How to Land Your DJ Set on the Radio (Step-by-Step Guide)
Want to broadcast your mix, improve your DJ skills and gain new followers? Radio DJ sets can help with all these aims. Getting your DJ set played on the radio, or securing a radio show is a major milestone for DJs. It boosts your credibility, increases your reach, allows you to connect with new fans, solidifies your playlisting and track selection skills, expands your knowledge of music, increases your use of audio tech and helps you further your DJ career. But how do you go from DJing in your bedroom to broadcasting your set?
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll break down exactly how to get your DJ set on the radio and list some of the best radio stations for DJs to approach.
Why Get Your DJ Set on the Radio?
Before we show you how to get a radio DJ show, let's look at the benefits of radio for DJs:
✅ Exposure – Reach new listeners and convert them into fans.
✅ Credibility – Being on a radio show gives you more credibility in the industry, being on a large station will boost your career.
✅ Networking – Connect with other DJs and bring guests onto your show.
✅ Career Growth – Radio play can lead to more DJ gigs.
✅ Experience – Creating regular playlists and DJing on the radio will increase your DJ skill level.
✅ Knowledge – Learn more about music while curating your set lists.
✅ Audio Technology Skills – Learn how to use a wide range of audio technology.
✅ Presenter Skills – Become confident on the mic and with interviews.
✅ Enjoyment – Above all, DJing on the radio is fun!
Step 1: Find the Right Station for Your Style of Music
Start by researching stations that play your style of music and fit with your vibe. Learn about their brand, their mission statement and how your ideals align. There are many different types of radio stations to get to know:
Online Radio Stations (Streaming): While most major radio stations are also available online there are thousands of online-only radio stations streaming from across the world. Some of them will have physical studios but many will air pre-recorded or live-streamed DJ mixes without a central location. These stations support beginners, established acts and headline DJs.
Regional FM/DAB Radio: Local and regional stations might utilise FM (Frequency Modulation/Analogue Broadcasting) or modern DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting). DAB offers improvements on traditional FM radio broadcast by providing crystal-clear audio, more stations or channels per frequency and text-based metadata transmission. Overall, DAB is an improvement on FM.
How To Find Radio Stations To Approach
there are several great resources to help you find radio stations in your local area of further afield. Start the search with a search engine and look for radio stations that play your genre of music. You can also try searching on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook and by looking in community forums like Reddit. In addition, try looking at where other DJs are airing their mixes. If you want to deep-search try these regional and global databases of radio stations:
✅ TuneIn - 100,000+ stations, including major FM/DAB streams
✅ RadioBrowser - Crowdsourced, 50,000+ global stations, filterable by genre/country
✅ WorldRadioMap – (Interactive map of FM/AM stations)
✅ Streema - Global database with streaming links
✅ Radio UK - UK-specific DAB coverage checker
✅ Digital Radio UK - UK-specific DAB coverage checker (Search with postcode)
✅ Radio Garden - Live global radio map, great for niche genres
✅ Ofcom - UK Ofcom radio stations database
Recommended List of Radio Stations of UK DJs
Several of our DJ course graduates have shows on stations in the UK and beyond. Here's a list of some of our favourite stations you can consider contacting:
NTS
Main genres: Eclectic mix of everything from Techno to Jazz & Ambient.
Description: NTS is renowned for its stellar programming and boundary-pushing music.
Main genres: UK Dance music focused, from grime to jungle and more!
Description: A home for UK dance music for over 20 years, Rinse is a global tastemaker in forward-thinking electronic music.
Main genres: Hip-hop, grime, garage, house & more.
Description: Broadcasting from Peckham, Balamii is a community-focused radio station garnering recognition in recent years.
Main genres: Electronic, RnB, Jazz & more.
Description: A female-led station championing diverse voices and a wide range of music.
Main genres: Grime, dance, and hip-hop.
Description: A youth-driven station focusing on UK hip-hop and dance music.
Main genres: Dubstep, house, and experimental dance music.
Description: Operating out of East London, Subtle delivers cutting-edge electronic music.
Main genres: Footwork, garage, and forward-thinking electronic music.
