Are you looking to submit/promote music? Or perhaps you are a music fan? We’ve compiled the ultimate list of the best indie blogs of 2021!
1. Santa Rosa Records
Santa Rosa records is a Texas-based indie label, publishing company, recording studio, and curator of obscure music from around the globe and across all genres.
The selection of music in this blog is fabulous. Each post is concise and to the point. There is also a section dedicated to interviews exploring artist’s creative processes in more detail.
If you are an artist and have something you think Santa Rosa Records would dig, shoot it their way.
2. Various Small Flames
Make yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy reading this blog made up of interviews, reviews, previews, mixtapes and … books! The choice of including literature is probably due to the fact that one of the editors (Jon) is also a writer and PhD candidate.
Various Small Flames is dedicated to sharing the music from independent artists, especially home recordings and DIY labels, so send them your tunes!
3. Chances with Wolves
“Chances with Wolves is not a radio show, it’s a state of mind.”
Chances with Wolves is your ultimate mixtape provider. Get on SoundCloud and follow them – you won’t regret it.
The website counts 388 mixtapes episodes and has a store where you can buy branded t-shirts as well as cassette mixtapes.
Each mixtape is about 2 hours long and most tracks on them are funky and, as some of the Soundcloud users observe – “dope.”
4. Obscure Sound
What’s more indie than obscure music, right? Obscure Sound is all about turning up gonna-be-hits. The blog’s been around since 2006, when then-PopMatters-writer Mike Mineo decided to strike out on his own to cover emerging music.
If you’re an “emerging” artist, this is a good site to submit to. Reviews are short, sweet, and to-the-point, and there are a bunch of good playlists that you’ll likely get added to if you get approved.
Plus, Mike just has good taste.
5. Indie is not a Genre
Indie is not a genre covers news, reviews, live events, new album recommendations and interviews. Scroll down at the bottom of the web page and you will find out that indie is really not a genre, with different sections dedicated to pop, rock, electronica, singer-songwriter, post punk, psychedelic and punk.
The website started in Germany in the summer of 2011 and soon grew into an international project. It won the top 50 alternative music blog award!
Send them your music by using the about/contact page.
6. Indie Central Music
Alex, Adam, George and Stephen will help you unearth new music every week with their UK-based indie music blog. The website also includes a radio and indie central music TV. As one of the editors explains in the introductory YouTube video: if you are one of the biggest fans of the smallest bands, you want to subscribe to indie central music.
7. Cougar Microbes
Whether you are an artist or a music fan, Cougar Microbes is a blog you should check out. With a team of 11 writers, the website covers interviews, introduction of new artists and live events. Cougar Microbes also posts a music video from a different artist every week, if that’s your thing.
If you want to submit your music to this blog, you should do so using Fluence or SubmitHub. Due to the fact that the team receives more than 300 submissions per day, they do not accept email submissions anymore.
8. Atwood Magazine
Atwood Magazine has an obvious passion for music. From their about page:
“We are celebrators of creativity. Atwood Magazine is an independent music journal dedicated to providing authentic writing, engaging, insightful editorials, and unique perspectives on music.”
They “aim to showcase not only incredible creation, but also the stories behind them.”
With features on up-and-coming independent acts getting placement beside industry stars, Atwood is a great platform to get your indie music heard.
9. The Owl Mag
“Owls are nocturnal and wise, like our readers” – explanation from the blog owners on the choice for giving the name to the project.
With its numerous freebies such as ticket giveaways, The Owl Mag is the music fan’s delight. Although these freebies and the live shows reviews are San Francisco-based, the blog will allow you to discover new music from all over the world.
10. Earmilk
Founded by Montrey Whittaker and Blake Edwards, Earmilk is an online music publication based out of the United States and Canada. With Dance, Hip-hop, Indie, Electronic, Experimental and Pop articles, Earmilk covers all tastes and genres.
Like Cougar Microbes, Earmilk uses the SubmitHub platform for its music submissions. So artists, what are you waiting for? Send your music their way!