kind of introduction. Choose the places where your sound belongs, make the track easy to hear and give people a reason to return to it.