Description: Based in Deptford, Aaja promotes grassroots events and experimental sounds.
Main genres: Leftfield dance music, live performances, and talk shows.
Description: A newer Kings Cross-based station gaining popularity for its eclecticism.
Main genres: Melodic Techno, Chill, Ambient, Electronica and Dance Music.
Description: Community Radio station & Record Label
Main genres: All genres catered for.
Description: A growing radio station crossing over from it's community origins to a larger presence.
Main genres: Hardcore, Jungle, DNB, House, Soul and Reggae
Description: A former pirate station from the '90s, now the go-to for 160+ BPM music.
Main genres: Electronic and multicultural sounds.
Description: A community-driven South London station showcasing diverse cultures.
Main genres: Boundary-pushing UK dance music.
Description: A rapidly rising underground station with strong community engagement.
Main genres: Experimental, avant-garde, and genre-defying sounds.
Description: Bristol-based Noods thrives on weirdness and innovation in dance music.
Main genres: House & Tech House
Description: A newly formed radio station based in Ibiza broadcasting online.
Main genres: A wide range of music genres representing West London's diverse communities.
Description: West London community radio station with DJ and talk shows.
Main genres: Disco, House, Dance Music and World Music.
Description: Small community station founded by like-minded music fans.
Main genres: Dance music oriented.
Description: Brighton & Hove-based community radio station supporting upcoming DJs.
Main genres: House music and all its sub-genres.
Description: Small start-up internet radio station specialising in house music.
Main genres: Classic dance, house, funky house and dance anthems
Description: Small online station with a focus on popular dance music, including classics.
Main genres: A focus on fresh house music.
Description: Small online station with a focus on house music.
Main genres: Dance music - all genres catered for
Description: Small online station with a focus on dance music
Main genres: Deep house, underground and the best Balearic beats
Description: An established online radio station broadcasting from Ibiza to the world
Main genres: Electronic genres with a focus on EDM
Description: An established online radio station supporting up-and-coming DJs
Main genres: Acid, rave and dance music genres.
Description: A historic station with its roots in Pirate broadcasting and the second summer of love.
Main genres: An expansive range of genres, including EDM and open-format genres.
Description: An established radio station supporting up-and-coming DJs.
Main genres: A range of genres with a focus on dance music and electronica
Description: A curation-based online radio station broadcasting from East London.
Did we miss your station? Feel free to contact us.
Step 2: Prepare a Professional-Quality DJ Mix For Radio
Before you reach out to your desired radio stations, you should prepare some mixes to show them. These mixes can be hosted on Soundcloud or Mixcloud and be used to demonstrate your music style and DJ skills. You may also consider creating a video mix and uploading it to YouTube. When recording your DJ mix for radio, you'll need to avoid some common mistakes and ensure the sound quality is ready for broadcast.
Our friends at DJ Gym have prepared the perfect guide to help you record your DJ set for radio. Click here for the guide.
Step 3: Craft the Perfect Pitch & Secure The Show
Radio stations, especially the larger ones, receive plenty of submissions. You'll need to make sure your pitch stands out from the crowd. Most contact will be made via email or social media messaging but, if you can find a direct way to contact them, try that first. For example, it's better to speak to someone in person or on the phone rather than a cold email. Many radio stations also host community events, so make sure you do your research and find the best way to contact them for maximum impact.
If you're writing an email, make sure you include your DJ EPK (Electronic Press Kit) as an attachment. Click here to find out how to make a free DJ EPK. Your EPK will help them understand your selling points and will include DJ press photos, a DJ biography and any accolades you want to share, such as important DJ performances and your contact information.
The email body (text) should politely introduce yourself while acknowledging why you've chosen to contact their radio station specifically. What makes your style of music and mixing a perfect fit for their station and audience?
You should then include a link to your DJ mix(s). This should be a private Soundcloud link, and not the actual file.
If you've not heard back after one week since your email, politely send a follow-up and ask for any feedback or why the mix was rejected. This will help you fine-tune your pitch for the next opportunity. Remember, rejection is normal. Even getting a single reply for every twenty emails is a good response rate. Don't give up and keep trying. Adjust your offering if needed.
