Taylor Wallace has taken over as lead Song of the Day Producer. That said, the following information is still accurate.
Howdy! Song of the Day Producer Taylor Wallace here.
First and foremost: submissions to Song of the Day must include info on the artist/release/show, a WAV file of the track you want to have featured, and 1-2 hi-res photos with photo creds. If you do not submit those three things, your submission may get lost in the “maybe abyss” as those who do submit correctly will be considered first.
- Do you want to submit a song for a Song of the Day feature? Email sotd@kutx.org with the phrase “KUTX Song of the Day” included in the subject line.
- Support for Song of the Day comes from The Werd Company
Concerning Curation
- Song of the Day does NOT just feature music from Austin-based artists. Creators worldwide are accepted! However, because KUTX strives to be “The Austin Music Experience,” Austin artists typically take precedence.
- Song of the Day serves two primary purposes. 1) Provide a platform showcasing rising musicians and 2) Provide listeners with a regular resource for musical discovery, especially through premieres. As such, selections are usually reserved for those who wish to promote a single, album, or release show through Song of the Day.
- Song of the Day DOES promote SOME live shows. That said, pitches for live gigs with no new release attached to them should be sent to my esteemed colleague Laurie Gallardo (amm@kutx.org) for Austin Music Minute consideration.
- Song of the Day NEEDS Y’ALL TO EMAIL YOUR SUBMISSIONS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. This cannot be stressed enough. Sometimes, really great stuff gets passed on simply because it was sent two days prior. Don’t wait until after your music is out to reach out for a Song of the Day feature. The calendar fills-up quickly, so getting your submissions in at least two weeks in advance is ideal. Don’t be the architect of your release not getting its full due!
- Song of the Day gets a lot of requests! It may take time for me to get around to your email, but following the guidelines at the top will put your request above others who don’t follow the format. Don’t hesitate to “circle back” with another email after a minimum of one week. Most importantly, never take a “pass” personally. On top of everything listed above, there are factors like – the need to promote other KUTX content (think ACL Fest pop-up performances), genre burnout (featuring too much of one kind of music consecutively, e.g. five straight days of indie rock), audio quality (I’m not talking about lo-fi, I mean there are just some submissions that direly need another pass of masters to not sound like demos), and knowing that certain songs would sound incongruent with our noon-1PM weekday playlists. I’d recommend doing a little bit of homework on who we are first and then decide if KUTX really is the best fit for your music before blasting us with something that we may not realistically be able to oblige. That little bit of prep can go a long way.
The Fine Print
Here’s what I send people when I confirm their song for my schedule. If your initial email includes everything that’s been requested…awesome!
Here’s what it entails…
- An on-air spin of the song on 98.9FM/KUTX.org at approximately 12:55pm Central U.S. Time, with a voiced intro and outro of producer Jack Anderson discussing the track.
- A brief web feature about the song and artist, including mentions of upcoming events and/or releases found at kutx.org/song-of-the-day.
- A free 24-hour download on KUTX.org, which then becomes a permanent, on-demand streaming link. Downloads average at about 1,000 per song.
- An X/Twitter post from our official KUTX account (20K+ followers) if you have an account we can tag AND/OR an Instagram story re-share from our official KUTX account if you tag @KUTX (50K+ followers)
- An addition to our official Song of the Day Spotify playlist (250+ likes) if/when it becomes available on that platform.
Here’s what we need…
- Permission to offer the song as a free 24-hour download at KUTX.org, after which it becomes a permanent, on-demand streaming link.
- Hi-res press photos (with photographer credit and web link, if applicable), single/album artwork, and an up-to-date artist bio or EPK.
- A wav file of the song. If the version of the song is not FCC clean, you need to specify that immediately so that Song of the Day can make a clean edit for broadcast.
- Pronunciation of song title/artist name if it seems applicable (especially for non-English words and unconventional stylizations/spellings)
- Clarification on use of capitalization in the for titles. Press releases often emphasize assets like album or song title in all caps. If so, please specify whether or not this is how it will be stylized on physical releases/streaming.
FAQs
- Q: If my song is selected for Song of the Day, will I be able to submit another song for consideration in the future?
- A: Yes! However, Song of the Day receives tons of requests. So in order to provide other folks ample opportunities, please allow five to six months between song release dates to submit again.
- Q: Can I submit a cover of another artist’s song?
- A: Yes. But with the above grace period in mind, consider waiting until you have an original to submit. We want to offer listeners new material as best as possible, not just fresh renditions of familiar songs.
- Q: Will the song be added to regular KUTX rotation?
- A: No. Song of the Day is a KUTX single day feature that airs Monday-Friday on KUTX. However, many Song of the Day selections have found their way into regular rotation! If you’d like to be considered for KUTX airplay, submit your music to Music Director Rick McNulty at rmcnulty@kut.org. More information can be found at kutx.org/submit-your-music/
- Q: Will my Song of the Day air more than once?
- A: No. As of now, Song of the Day airs once per day Monday-Friday at approximately 12:55pm Central U.S. Time.
- Q: Will the song be added to KUTX’s library for listeners to request later?
- A: No. Song of the Day is produced with voiced segments before and after the featured track. As such, Song of the Day is only intended to air at the aforementioned time. But as mentioned, there is potential for it to be added into KUTX’s regular rotation.
Time-Specific Requests
In general, I am in desperate need of R&B and Hip-Hop artists. If you know someone who needs to see that, please share with them and have them reach out.
There are also times of the year where I highlight specific artists. If you or someone you know fits the bill (and meets all the previous criteria), holler at me before the dates below.
- January: Love Austin Music Month – Special spotlight on Austin-based artists.
- February: Black History Month – Special spotlight on Black-identifying artists.
- (First half of) March: SXSW – Special spotlight on Official SXSW artists.
- June: Pride Month – Special spotlight on LGBTQIA+ artists.
Thanks for reading, and as always…
- Do you want to submit a song for a Song of the Day feature? Email sotd@kutx.org with the phrase “KUTX Song of the Day” included in the subject line.
- Support for Song of the Day comes from The Werd Company
