How to Get Your Music Played on BBC Introducing

For unsigned UK artists, it is without a doubt a radio play opportunity not to be missed. So we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about how to get your music played on BBC Introducing, including tips and tricks from some of Ditto’s very own BBC Introducing featured artists.

BBC Introducing is only available to artists in the UK, so if you're not eligible - or you'd just like to know more - you can learn more about getting your music played on the radio here.

How to apply for BBC Introducing

What is BBC Introducing?

Hold up, REWIND. What is BBC Introducing and how does it work?

BBC Introducing pioneers for discovering the best unsigned and under the radar talent among independent artists throughout the UK.

Artists are called to add their music to the BBC’s uploader system. After that, 30+ regional teams listen through each submission, select the best, and play them out on local BBC radio shows. Pretty darn cool, right?

But it doesn’t always end there.

Many artists have gone one step further, propelling their music to national stations, including BBC Radio 1, 1 Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music, Radio 3, Asian Network and the World Service. From here, the possibilities are endless. Festival openings, gig opportunities, and maybe even a Mercury Award nomination (if you’re lucky!).

FACT: Almost 60 percent of all acts who performed at Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2017, were hand picked off the back of uploading their music to BBC Introducing. So yeah, the proof is well and truly in the pudding!

You can also watch the official trailer for BBC Introducing here.

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How to upload music to BBC Introducing

Applying to BBC Introducing is a fairly simple process. Artists are required to create a profile and upload their music via the BBC Introducing Uploader, which can be easily accessed via smartphone, tablet or desktop.

Here's a step-by-step guide to uploading:

STEP 1. Begin by heading over to bbc.co.uk/introducing

STEP 2. Sign in to your BBC account, or create a new one if you haven’t already got one.

To register for an account, you’ll need to provide your date of birth, email address, postcode, gender, contact preferences and display name.

STEP 3. Create your music profile. For this you’ll need to provide details for the following mandatory fields:

+ Artist/Band Name

+ Type Of Artist: i.e. Solo/Band/Group

+ Genre: The genre of music which best aligns with your sound

+ Your Local Radio Show: This is automatically registered to the postcode you enter

+ Connection To Local Area: i.e. “I work here” or “I live here”

+ Email: This should ideally be the same one registered with your BBC account

+ Photo Upload

+ Artist/Band Members’ Name(s)

+ Bio

+ Influences

+ Artist Website

+ Social Links

Like so.

And so.

Hit “Create Profile” at the end of this form.

STEP 4: Upload a track (the fun bit!)

Either click on the upload icon, or drag a WAV/MP3 file into it to begin uploading a track. The file will then begin to start uploading. NOTE: You can add up to two tracks at once, or just one. It’s entirely your own preference.

- Fill in the Track Name(s) and Composer Name(s).

- Remember to include your PRS Tunecode so you ya know, get paid.

- Optionally you can add Track Notes to communicate what you want a producer to know about the track when they’re listening to it.

- If you want to Tag the track in a specific campaign that BBC are running, you can use the dropdown menu under ‘Tag’ to do this.

- You can also add details of the track’s record label, catalogue number, release date and a publisher if that applies.

Hit “Submit Track(s)” when you’re done.

BBC Introducing Uploader? Completed it mate.

How does BBC Introducing choose music to play?

Now whilst the process of uploading and applying may be all easy breezy, the real food for thought is how to go about actually getting your music played in this highly competitive playing field.

Here’s how you can maximise the chances of a regional team picking up your track, amongst the masses of submissions (470,000 and upwards but who’s counting..).

Tip #1: Timing is EVERYTHING.

It’s hardly unsurprising that with the huge number of submissions, oftentimes only the first 30 seconds of a track may be listened to.

This means those first 30 seconds need to be golden. And so you should only submit a track when it’s ready for radio play.

AKA, no unfinished lyrics, no out-of-tune guitars, a decent quality recording, only the final takes.

Tip #2: Let them know who you are.

Beyond solely BBC Introducing, if you wanna make it in the music industry point-blank – you need to have a sense of your story and who you are.

Who are you? What inspired your sound? Which artists do you take influence from? All important questions. And all of which can be (and should be) included in the Release Notes section during your upload.

What’s more, these details are an invaluable way to establish a connection between the listener and your music, and you as an artist.

Psst, Ditto Insider Tip: Probably a good idea to be actively listening to and following your regional BBC radio station. And you could even write a bit about how you’re engaged with the local music scene!

Tip #3: Be selective.

Consider the length of your track in terms of radio play. Think of it like this, if you send a six minute long song, it’ll have to absolutely annihilate the previous three two minute long songs, to get you in with a chance of being aired.

So be selective with the track(s) you upload. Remember, Quality > Quantity.

Tip #4. Keep it clean guys!

This one’s a given, or at least it should be. If your upload features any explicit language, it simply won’t be considered. So just make sure you’re uploading a clean version that’s deemed acceptable for radio play.

Tip #5. Upload a picture.

As the saying goes, a photo is worth a thousand words. And this will really help a producer to visualise the aesthetic of your music when they’re listening to it.  

Just make sure the photo is:

- Clear and good quality

- The correct size: The standard image size on BBC websites is 1920x1080px

- Doesn’t feature logos, events or venue names

Tip #6. Have a great bio.

Smashing your artist bio is more important than you might think. Why? It acts like supporting material to your track. Plus, it gives radio producers and DJ’s something to say about you or your track, readily available before they play it.

And keeping it regularly updated is just as important. Maybe you’ve played a high profile gig or maybe one of your tracks has gone TikTok viral? Updating it regularly shows producers you’re on your A game. And it can show off your upwards journey as an aspiring artist.  

Tip #7. Include links to your website and socials.

Remember to include details and links to all of your social media channels. This’ll make it way easy for producers to check you out, plus it shows you have a good awareness of how to promote your music.

What to do after your music gets played on BBC Introducing?

You got your airplay spot? Congrats! That’s a MASSIVE achievement.

After getting your music played on BBC Introducing, be sure to let your fans and followers know about it via your social media. Also, you can use your socials to show your appreciation to the DJ and radio platform. This is a great way of building a relationship with them, and could potentially increase the likelihood of you getting played again!

Not got the play this time? Don't give up! You can always reapply every 30 days. And they’ll pay attention to consistent trying. Watch this space.

Had a previous airplay on BBC Introducing or in the process of applying? We’d love for you to share your experience in the comments below!

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