How to Submit Music to BBC Introducing in 2026

BBC Introducing accepts music from UK-based artists through the BBC Introducing website. Upload your track, select your region, and BBC producers may feature it on local or national radio. Here is how to maximize your chances.

BBC Introducing has broken artists like Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Fender before they were household names. The upload form is free. The competition is every bedroom producer and unsigned artist in the UK submitting right alongside you.

Getting selected is not random, though. There is a process, a profile, and a set of decisions that put your submission in a different category from the majority of what comes in. This guide walks through every step of submitting to BBC Introducing in 2026, what happens after you upload, and how to maximize your chances of getting to air.

What You Will Learn

• What BBC Introducing is and who can use it
• Step-by-step instructions for setting up your profile and uploading a track
• What the selection process looks like from the inside
• What makes a submission stand out
• Common mistakes that get tracks ignored
• What to do if you are not based in the UK

What BBC Introducing Is

BBC Introducing is the BBC's platform for unsigned and emerging artists in the UK to get their music heard by BBC producers, local show teams, and, if selected, national BBC radio audiences.

It operates through an online uploader at bbc.co.uk/introducing. Artists create a profile, upload tracks, and those tracks are reviewed by the teams running BBC Introducing's regional shows across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Local shows broadcast on BBC local radio stations. The best picks from local shows are regularly passed up to national BBC stations including Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 6 Music, and the Asian Network.

The path looks like this: upload track, get reviewed by local BBC Introducing team, get featured on local BBC Introducing show, get picked up by a national show or presenter.

Most artists stop at step three. Getting past that takes more than just a good song.

Who Can Use BBC Introducing

BBC Introducing is specifically for artists who:

• Are based in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland)
• Are unsigned or on a small, independent label without a major label distribution deal
• Have original music (covers are not accepted unless they are significantly rearranged original compositions)
• Hold full rights to the recording and the composition

If you are on a major label, distributed by a major through a subsidiary, or based outside the UK, the BBC Introducing uploader is not available to you. This is a hard eligibility limit, not a preference.

For artists outside the UK: options like college radio in the US and Canada, community radio in Australia, and genre-specific internet radio shows serve a similar developmental function. See our general radio guide for those alternatives.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your BBC Introducing Profile

Step 1: Create a BBC Account

Go to bbc.co.uk/introducing and click "Sign in" or "Register." You will need a BBC account linked to a valid email address. This is a single account that gives you access to BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and BBC Introducing with the same login.

Step 2: Start Your Artist Profile

Once logged in, navigate to the Introducing upload section and begin building your artist profile. You will need:

• Artist/band name
• Genre tags (be specific; genre tags directly affect which local shows review your track)
• Your UK postcode (this determines which local BBC Introducing show receives your submission first; this is essential for correct routing)
• Artist bio (see bio tips below)
• Artist photo at 1920x1080px in landscape orientation (this is the official BBC recommendation; portrait or square images are not optimal)
• Social media links (at minimum: one or two active profiles)
• Website (optional but adds credibility)

Step 3: Write Your Bio

Your bio is read by real people who are deciding whether to invest time in your music. It should be:

• Two to four paragraphs
• Specific about your sound, influences, and where you are from
• Free of generic phrases like "genre-defying" or "unique sound"
• Honest about your stage (upcoming artist, not "established internationally")

A producer from Birmingham who makes late-night neo-soul influenced by Sault and Moonchild has a more compelling bio than "a versatile artist with a unique sound that blends multiple genres." Be the former.

For detailed bio writing guidance, see our artist bio guide.

Step 4: Upload a Track

Click "Upload music" and select your audio file. BBC Introducing accepts:

• MP3 (recommended) at 320 kbps minimum
• WAV for higher quality

Do not upload a demo, a rough mix, or a live recording you are not proud of. BBC producers hear hundreds of submissions per week. The production quality of your recording is part of the evaluation.

For each track upload, you will be asked to provide:

• Track title
• Composer and writer credits (who wrote the song, who performed it)
• Whether you own the rights (honest answer only; tracks with disputed rights can cause issues)
• Lyrics (optional but recommended for tracks with lyrics; it helps producers understand the content before playing)
• Label or publisher name if applicable

You can upload multiple tracks to your profile, but you do not control which track the BBC team chooses to focus on. Having your best two or three tracks available is better than uploading everything you have made.

Step 5: Submit

Review everything, confirm it is accurate, and submit. You will not receive an automatic confirmation that your track has been reviewed. BBC Introducing receives a very high volume of submissions and the teams cannot respond to every artist.

How the Selection Process Works

Once you submit, your track goes to the BBC Introducing team covering the local area associated with your postcode. That team includes producers and presenters who regularly review submissions.

They are listening for:

• Strong songwriting and a distinctive voice or sound
• Production quality appropriate to the format
• A local connection (being from or based in that area matters)
• A complete, professional profile

If a local team likes your track, it gets played on the local BBC Introducing show. From there, local picks are regularly shared with the broader BBC Music teams. National presenters like Jack Saunders (Radio 1), Mary Anne Hobbs (Radio 6 Music), and others have made BBC Introducing discoveries central to their playlists.

