How to Submit Music to Radio Stations

Submitting your music to radio stations is not one-size-fits-all. Each station has its own form, file requirements, and follow-up rules. This guide uses two real stations, idobi and KXT, to show you how to check each station’s requirements before you upload. We checked these sources on September 8, 2026, and the details below reflect what the stations published on that date.

Resolve conflicting submission instructions before you send

On September 17, 2026, we checked KEXP's official submission instructions. KEXP directs digital music submissions to its music department, with streaming and downloadable WAV links rather than attachments. It also lists release details and supporting materials to include. Read the complete current list before preparing your submission.

A third-party directory may label the same station as a form submission. That disagreement is a reason to open the station's own instructions, not to send through both routes. Keep a source ledger:

Station	Primary source	Checked	Decision
KEXP	Official submission page	September 17, 2026	Follow the music-department route and current link requirements
Your next station	Its own submission instructions	Record your check date	Hold if its route or eligibility remains unclear

For a specialty programme, verify the named host or producer and the programme's actual fit. A staff name in a directory does not establish that they accept your submission. KEXP's published instructions also discuss contacting relevant hosts; apply that permission to KEXP's stated context, not to every station.

Add the exact route used, message approval, confirmation and reply to your tracking row. A completed form or sent email does not establish airplay. For press coverage, use the separate music-blog pitch workflow; do not apply radio file requirements to an editor's inbox.

Build a per-station submission matrix

Before you send anything, create a simple table for each station you plan to contact. Include these columns:

• Station and fit: genre, locality, or format fit
• Actual route: submission form URL, upload button, or email
• Required fields: artist name, track name, contact, signature, etc.
• File formats: MP3, WAV, links, etc.

Here is how idobi and KXT compare.

idobi (idobi Radio, idobi Howl, idobi Anthm)

• Fit: alternative, pop-punk, metal, indie; internet radio with worldwide listeners. Source
• Route: fill out the online form and click the “Upload Music” button. Do not email tracks as attachments. Source
• Fields: Artist Name, Track Name, Attention to Specific Station (optional), Name/Authorized Agent, Address, City, State, Country, Email, Phone, Retype Name as Signature, Verification of Airplay, Terms of Use. Source
• File specs: use naming convention “Artist – Album – Title”; all file types accepted, MP3 preferred. Source
• Follow-up: music directors will contact you or send a “new adds” newsletter. Use the current page for newsletter details. Source

KXT (Dallas/Fort Worth public radio)

• Fit: independent, Americana, singer-songwriter, global music; local and online. Source
• Route: use the digital form on their submissions page. Source
• Fields: open the linked digital form and check its current required fields before preparing the final submission. Source
• File specs: include a streaming link and a downloadable WAV file (check the station’s current technical specifications before exporting). Submit only one song. Source
• Follow-up: no reviews or critiques; submission does not guarantee airplay; a confirmation message appears after submitting. Source

Step-by-step: how to prepare a submission

Step 1: Identify stations that fit your sound

Look at each station’s described format. idobi covers alternative, pop-punk, metal, and indie. KXT leans into independent and roots music. If your track fits the format, move to the next step. If you are unsure, listen to the station for an hour before submitting. This reduces wasted effort and keeps your outreach focused.

Step 2: Open the station’s submission page and read every line

Do not rely on memory. Requirements change. For idobi, the form asks for your signature and an airplay verification checkbox. For KXT, you must submit exactly one song and include a WAV file. Check both requirements before proceeding.

Step 3: Prepare files and links exactly as requested

• For idobi: rename your file “Artist – Album – Title” and upload MP3 if possible. Source
• For KXT: prepare an accessible streaming link and a downloadable WAV that matches the station’s current specification. Source

Do not send unsolicited attachments if the station asks for a form or streaming link. If a station requests a form and you email an MP3 instead, your submission may be ignored.

Step 4: Fill out the form completely and accurately

Use the exact artist name and track name as they appear on streaming platforms. Include a working email and phone. For idobi, you must retype your name as a signature and check the airplay verification box. Source

Step 5: Track your submissions and follow up only when invited

Neither idobi nor KXT encourages repeated follow-up emails. idobi will contact you if your music is added. KXT explicitly says they will not provide reviews or critiques. Source

Create a simple tracking sheet with columns for station, date submitted, route used, and any response received. Check responses once a week. Do not infer permission to chase staff from silence. Follow up only through a route and timing the station explicitly invites. Never call or direct message radio staff about an unsolicited submission.

A worked example: submitting one song to idobi and KXT

Imagine you are an indie rock artist with a new single called “Northgate.” You want to submit it to both idobi and KXT. Here is how you would prepare:

For idobi:

1. Go to https://idobi.com/submit/.
2. Fill in Artist Name “Your Band Name,” Track Name “Northgate.”
3. Select “idobi Radio” from the Attention To dropdown.
4. Enter your name as Authorized Agent, address, city, state, country, email, phone.
5. Retype your name as signature.
6. Read the verification and terms; confirm only if you can truthfully agree.
7. Follow the requested Artist, Album, Title naming convention using your actual release metadata.
8. Click “Upload Music” and upload the file.
9. Wait for a confirmation or newsletter.

For KXT:

1. Go to https://kxt.org/submissions/.
2. Prepare a streaming link to “Northgate” (check that the recipient can open the link without requesting permission).
3. Prepare a WAV file: verify the station’s current export specifications.
4. Fill out the digital form with your artist and contact info.
5. Supply the streaming and downloadable WAV links or files through the fields the current form requests.
6. Submit only that one song.
7. Do not email for feedback.

This is a concrete example, not a real submission. The steps are based on the stations’ published instructions as of the source-check date.

Common mistakes that get submissions ignored

• Sending MP3 attachments to a station that asks for a form – idobi wants an upload through their form, not an email.
• Ignoring file naming conventions – idobi requests “Artist – Album – Title.”
• Submitting multiple songs when asked for one – KXT specifically says send just one song.
• Following up too aggressively – neither station invites repeated check-ins.
• Assuming airplay – KXT states submission does not guarantee airplay.

Keep the source beside your outreach decision

After you shortlist stations, use Outchorus to review sourced music-industry contacts and the evidence attached to each opportunity. Check the recipient first, then review the exact outreach message and any follow-ups separately. For a station that requires a form, complete that form through the station’s own page. Approving a contact does not turn an email into the required submission route.

Start by reviewing one relevant opportunity and opening its cited source. Confirm the station’s current procedure before you approve any message. Outchorus does not guarantee airplay or replace a station’s editorial decision.

Quick checklist before you hit submit

• I read the station’s current submission page today.
• I selected the correct station or format from any dropdown.
• My file name follows the requested convention.
• My audio file matches the required format (MP3 preferred for idobi, WAV for KXT).
• I included a streaming link if requested.
• I submitted only one song if the station asks for one.
• I filled out every required field, including signature or verification boxes.
• I did not promise airplay or ask for feedback.
• I recorded the submission date and route in my tracking sheet.
• I will not send repeated follow-ups unless invited.

Adapt the research to your market

These are two US-based examples, not a worldwide radio directory. For another market, check the station’s language, geographic eligibility and current programme format before you translate a pitch. A general contact page does not necessarily invite music submissions.

Keep a checked date beside every requirement. If the form disagrees with an older article or directory, resolve that discrepancy on the station’s current page before you submit.