Help
Music Press
Publications that take new releases, gigs and premieres from artists, and the ones that take pitches from writers.
Coverage should never cost you. Everything under Independent and Sydney papers is free. Some commercial outlets now sell coverage. They are flagged under Paid, and most still have a free route. Send a link, not a file, and send it before the release, not after.
Independent and Volunteer10 Sydney Papers and Zines4 Commercial9 Paid Coverage3 For Writers9 ↑ Independent and Volunteer 10
SydneyMusic.net
Sydney · online and weekly newsletter · not-for-profit
emus
Sydney · calendar and newsletter · volunteer
Send Experimental, improvised and sound art. Submit your event on their form. Note Free. Out-of-scope events go to SydneyMusic.net. Link emus.space
Cyclic Defrost
Sydney · online · not-for-profit
Send Experimental, electronic, leftfield. Digital promos to [email protected] . Ask before posting anything physical. Note They don't confirm receipt. No advertising dressed as editorial. Link cyclicdefrost.com
The AU Review
National · online · volunteer, not-for-profit
Send [email protected] . Premieres are free with seven days' notice, no more than two a week, and come with a spot on their playlist.Note They can't reply to everyone but say follow up. They say you can't buy reviews, though they do sell limited paid options separately. Link theaureview.com
Backseat Mafia: Backseat Downunder
UK-based, with an Australia and NZ section · volunteer
Send Contact form or email on their page. Upcoming releases only. No AI-generated music. Note Hundreds of emails a day, so don't be offended by silence. Link backseatmafia.com
Rest Assured
Australia · online zine
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
Australia · online and occasional print · no advertising
Heavy
Australia · online and digital magazine
Send Heavy, rock, punk, prog. Press release, style, links, short bio, through their contact page. Note Premieres are label-sponsored; independents do get on. Link heavymag.com.au
FBi Radio
Sydney · community radio
Maximum Rocknroll
Oakland, USA · volunteer
Send Independent punk, garage, hardcore. Post one copy (vinyl preferred, then CD or tape) to PO Box 3852, Oakland CA 94609. They don't take digital files or major-label submissions. Note Wait two months before following up. Link maximumrocknroll.com
Sydney Papers and Zines 4
City Hub
Sydney · free monthly print and online · independent
South Sydney Herald
Waterloo · monthly print and online · community paper
Honi Soit
University of Sydney · weekly in semester
Repressed Records: Presser
Newtown · free monthly in-store zine
Commercial 9
Happy Mag
Newtown · online and quarterly print
Send Free submit form. From 18 September 2026 they cover every new full-length Australian album sent through the Album button, while they can keep it up. Note Also sells coverage. See Paid. Link submit.happymag.tv
The Music
National · SGC Media
Send [email protected] . Gig listings by form. Pilerats, Purple Sneakers and Kill Your Stereo now live inside it.Note They can't reply to individual pitches. Sponsored content is tagged. Link themusic.com.au
Scenestr
National · Eyeball Media
Music Feeds
National · Evolve Media
The Brag
Sydney · Vinyl Group
Send Gig guide to [email protected] . Music videos by form. Note Tone Deaf and Rolling Stone Australia belong to the same group; neither has a working artist route. Link thebrag.com
Rhythms
National · print and online
Beat
Melbourne · free monthly print · Furst Media
Mixdown
National · print and online · Furst Media
Paid Coverage 3
Happy Mag: Indie Rate Card
Newtown
Price $280 for a feature and a mixtape spot. $480 adds an interview, a story and a newsletter spot. $1,240 adds Instagram posts. Note Presented as ordinary editorial, with no sponsored label. The free form still works. Link submit.happymag.tv
AAA Backstage
Brisbane
Price Every artist route is paid: Musosoup, Groover, or $10 through Gumroad, with no guarantee of placement. Link aaabackstage.com
Also sell coverage
Price The AU Review (limited paid options), Wall of Sound (a promotional-coverage address), Beat and Mixdown (branded content), The Music (sponsored, tagged). Note Their free routes are listed above. Link wallofsoundau.com
For Writers 9
SydneyMusic.net
Sydney
Pitch Pays for commissioned music writing. Join the contributor pool through the form in their call-out. Note The only Sydney outlet here that says it pays. Rate not stated. Link sydneymusic.net
Cyclic Defrost
Sydney
Pitch Always wants contributors. Through their contribute page. Note Unpaid, editors included. Link cyclicdefrost.com
Scenestr
National
Pitch Expression of interest on their contributor page. Note Unpaid, though some paid roles come from the volunteer pool. Link scenestr.com.au
The Brag: op-eds
Sydney
Pitch 400–1,200 words in the body of an email; reply within three business days. Note Usually unpaid unless commissioned. Link thebrag.com
South Sydney Herald
Waterloo
Backseat Mafia
UK and Australia
Student papers
Sydney and Canberra
Pitch Honi Soit and Pulp (Sydney Uni), Gamamari (UNSW, formerly Tharunka), Vertigo (UTS), Grapeshot (Macquarie), Woroni (ANU, small honorarium). Note Students of that university only. Pulp's pitches are closed right now. Link honisoit.com