You’ve made your album. Now you want it to be heard. As an independent musician, the plethora of both terrestrial and online radio stations and formats can be overwhelming. But if you’re just starting out, where do you start with radio? First, it’s important to understand some of your radio options as an independent artist:

• College Radio (aka Campus radio or student radio) is a radio station run by a college or other educational institution. Most colleges are willing (and sometimes required) to broadcast non-commercial music and often give airplay and promotional exposure to new and emerging local artists. As an indie artist, college radio is a great place to start. Listen to their shows if there’s a station in your area (or find one online) and introduce yourself to the DJ that best fits your style.

• AAA: (known as triple-A, or Adult Album Alternative or just adult alternative) is a radio format with a more diverse playlist than most other formats (like top 40) and typically appeals more to adults than to teens. AAA stations play a variety of music that hovers on the fringe of mainstream pop and rock, including Americana, alternative rock, alternative country, blues, folk and world music. Many of these stations have shows focused on emerging acts, so get to know the AAA stations in your area and find where you might fit best.

• SongCast Radio: SongCast Radio is an Internet radio service designed for music lovers who want to discover up and coming artists in a variety of genres, including Hip Hop, Rap, Rock, Country, Reggae, Blues, Jazz, Latin, and many more. When used with the SongCast Radio Facebook App, listeners can share their picks, track their favorite artists, create playlists, and even send a message directly to the artist while listening. As an indie artist, SongCast Radio is a great way to get your music heard by a global audience. Additionally, SongCast Radio provides artists with real-time listener stats, notifications when a user favorites a track, and feedback from listeners on your music.

Tell us what you think! Have you been able to score radio play? How did you do it and where were you played?

The SongCast Crew