We want to introduce you to the XLR8R submissions portal.

XLR8R’s submissions portal is a channel to allow artists within our XLR8R+ member community to easily submit their music to XLR8R to have it heard and featured. 

We recognize that for independent, emerging artists, it’s harder than ever to cut through the noise and have your music heard. Many trusted PR firms are out of reach financially and music publications are having to rely on advertorial (paid editorial) revenue to stay alive (read more about that here), resulting in a pay-to-play model. We want to make it easier, both to support artists and to find the best music that otherwise wouldn’t be heard. 

The submissions portal can be found in the XLR8R+ member’s area (screenshot below) and is an easy-to-use form that allows you to input your artist information, track name and artwork, genre category, email address, image, and a SoundCloud link. Once uploaded, your details will show in our dashboard, with artist name and SoundCloud stream front and center, allowing us to listen and connect with the music first and foremost.

Every month, we will listen to and assess the submissions. Approved submissions—tracks and mixes that fit within XLR8R’s musical universe—will be made available to XLR8R+ members to listen to, with information and contact details on each artist also available. With this, we are looking to foster a community of producers, DJs, labels, and music lovers, and to facilitate connections and collaborations. The submissions portal will allow XLR8R to flag artists, key tracks, and mixes, and pass them on to label and industry partners.

We are also looking to sign unreleased music to XLR8R+, to be released on future editions alongside artists such as Roman Flügel, Seth Troxler, DVS1, Huxley Anne, Minimal Violence, Mathew Jonson, Scuba, DeWalta, Oona Dahl, and Bjarki, all of whom have released on past editions. These tracks will need to be unreleased and unsigned, so we welcome private SoundCloud links.

Moreover, we will curate a selection of our favorite producers and DJs to showcase in a new feature series that will run on the XLR8R site—and their music will also be shared across our SoundCloud and social channels. We will endeavor to reply to all submissions. 

With the launch of XLR8R+, we have gone completely ad-free and are instead focusing on providing value to the XLR8R+ community. This shift will help us to foster a thriving ecosystem by featuring inspiring works from XLR8R+ members. After connecting with many of our members over recent months, we realized there is a wealth of highly talented artists within the community with inspiring music that needs to be heard.

Those who aren’t already an XLR8R+ member can subscribe for $5 a month at bit.ly/join_xlr8r. Once you’ve subscribed, you’ll receive an email to create an account on xlr8r.com for access to the member’s area where you will find the submissions form, alongside a range of exclusive offers, mixes, and content. If you’re already an XLR8R+ member, head straight to the member’s area and submit your music. We don’t want this to be another gatekeeper situation, so, for those who can’t afford to financially support XLR8R with $5 a month, please email xlr8r.plus@xlr8r.com and let us know of your situation and we will be more than happy to help out by providing access.

We look forward to hearing from you.