Australian radio stations accepting music submissions

Australia has one of the most artist-friendly radio landscapes anywhere for an independent act, thanks to two things: triple j Unearthed, the national platform built specifically for unsigned artists, and an unusually strong, well-loved community radio sector. The commercial networks are a wall of tight, label-led playlists, but you do not need them. Here is the Australian landscape door by door, drawn from the 200+ verified Australian stations in the directory.

Start with triple j Unearthed

triple j Unearthed is the obvious first move for any unsigned Australian artist. You create a free profile and upload your music, and reviewers and hosts who champion new Australian talent listen, with standout tracks earning spins on the Unearthed digital radio station and able to cross over to airplay on triple j itself, the national youth broadcaster. It is genuinely open and worth using well. It is also one door and highly competitive, and most uploads are not played, so treat it as one part of a wider plan. I cover it in depth in how to get on triple j Unearthed. Confirm current eligibility and process on the official triple j Unearthed site before uploading.

Community radio is Australia's strength

Australia's community radio sector is a genuine standout: hundreds of licensed, non-commercial stations, organized under the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), with a formal commitment to Australian music quotas that commercial radio does not match. Stations are locally focused and largely volunteer-run, with individual hosts programming their own genre shows and a strong tradition of championing new and local artists, so a direct, well-matched pitch gets a proper listen and often an on-air chat or session.

The sector even has its own airplay pipeline: Amrap (the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project) runs AirIt, a distribution platform where Australian artists upload tracks and community radio program makers download them to play. Getting your release onto AirIt puts it in front of hosts across the country, so set that up alongside your direct pitching, and check the current process on the Amrap site since details change.

Verified stations in the directory show the sector's spread: 2SSR 99.7FM in Sydney's Sutherland Shire, Alive 90.5FM in the city's west, Casey Radio in Melbourne's south-east, RPP FM on the Mornington Peninsula, 104.1 CHY FM in Coffs Harbour, and Gippsland FM broadcasting from Morwell. Each is programmed by real hosts you can pitch directly; the full method is in how to submit music to community radio.

Independent and online stations

Beyond Unearthed and the community sector, Australia has a healthy scene of independent and online stations, many of them genre-specialist, where hosts pick their own music and streaming carries them well beyond any single city. These are especially strong for specific genres and scenes, and because they broadcast online they let a locally based artist reach interstate and overseas listeners without leaving home. They are also worth pursuing between releases, since a host who likes your sound may feature an older track or invite you in for a session, keeping your music in circulation even when you have nothing new out.

The station names above are the tell: this is a sector built to play people like you. Every Australian listing in the directory is verified as taking submissions, with genres and a working contact, so the shortlist practically builds itself.

How to pitch Australian stations

Australian community hosts are volunteers with deep local roots, so the pitch that works here is neighbourly rather than corporate. Name the show, say where you are based and where you play, and include a private stream plus a downloadable, properly tagged file, with a clean edit if the track needs one. Mention AirIt if your track is already on it, since many program makers pull music from there, and say yes to any offer of a session or interview: Australian community radio loves putting artists on air, not just their records.

Register to collect on Australian airplay

Australian airplay generates royalties, but only for registered artists and songwriters. Sign up with APRA AMCOS, which handles the songwriting and publishing side, and register your works so logged plays pay. If you also own your recordings, register with PPCA as well, since it collects the separate royalty paid on the recording itself when it is broadcast. Both are one-time setups that matter as soon as you start earning airplay on Unearthed radio, triple j, or community stations.

Timing, follow-up, and relationships

Time your pitches a week or two ahead of release, and remember the distances involved: an online stream means a Perth host can play a Brisbane artist, but a genuine tie to the station's patch still wins the warmest response. Follow up once after a couple of weeks, log everything, and nurture the hosts who say yes. In a sector this community-minded, one supportive program maker will happily walk you into the next station over.

A sector built to say yes

Between Unearthed, AirIt, and hundreds of community stations carrying Australian music quotas, this country structurally wants to play its own independent artists. Take the invitation: start with the verified Australian stations and pitch the shows that fit.