Thumbs up for The Unsigned Guide! Find out what our members have to say...
Blog by Louise Dodgson under Artist Managers, Creative & Branding, Finance, Law & Music Business, Live, Media, Music Publishing, Music Training & Careers, Record Labels, Recording & Production, Selling & Distributing Your Music
Wonderful words from the man himself! Here at The Unsigned Guide we’re very pleased to be on the receiving end of rave reviews and nice words from music industry organisations and established companies, but what about our members? We count bands, artists, music makers, producers, music students and those eager to build a career in the music industry amongst our regular users, not to mention small, independent labels, promoters and managers. So let’s hear what they have to say about The Unsigned Guide and how it has helped them progress. If you also want to let us know about your experiences and achievements through using The Unsigned Guide, and be featured on this blog, just drop us a line!
“The Unsigned Guide is an unmatched tool when promoting your music DIY. When we started out we would see bands getting radio play and press spots and wouldn't know how they knew where to contact. The Unsigned Guide is great too because it tells you how to submit tracks to each individual contact so you can tailor your submission instead of just cold emailing.”
Brosnan
“There’s so much useful information, support and advice to find in The Unsigned Guide. It’s been a great resource. If you’re a new artist and have relatively little experience within the industry it’s one of the first places you should go. The music industry can feel overwhelming and in some ways a bit of a minefield or impenetrable fortress to begin with, so having places like this to go for guidance can be really encouraging.”
Sailmaker
“We have used The Unsigned Guide a lot since we signed up last year. We always learn something new. It really is something I think all artists should have.”
The Naked Feedback
“The Guide has been especially useful for us in finding new promoters and gig venues to play on our tours. It has made organising the tours so much easier. The layout of the site is really good so you can target a city at a time.”
Seprona
“The Unsigned Guide has been incredibly useful for me in so many ways. I’ve used just about every contact in the database to help get my first single in front of the right people, and I’ve used lots of the guidance and articles to help me self-release and navigate all the potential income streams and hurdles to overcome! It’s been a really unique source of information! So thank you!”
Test Card Girl
“The Unsigned Guide is great for finding the best contact information for press, radio and blogs that I couldn’t find online and helped me secure my first radio play. Also, all the resources emailed over are crazy helpful – literally an opportunity I want to apply for in every newsletter!”
Sarah Carton
“I’ve used The Unsigned Guide directory to find press contacts who I’ve become friendly with and who always support me as an artist. The blogs are really helpful to me too as an independent artist and taking on all the roles that come with it. There’s a lot to learn, and a lot of things to keep an eye out for, and the blogs are an essential part of me doing that.”
HUSK
“The Unsigned Guide has been essential! We spent weeks before release scouring the database for potential contacts we could message and collated them all into a big Google doc tracker. We wanted to reach out to local press first, then some blogs, and some online unsigned radio stations etc. It’s been a truly invaluable resource for us already.“
Apteekii
“We’ve found The Unsigned Guide to be a really useful tool for getting our music heard, whether that’s blogs or radio stations. It was a bit of a revelation when I discovered it, I don’t have to scratch around for email addresses anymore.”
Twin Stranger
It's a great resource! I use it every time I release a new song and it's always something I recommend to others if they're running their own press campaigns.
Grant Kilpatrick
“We regularly use The Unsigned Guide. We find it extremely useful, well organised and easy to use! For example, we recently used its Media section in order to send our press release to blogs, online magazines and radios. It made the entire process simpler and quicker.”
Lunar Bird
“We have found The Unsigned Guide massively useful! Our single ‘Tall’ netted various features as a direct result of your website so we're incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and for all you guys do!”
Peplo
“Reu (lead singer) had a copy of the OG ‘Unsigned Guide’ when he was 18. It was brilliant back then and it’s awesome to see how much it has evolved. It’s been massively useful in our ongoing quest for management!”
Ghost Arcadia
“Charlie (lead singer) remembers signing up to the Guide on the day of Sylvette’s conception. He used the resources and contact lists available within it to help book tours independently which we’ve been doing ever since the start. It has certainly helped us in the arduous but greatly rewarding world that is the music industry!”
