College vs Community vs Online Radio: Where Should You Submit First?
Not all radio is equal. Here is how to pick the right lane for your release based on genre, budget and career stage.
The word 'radio' covers wildly different worlds. Picking the wrong one wastes your one shot at each station.
College radio
Student-run, format-freedom, extremely open to unsigned artists. Acceptance rates hover around 80%. The trade-off: audiences are smaller and semester schedules mean summers are dead.
Community radio
Volunteer DJs, deeply local, incredibly loyal listeners. Best for genre-specific shows (folk, jazz, punk, world music). Response times are slower but relationships last decades.
Online / digital radio
The volume play. Thousands of stations globally with instant submission. Lower per-station reach but you can hit 100 stations in a weekend. Perfect for release-week momentum.
Public / NPR affiliates
Hardest to crack, biggest reward. Submit only your most polished, story-driven work. A single 'World Cafe' or KEXP spin can change your trajectory.