15 indie-friendly music blogs, podcast pitching strategy, a complete EPK template, and a press release boilerplate. Everything you need to get coverage before and after your drop.
These blogs actively cover independent artists and have a documented submission process. Verify each contact before pitching. Blog editors change frequently. Check the "Submit" or "Contact" page directly before sending anything.
Covers emerging hip-hop, R&B, and alternative. High domain authority. Longer lead times: pitch 3+ weeks before release.
Indie, electronic, alternative. Accepts unsolicited demos via their contact page. Responds within 2 weeks if interested.
Emerging pop, R&B, indie. Actively features new artists. Strong social following amplifies placements.
Electronic, hip-hop, indie, alternative. High-volume blog. Requires a strong hook in the pitch subject line to stand out.
Australian-based but covers global indie and electronic. Good for international coverage and credibility-building.
UK-based indie, alternative, experimental. Covers artists at all stages. Pitch via their music submissions page.
Indie, folk, singer-songwriter. Curated quality over volume. Include one strong SoundCloud or streaming link, nothing else.
Indie pop, electronic, R&B. Focused on emerging artists with a strong social identity. Instagram presence matters to them.
Rock, punk, metal, hardcore, and adjacent genres. One of the few blogs with serious metal coverage. Print + digital.
Trap, bass music, electronic. High traffic within the bass music scene. Include a download link or streaming link in the pitch.
Chill, lo-fi, indie electronic. Playlist-focused blog with Spotify playlist placements as a frequent outcome alongside coverage.
Indie, alternative, electronic. Strong writing, longer-form coverage. Good for artists with a developed body of work to reference.
Electronic, EDM, dance. One of the most-read EDM blogs. Pitch 4+ weeks before release for best placement window.
Hip-hop, rap. Influential in the rap space. Harder to break into cold. Warm up via their social comments before pitching.
Indie, alternative, lo-fi. High submission volume. Keep your pitch to 3 sentences and one link. No attachments.
Music podcasts that feature indie artists are underused by most independent musicians. A 20-minute interview drives more genuine fan connection than 20 blog posts. The audience is pre-qualified and listening with intent.
Spotify search: Search your genre + "podcast" on Spotify. Sort by follower count. Look for shows with 500 to 50,000 followers that feature artist interviews, not just commentary podcasts about industry news.
Apple Podcasts search: Same search, different catalogue. Many music podcasts are on Apple and not Spotify, particularly older shows and niche genre podcasts.
Listen first: Listen to at least one full episode before pitching. If the host has a distinct point of view, reference it specifically. Generic pitches get deleted without a reply.
Check the guest list: If a podcast has featured artists at your level before, it's more likely to feature you. If every guest has 10x your following, it's the wrong fit right now.
Your EPK is the one document you send to blogs, podcasts, playlist curators, venue bookers, and sync supervisors. It lives at a permanent URL (Google Drive, your website, or a service like Press Kit Hero). Keep it updated after every major release.
[Artist Name] is a [genre] artist from [city]. [One sentence about the sound or concept.] [One sentence about what makes the music distinct or the story behind it.] [Release history in one line: "Released X in Y, Z in W."]
[Artist Name] is a [genre] artist from [city] who [what they do that's specific — not "makes music that moves people" but something concrete]. Their sound pulls from [2-3 specific influences that actually describe the music] without sounding like any of them directly. [One sentence on a defining moment, release, or experience.] [One sentence on what's happening now: current release, upcoming show, ongoing project.] [One sentence on where to find them.]
[The full version. Opens with the most compelling fact or moment, not with birth or childhood unless that's genuinely the most interesting thing. Traces the arc from where you started to where you are now. Includes the current release with context. Closes with what's coming next and where to stream/follow.]
Include 3 to 5 photos: one clean press photo (solid or simple background, high contrast, print-ready), one live or in-studio shot, one candid or lifestyle shot. Minimum resolution: 300 DPI at 8x10 inches for print. Minimum 2000px on the short side for web. Provide both horizontal and vertical crops. Include a photographer credit for each image in the filename or a separate credit doc.
Monthly Spotify listeners: [number] as of [date] Total streams (all-time): [number] Top markets: [list top 3 cities or countries from Spotify for Artists] Most-streamed track: "[Title]" with [X] streams Notable playlists: [list any editorial or major independent playlists] Social following: Instagram [X] · TikTok [X] · YouTube [X]
"[Pull quote from a review or blog post.]" — [Publication Name] "[Second pull quote.]" — [Publication Name] [If no press yet, leave this section out entirely. A blank press section is worse than no press section.]
Artist name: [Name] Management (if any): [Name] at [email] Press/booking inquiries: [email] Streaming: [Linktree or direct Spotify link] Instagram: [@handle] Website: [URL]
A press release is a one-page document announcing a release. It gives editors and bloggers the information they need to write about you without having to email back and forth. Keep it to one page. Use the inverted pyramid: most important information first.