Sylvette
“I use The Unsigned Guide all of the time and it's massively helpful! I was recommended to use it by someone else and feel like it's really one of those things all unsigned musicians need to know about! The contacts, and especially the newsletters letting you know about things like the latest PRS funding opportunities and competitions etc. are really helpful - things like LIMF academy (where I received £2500 and so much mentoring, gigs, career support and a bunch of other stuff) and my slot at Bushstock festival in London with Freya Ridings and Sam Fender (which was apply to play) I applied for after seeing them on TUG.”
Mary Miller
“The Unsigned Guide has been really helpful getting contacts together and we have managed to get some radio plays through using the Guide.”
ISLA
“The Unsigned Guide is a great place where contact details are collected, which makes it so much more accessible for an independent artist. You want people to hear your work, and you want to tailor that to the right places, and The Unsigned Guide helps with that.”
Matthew Barton
“I dip in and out of paid membership, and have used it for a few years. It’s amazing to have all these connections in one place. I’ve learnt a lot from reading various articles about how best to contact industry professionals.”
Pyramid Park
“I’m really enjoying The Unsigned Guide platform and it’s been really beneficial for navigating the industry a bit deeper and building our own network. Annoyed I didn’t engage with it earlier on!”
Black Flies
"We've used The Unsigned Guide since the band started, it's got us reviews, gigs, contacts and taught us most of the stuff we know about 'the biz'. Every band we know either uses it or has at least heard of it. It's the swiss army knife every band should have in their pocket."
Sky Valley Mistress
“When we stumbled upon The Unsigned Guide, it was a god-send! We use it weekly to keep ourselves up-to-date with the latest competitions, awards and festival applications, in addition to sourcing promoters. Additionally, the blog and advice section of the website has always been really informative and makes for an interesting read. Without the backing of a label or a manager, having access to this directory really supports and gives a platform that helps us develop and flourish as a band – so thank you!"
Sun Moon & Talia
"We've been members of The Unsigned Guide from Day 1 in the band. We've DIY booked about 7 UK tours for ourselves and even international artists using the contacts in the Live section. More so we've contacted publishers and merch printing places through it which was really helpful. Probably one of the best DIY platforms out there for independent artists."
EYRE LLEW
"Despite the Internet having a wealth of information, there’s still no substitute for a specialist directory that’s updated regularly and well edited."
Jouska
"I've spent loads of time on The Unsigned Guide! I've emailed every radio show you've listed (relevant to my music). I've also emailed 90% of the press contacts! I think to have all this valuable information in one place, its such a huge deal. So thanks, again."
Second Hand Poet
"We've used the resources available to us almost exhaustively. Off the back of contacts found through The Unsigned Guide we have received blog write-ups, playlisting, funding advice we are pursuing and gigs/festivals for next year."
Brother Zulu
"I've found it to be a really useful resource as I try to plot my next steps as an independent artist."
Tina Boonstra
"When I came across the Unsigned Guide I was baffled by two things; 1) how affordable it was for such a wide and cool database, and 2) that we hadn't been using it before! We use it to help with finding all kinds of industry contacts, and the quantity of useful content is great. Even the Spotlight submission feature is great. I'm a big fan of it."
Brass Phantoms
"The information and opportunities that The Unsigned Guide provides has been absolutely invaluable to me as a self-managed, independent artist. I see the Guide as an integral aspect to my career in terms of resources and contacts."
Grace Savage
"A great source of industry contacts and has been a great help for our single release campaigns (which we have done ourselves)"
Memes
"We get pretty good use out of The Unsigned Guide. It makes the big tangled spaghetti of internet waves nice and digestible when it comes to looking for industry contacts. As a self-managing band, that can be priceless."
Oya Paya
"I find The Unsigned Guide is good for using as a database to search. You normally find people e-mailing you wanting something from you all the time (generally it's your money.) You can't dismiss all of them, so I normally give most of them a search on UG and see what comes up. I find that UG gives better quality information than just a Google search for e-mails/phone numbers. It's really helped with promotors and managers I need to get in touch with."
Vigilantes
"I have found the plethora of live music venue contacts included in The Unsigned Guide monumental in reaching new audiences."
Ross T. Graham
"I can't count the hours that have been saved from having to hunt through the internet for a gig promoter's email address or the phone number of a studio thanks to The Unsigned Guide. These are all hours that could be spent mastering my instrument instead and I know which is more important to me! It was even through the Guide that we signed our first record deal so a massive thank you is owed."
The Wicked Venetians
"The Unsigned Guide has been an incredible tool. It has helped me so much in planning shows and tours. Having all the information in one place really takes the stress out of finding it all on your own. As an independent artist it really helps and acts as a great guide. it’s almost ridiculous not to use or have. I recommend it to others quite a lot."