This process is not fast. An artist who uploads in January might see their first local airplay in March and a national pick-up by summer if things go well. Plan accordingly.

What Happens After Submission

When you upload a track, it goes to the BBC Introducing team covering the local area associated with your postcode. Every week, 20 local BBC Introducing shows across the UK play music discovered through the Uploader. These shows broadcast on BBC local radio stations across England and the Channel Islands from 8pm on Saturday evenings.

The progression path looks like this:

1. Local radio play: Your track is featured on your local BBC Introducing show
2. Regional recommendation: Local shows recommend their best picks to national BBC stations
3. National radio play: Your track may be picked up by Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 6 Music, or the Asian Network
4. BBC Introducing playlist: Selected tracks are added to the BBC Introducing playlist on BBC Sounds

You can upload a maximum of 2 tracks every 30 days, starting from your first track upload. This limit encourages you to submit your best work rather than flooding the system.

BBC Introducing Stages at Festivals

BBC Introducing does not stop at radio. The platform also provides festival performance opportunities that have launched careers. BBC Introducing stages operate at major UK festivals including:

• Glastonbury: The BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury has hosted artists like Ed Sheeran, Sam Fender, and Lewis Capaldi before they became arena headliners
• Reading and Leeds: BBC Introducing stages give emerging artists slots at two of the UK's biggest music festivals
• BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend: Artists selected through BBC Introducing get performance slots at this flagship event

In 2025, artists like Fiona-Lee from East Yorkshire, Belfast band Chalk, and Ipswich artist Native James all performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury. Myles Smith, who performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Big Weekend in 2024, went on to win the Rising Star Brit Award, score the best-selling British song of 2024 with "Stargazing," and return to play the main stage at Big Weekend 2025 in Liverpool before supporting Ed Sheeran on tour.

Success Stories From 2025 and 2026

BBC Introducing continues to break artists. Recent examples:

• Myles Smith: Uploaded through BBC Introducing, performed on the Introducing stage at Big Weekend 2024, then won the Brits Rising Star award and made the Time 100 list in 2025. His single "Stargazing" surpassed one billion streams.
• Fiona-Lee: Selected from the BBC Introducing Uploader to perform at Glastonbury 2025 on the BBC Introducing stage, performing songs from her debut EP.
• Chalk: Belfast band selected through BBC Introducing to play the Glastonbury stage in June 2025, calling it a "bucket list moment."
• Native James: Ipswich alternative rap artist selected for the Glastonbury BBC Introducing stage in 2025, bringing out Professor Green during his set.

These artists all started the same way: by creating a profile and uploading a track through the BBC Introducing Uploader.

What Makes a Submission Stand Out

Beyond having a good track, these factors consistently separate featured tracks from ignored ones:

A complete profile. A blank or sparse artist profile signals that you are not serious. Fill in every field. Add links. Upload a proper photo.

A specific local connection. The local BBC Introducing team cares about their region. An artist from Sheffield who references the local scene in their bio is more compelling to the Sheffield team than an artist with no stated connection to anywhere.

A track that fits the format. BBC Introducing features artists across many genres, but the most common selections are in indie, alternative, electronic, hip hop, soul, and folk. Extreme metal or highly experimental avant-garde may have a harder path through local shows to national programming, though niche BBC shows do exist.

Clean audio. If your track sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom, do not submit it yet. Record it properly first. A local studio day or a high-quality home recording setup is worth the investment before you put your name in front of BBC producers.

Appropriate track length. Tracks under four minutes have more flexibility in radio programming. An eight-minute experimental piece is harder to slot into a show format.

Tips for Getting Noticed

Quality threshold. BBC producers hear thousands of submissions per week. Your track needs to be professionally recorded and mixed. This does not mean you need a $10,000 studio session, but it does mean the vocal should be clear, the mix should be balanced, and the master should be at a competitive loudness level. If you are unsure about your mix, get feedback from other producers before submitting.

Genre fit. BBC Introducing features artists across many genres, but the most common selections are in indie, alternative, electronic, hip hop, soul, and folk. If your music sits in a niche that does not have a natural BBC radio home (extreme metal, noise, avant-garde), your path to airplay is narrower. Check what your local BBC Introducing show actually plays before submitting.

Regional vs national selection. The first gate is your local BBC Introducing team. They care about local connection. An artist from Sheffield who references the local scene is more compelling to the Sheffield team than an artist with no stated connection to the area. Get featured locally first, then national pick-up becomes possible. Do not try to game the postcode system. Use the postcode of the area where you genuinely operate.

Timing of submission. Submit your best track when it is ready, not before. There is no advantage to rushing a rough mix. However, submitting around the time of an active release (when your track is also on streaming platforms and you have some social media momentum) gives producers more context about who you are and whether you are building traction.

What to Do After Uploading

• Keep your profile updated. Add new tracks as you release them. An outdated profile with a track from three years ago suggests you are no longer active.
• Stay active on social media. BBC producers sometimes look up the artists they are considering. An active, professional social presence supports your submission.
• Promote any airplay you receive. If a local BBC Introducing show features your track, share it widely. Tag the show and the presenter. This builds the relationship for future submissions and demonstrates to the BBC team that you engage with coverage.
• Listen to the shows. Know what the local BBC Introducing show in your area actually plays. If your sound is completely outside their typical rotation, adjust your target or your expectations.

