Music Submissions
Harper Young is the current Music Director at Radio Laurier.
Contact Information: music@radiolaurier.com
What Can I Submit to Radio Laurier?
A submission can be anything from a single to an entire album. If any of the tracks in your submission break FCC guidelines, Radio Laurier requires a clean edit with the submission. If your submission is digital, for mechanical reasons we require that you send us MP3 files (not WAVs, AIFFs or anything else) either through a digital download link (e.g. Dropbox, Distro, Google Drive) or as an attachment to your email. We do not accept streaming links without a way to download the processed MP3s into our system. If a music submission only contains links to any of these websites, it will not be considered for airplay. We accept physical CD submissions to the address at the bottom of this page. While we also accept other physical media submissions, we request that you send along a digital copy of your submission too.
We’re super interested in giving a radio presence to any Kitchener-Waterloo talent or Laurier alumni who have music to share – we want to support our community and would be more than happy to receive your music submissions. Beyond that, we tend to favour any independent, local or underappreciated bands and artists, as we aim to use the platform university radio gives us to highlight talent that wouldn’t find airplay on mainstream commercial radio. If you have any questions regarding submission requirements, please email music@radiolaurier.com!
What Else Should I Include in my Submission?
Please include the artist/band name, album or EP title, and track listing. We’d also appreciate it if you’d include a couple of focus tracks, similar artists, and notices about any FCC violations. Also finally, please in heaven’s name include a bit about yourself in your submission: a short bio, where you’re from, and if you’re touring in the upcoming months, things like that; give us your vibe.
Please Note: Submissions sent without a track listing, downloadable format Mp3 files/digital download links or written content may not be considered for airplay.
What happens following my submission?
Once we receive your submission, our music team will decide whether your sound is the right fit for Radio Laurier. From there, if we choose to play your music on the air, we’ll add your music directly to our airplay rotation, wherever it fits. Ideally, the whole process will only take couple of weeks, though it may take longer if your submission involves any postage, which generally takes 7-10 business days to arrive if you’re in Canada. If you don’t hear back from us, it likely means your submission wasn’t picked up for airplay. We don’t contact each artist, label or promoter whose submissions we’ve passed on unless you’ve sent us an email specifically to ask about the status of your submission.
There are a few reasons a submission might not be picked up. First, we have a no-exceptions policy against hateful content and pointless generative AI. We also can’t pick up things that don’t meet our profanity or file format requirements. That said, we also may not pick things up simply because it’s not the right fit for Radio Laurier in that moment.
Do we have any other options for collaboration?
Going beyond curating the library, the only way the music department knows how to connect with the outside world are things like concert and album reviews, so if you have an upcoming album release or local show you’d like to shine a spotlight on, don’t hesitate to reach out and we’re happy to collaborate for reviews, interviews or listener ticket giveaways. Any event/concert invitations or album review inquiries should be directed to our Music Director at music@radiolaurier.com
Where should I send my physical music submissions?
Radio Laurier
C/O WLUSP
75 University Ave W
Waterloo, ON
N2L 3C5
Finally, if you’re a human being who actually read this whole description, please let us know! We’d rather collaborate with some real humans in the community rather than faceless mailouts.
If your question isn’t covered throughout this blurb then please contact our music director Harper Young at music@radiolaurier.com! Looking forward to hearing from you. :)