Oktoba
"It's a really transparent source of information which in my experience is pretty uncommon in music. It's empowering, and that's fantastic."
Poisonous Birds
"The Unsigned Guide is a great tool for any unsigned band, literally does what is says on the tin. We are avid users and could not recommend more for any artist looking to make contacts and waves!"
Fond Of Rudy
"It’s helped us to reach out to loads of radio stations, online blogs and booking agencies that perhaps we wouldn’t have otherwise had access to."
The Franklys
Delta Mainline
"The Guide seems to be one of the most important resources for an up and coming band."
Karkosa
"The directory is a great tool for finding likeminded individuals in the industry."
Foreignfox
"The Unsigned Guide is a really useful medium for opening an emerging artist's eyes to a plethora of gigs, contacts and advice all in one place. Invaluable for new artists trying to push through and something I've already recommended to other artist mates of mine."
Mark Lawless
Buffalode
"It's amazing to have so many industry contacts all in the same place - rather than having 100 tabs open on your computer trying to cross reference between websites and your email. It saves a lot of time!!! The Unsigned Guide is usually the first place I hear about opportunities or apply to play events to. It's a must if you're trying to tap into this industry alone like we are."
"We have been members of The Unsigned Guide for a couple of years now. It’s great for new bands to have all of the music industry contacts in the one place. London has been a much harder scene for new bands than I had anticipated when I moved here 3 years ago. Having something like The Unsigned Guide has helped us for sure when it's come to finding venues or reaching out to bookers and looking for PR companies."
The Bloom
"I do use The Unsigned Guide all of the time. I organised the tour that we are starting next week by contacting a lot of people I found using the Guide. I have also gained radio play through contacts from this website. So yes, I really do use it and it really makes a difference."
Katie Mac
"It's a great resource for self-managing musicians like me to be able to track down relevant industry contacts and organisations, and it's all in one easy-to-use website. Plus I find the newsletters really useful in staying on top of developments in the industry."
Owen Duff
"We use The Unsigned Guide all the time, it has been the biggest help for us! It's a absolute God-send! We definitely wouldn't of got this far without it."
Feral Family
"The Unsigned Guide has helped me so much, getting in contact with so many people I would never of been able to network with previously. I advise it to all up and coming artist who are looking to start their career off, or even follow on with self management. It really is the independent platform of its time, so thank you!"
Luke May
"We use The Unsigned Guide regularly to email out press releases to labels and promoters, it's helped us secure a booking agent and even a main stage festival slot at Forever Sun Festival with The Happy Mondays."
The Assist
LIINES
"We've played over 300 shows as a band and The Unsigned Guide has been a constant source to help us establish new contacts. It's a priceless tool."
Gecko
"A friend had recommended it to us about a year ago and since then we've constantly been using it with promotion/booking and anything else that we find helpful along the way. It's such a great platform for independent artists such as ourselves to use and we have recommended it to many of our friends in the same position."
Loud Mountains
"When I first started out I used the The Unsigned Guide to help get shows so I know that it’s a great service for musicians! I’m going to be using it a lot to help with the next releases and hopefully to find promoters and booking agents for the potential new shows at the end of the year."
Kate Lomas
Secular Ghost
The Moth Lantern
"I came across The Unsigned Guide whilst looking into music management. It's such a useful resource in giving pointers to emerging artists in what can be a daunting industry!"
"The Guide has been helpful for finding contact details to send promo copies of the album for radio and press."
James Holt
"Your site is completely invaluable for up and coming artists. Personally, I've had so much radio play/blogs/interviews through The Unsigned Guide and learnt a huge amount... I owe so much to you, as I imagine thousands of other artists do also!"
Emi McDade
Joe Fawcett, Young Music Apprentice, Red Dreams
“Thanks to you we are one of the 10 winners of the Manchester City CityBeats competition. We were the first artist to be featured and we have since had lots of press through national media such as The Guardian and Radio 6. We saw the competition in The Unsigned Guide.”
Ross Mayhew
"I do get a lot of traffic from my listing in your Guide - it's a big help and I've found many acts through it so thanks for this."
Shaun, Substance Gigs
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the unsigned guide, unsigned bands, unsigned artists, independent artists, emerging talent, the unsigned guide spotlight