Common Mistakes

Wrong postcode. The postcode you enter determines which local team sees your submission first. An incorrect postcode means your track might go to the wrong region and get less attention from a team that does not know your scene.

Explicit content without warning. If your track contains explicit language, note it clearly in your submission. A producer who plays an explicit track without realizing it creates a problem for the station. Tracks flagged as explicit are evaluated differently for general rotation.

Copyrighted samples you do not own. If your track contains an uncleared sample, submitting it to the BBC could create legal problems for both you and the BBC. Only submit tracks where you hold all necessary rights.

Submitting too many tracks at once. Uploading 20 tracks and hoping one gets picked is not a strategy. Your best two or three tracks, clearly presented, are more likely to get serious attention than a flood of everything you have produced.

Blank or rushed bio. If you have not invested five minutes in a bio, the producer may not invest five minutes in your music.

What BBC Introducing Does NOT Do

It is important to understand what BBC Introducing is not:

• It is not a record label. BBC Introducing does not sign you, own your music, or take a cut of your royalties. You retain full ownership of your recordings and compositions.
• It is not a distribution service. Getting played on BBC Introducing does not put your music on Spotify or Apple Music. You still need a distributor like DistroKid (7% off) for that. Students can use the DistroKid student plan (50% off).
• It is not a guarantee of anything. Most tracks uploaded are never played. The BBC does not notify artists who are not selected, and there is no feedback mechanism.
• It does not pay royalties directly. If your track is played on BBC radio, you earn performance royalties through PRS for Music (the UK PRO), not through BBC Introducing itself. Make sure you are registered with PRS to collect those payments.

If You Are Not in the UK

BBC Introducing is UK-only. There is no equivalent international application.

If you are in the United States or Canada, the closest equivalent is the college radio system described in our college radio guide. NACC, college stations, and community radio serve a similar developmental function for independent artists in North America.

In Australia, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) members provide similar access for independent artists. In France and Germany, public broadcasters have developmental programs for unsigned artists, though the submission processes vary.

SubmitHub: An Alternative for Blog and Playlist Pitching

If you are not UK-based, or if you want to supplement your BBC Introducing submission with blog and playlist coverage, SubmitHub (10% off with code t4m10off) is the most widely used platform for pitching music to blogs, playlists, YouTube channels, and TikTok curators. You submit your track to specific curators, set your budget, and receive guaranteed listens with feedback within a set timeframe.

SubmitHub operates on a pay-per-pitch model. You choose which curators to submit to based on their genre preferences and audience size. Each curator guarantees a minimum listen time and written feedback, whether or not they feature your track. This makes it a more predictable process than BBC Introducing, though it costs money while BBC Introducing is free.

For UK artists, using both BBC Introducing (for radio) and SubmitHub (for blogs and playlists) covers more ground than either alone.

BBC Introducing Upload Checklist

Before you hit submit, confirm:

• You are UK-based and eligible
• You own or control all rights to the track and composition
• No uncleared samples in the recording
• Audio file is MP3 at 320 kbps or WAV
• Track is properly mixed and mastered
• Your postcode is correct
• Artist photo is 1920x1080px landscape orientation
• Bio is written, specific, and at least two paragraphs
• At least one social media link is active and current
• Track title and songwriter credits are filled in
• Lyrics provided (recommended)
• Explicit content flagged if applicable

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to hear back from BBC Introducing? A: There is no guaranteed timeline and BBC Introducing does not notify artists who are not selected. If your track gets featured on a local show, the producer or presenter will typically reach out to arrange the use. Many artists submit and never hear back; that is normal. Keep submitting new music as you release it.

Q: Can I submit a track that is already on Spotify or streaming platforms? A: Yes. BBC Introducing accepts tracks that are commercially available. Being on streaming platforms does not disqualify you. Just make sure you still meet the signed/label eligibility requirements.

Q: Can a band submit if the members live in different cities? A: Yes, but use the postcode of the city where the band primarily operates or rehearses. The local connection should be genuine, not arbitrary.

Q: Do I need to be professional quality to submit? A: The BBC does not define a specific technical standard, but tracks are compared to other submissions. If your production quality is significantly below what local acts are producing, it will affect how the track is perceived. Get feedback on your mix before submitting.

Q: What happens if I get featured on a BBC Introducing show? A: You will typically be asked to provide a cleared version of the track for broadcast, your full legal name and contact info, and songwriting and publishing details. The BBC will broadcast your track and often link to your profile. From there, the national BBC teams have access to local picks. Keep your EPK ready and use the airplay as a press kit item immediately. See our EPK guide for how to present it professionally.

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Your next step is simple: go to bbc.co.uk/introducing, create your profile today, and upload your best track. Fill every field. Write a real bio. Use the right postcode. Then keep releasing music and keep your profile current. BBC Introducing is a long game, and the artists who treat it as an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time submission are the ones who eventually get the call.