Dear Readers,
We have known each other for a while, so I’d like to take you back in time to my very first music industry job. I am, perhaps, dating myself a bit, but I worked at CMJ, which stood for COLLEGE MUSIC JOURNAL. CMJ was the bible of college radio in the 80s (before my time) and 90s (when college radio was the rage). I was lucky enough to go along for the ride.
I believe the first issue of the CMJ New Music Report, published in 1979, featured Elvis Costello on the cover. What timing! And what a time in music! The magazine took playlist Reports from College Stations in the US and Canada. They were either phoned in (and the hold time to give a Report was long!) or sent via fax. With that information, CMJ was able to put together notable college radio charts that even Billboard and Entertainment Weekly would utilize and print. Along with covering all things college radio in their weekly trade magazine, CMJ also hosted the CMJ Music Marathon, a 4-day music convention held in late October/early November in New York City. Meant to rival the summer’s New Music Seminar, CMJs Music Marathon had keynote speakers, panels and showcases, and at one point, even film screenings. It was a very exciting time, especially with all the independent music happening. Of course, college radio was important to major labels too, but the point was, you didn’t have to BE on a major label to get college radio airplay.
College Radio Rules!
So why am I telling you all this? Because College Radio is still really important. The stations are (of course) run by students, and they tend to play a wide variety of music rather than hits or notable names. College stations don’t rely on advertising for money to stay on the air. This gives them a lot more leeway in what the play or how they spend their time on the air. College Radio should definitely be on your radar when you start promoting your music and submitting your album for airplay… and here are some reasons why:
- When you submit music to college radio, the stations will be excited to hear from you. Music Directors and station DJs are always listening out for fresh music to play. Especially if you’re local to the school.
- Being played on college radio ups your cool factor. Getting radio spins gives you cred AND something to talk about on your social channels. You can (and should) encourage followers to start requesting your song from their local college station as well. College Radio airplay can open many doors for a new band. Many a booking agent has been turned on to a new artist via college radio!
- Unlike streaming services (or mainstream radio), college radio will add deep cuts to playlists. Also, unlike a streaming service, a listener can’t skip the song after a few seconds! College radio will always introduce a listener to something they’ve never heard before, and that’s probably why they’re tuning in.
- A recent study (2026 Audience Insights Report by Dentsu and IGN Entertainment) reported that Gen Z is getting tired of streaming algorithms, finding them boring and predictable. Gen Z’ers say they’re craving the human connection and community that radio provides. Holla!
- Back in my CMJ days, bands would come to play in our conference room, and, for the most part, we had never heard of them. I remember a hippie musician named Lenny Kravitz coming in. Even though no one in that room knew who he was, some college stations had gotten ahold of his music and were digging his vibe. College radio takes chances on what sounds good. That’s their criteria, and precisely why people listen: to be turned on to music commercial radio isn’t playing.
- A college station can start a buzz. Hearing about airplay on one college station can often lead to another one giving you a spin. There’s no corporate barrier at college radio either. They’re not beholden to advertisers and the Music Directors typically look at what their audience reacts to more than anything else.
OK, you’re sold!
So, what are the next steps? There are a variety of ways to get your music in the hands of people at college radio stations, one of which is via Play MPE! With their huge database of Music and Programming Directors, Play MPE has amazing college radio lists covering the US and Canada. Pro Tip: Non-Commercial and Community stations are also a great target for emerging and niche artists. And if you sign up for Caster, you can distribute your music direct to college radio stations. Caster will deliver your broadcast ready audio files alongside metadata, press releases, photos and a bio right into the Player system used by college radio programmers. Because these stations are run by students, feel free to call, offer to come and play for them, or send them flowers! They’re typically open to anything.
One fun last tip – you know what’s cool to do when you pitch college radio? Include a Radio ID (some folks might call it a Liner) for them! That’s when an artist or band does a shout out to the station. For example: “Hey this is Artist Name and you’re listening to our new song Song Name on Radio Station Name“. Go for it!!