Hello everyone. Please excuse me, but it’s time for a heartfelt personal moan
Last week 70 people clicked on the Send Us A Track link on this blog and every single one of them, er, sent us a track. Every one of them will also have seen the above link saying: “UK artists: be sure to submit your latest tracks to the BBC Introducing Uploader”
Members of Team Freshnet listened to all 70 of those tracks so that you, our readers, wouldn’t have to. We all picked and approved our favouritemost tracks and posted all 29 of them on this weekend’s Listening Post for your approval. On Monday your most-liked tracks will get permanently embedded on our blog as next week’s Fresh Faves.
Now, here’s the thing. As well hosting this blog, I also host a 60 minute Introducing Mixtape show on BBC Radio 6 Music. Although, as we frequently point out, that mixtape is taken entirely from tracks on the BBC Introducing Uploader, I do tend to hear a good many of them for the first time right here on the Listening Post.
So how will I choose which tracks on this week’s Listening Post to include in the next mixtape – will it be the ones I personally like best? Not neccessarily, because the mixtape consists (as I say) entirely of tracks from the Introducing Uploader. And unbelievably, out of the 29 tracks on this week’s Listening Post…
* Seven were by artists who hadn’t ever registered their music with BBC Introducing:
MOTH CONK MIDI, ONE MINUTE WANDA, WASP SUMMER, TIM OT , THREE FIELDS, SOCCER96, GHOST LAKE. – though it’s possible of course that some of them live outside the UK.
* However eight were by artists who had previously registered with BBC Introducing – but hadn’t uploaded their latest material:
NIGHT NOISE TEAM, LUX LISBON , BATTLESHIPS , HUWIE PRICE , DEATH RATTLE , CLEAVERS , DREAMA , WE CUT CORNERS.
So in fact for next week’s programme and download on 6 Music I’ll have to pick my personal favourites from just fourteen artists who actually bothered to read and follow the heavy hints plastered all over our blog and Soundcloud page:
GENNA MARABESE – Walls
DEAD SURF COUNTRY – Crush
THE ADVOCATES – Half a Day
SILENCE RISES – Feeling Clever
ANIMAL NOISE – Baddow
SILENT CITIES – All These Winds fine short acoustica
DEAR LEADERS – Not Summer
GEM DOS – Sand Hands
REBECCA MAYES – The Lights
SOFTWHERE – Edge Of The Road (with HANNAH RICKARD)
BETHANY WEIMERS – William and His Ghost
TENI – Lionheart
DAN LENO – Bones
MOYA – Lost and Found
Quite simply, these tracks are eligible for the BBC Introducing Mixtape because they have been sent to, er… BBC Introducing.
It’s hardly f***ing rocket science.
<rant mode=”off”>
Damn it!! I am a dopey git, but nice to see I’m not the only one! :/
I am uploading my track to Introducing now…though its probably too late?
Though, I wasn’t doing very well anyway!
But while we are on the subject of the Introducng site – does anyone ever listen anymore? I upload tracks as often as I can and the status of all but 3 of my tracks is still ‘unlistened’! I know you must get shed loads every day, and I understand that. Just wondered if you have a crew of people that listens or just yourself and the other presenters?
I’ve been played twice now and I really appreciate it! So thanks Mr Tom! 🙂
Fair point, Tom 🙂
Track being submitted now.
Hope you’ll consider it.
Thanks
Sean (Night Noise Team)
Hi Tom and all,
No excuse, I hope I havn’t shot my track in the foot.
I have uploaded fright night to my uploader in the hope that it can still be considered for the Mixtape,
Huwie
Do you get access to all the tracks that people send via the uploader or just those that our local BBC Introducing presenters recommend to you?
No worries Sean, Mike & Huwie, thought I’d flag it up now while the Listening Post is still open and there’s time to sort things out.
Andrea – yes I can access everything thats ever been sent in.
We occasionally hear artists moan that music they sent to the Uploader months ago still hasn’t been listened to. But bear in mind:
1) literally thousands of artists upload their music ever month.
2) the BBC is going through major budget cuts, especially in local radio
3) most local introducing shows are staffed by freelancers as a labour of love
4) those people can all be contacted by more efficient means than the Uploader:
Twitter, email, post, texting the show while on air – or simply waiting for them outside the station when they come off air.
My advice: whatever it says on the BBC website, the real point of the Uploader is not that your music gets automatically listened to – even though staff will try to make sure it eventually does. The point is that you now no longer have to physically get a CD into the hands of your favourite BBC Introducing show before they can hear you (see below). If you’ve uploaded your music, you only need to get their attention and they can check you out with the click of a mouse, and schedule your track for airplay in a heartbeat. All you have to be is good.
Oh dear, I feel silly!
I’m uploading to BBC introducing right now!!! Thanks for moaning about this Tom – best thing I’ve read all day! (& also I’m glad you liked the track)
I uploaded mine but it says that it goes to Gary Crowley, I wasn’t picked so I suppose it doesn’t matter but how would I insure it goes to you? Thanks, C
Turbulence is now on the uploader.
Cheers Tom!
Thanks, that’s really helpful.
Oh yeah. Oops. Sunflower has now been uploaded. Hope it can still be considered. Terrible oversight. Apologies!
Too right Tom! I’ve had a couple of my songs played on air after uploading them to BBC Introducing. You can see who has listened to them as well.
As soon as you have that first copy of the brilliant new track you have been working ever so hard on, your first thoughts should be ‘BBC Introducing’
I’m not a musician or artist but I am a marketer, music is just a passion. I’ve been helping my sister Maisie release her first EP, not having a clue about the industry 6 months ago I’ve fully released it of my own back, purely through reading this blog (Thanks Tom and Team)
I’d go as far to say that the BBC Introducing uploader is the most powerful platform for new artist and from experience can present so many opportunities. Maisie was given the opportunity to record a BBC intro session, a fashion designer heard this and asked her to write a track, local promoters offered paid gigs,and the Saturday just gone Tom played her on his new evening show….all through uploading music that that’s a few minutes.
The amount of EPK’s or even websites I see where artists quote BBC introducing presenters is crazy i.e ‘…is incredible, one to watch’ (presenters name)from a marketing perspective this is priceless.
If I was a promoter or festival organiser I’d instantly be more attracted seeing ‘BBC’
I’ve used ‘BBC Introducing, BBC6 music, Tom Robinson’ In all ‘hot keywords’ in Maisie’s marketing, from doing this she has had some crazy opportunities, she has a photoshoot for all her branding at famous 33 Portland place, the same place Amy Winehouse filmed Rehab and the Kings Speech was filmed. Still shocks me how we managed to get in there haha
I’m going to stop rambling on about the importance of the uploader, not just from the point of reaching a new audience but a marketing perspective 🙂
Oh dear. I didn’t realise re the uploader thing Prob too late this time but it’s there now… Thanks x