The Unsigned Guide reviews & artist testimonials

"The Unsigned Guide doesn't just give you a foot in the door, it blows the door off its hinges!"
Tony Wilson, Founder of Factory Records

Here at The Unsigned Guide we’re very pleased to be on the receiving end of rave reviews and kind words from our members. So let's hand over to the emerging bands, artists, music makers, producers, music students and aspiring music industry professionals to hear what they have to say about The Unsigned Guide and how it has helped them progress their music careers.

Unsigned Guide Reviews & Artist Testimonials

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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 a really great service, we'd definitely recommend it to any unsigned bands. It's been extremely useful for festival applications. Everything's easy to find and self-explanatory."
Delta Mainline

"We have found it to be an indispensable resource for musicians and bands, especially for bands like us who are looking to reach a wider audience and build our fan base."
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."
Temples Of Youth

"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

"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

"We've used The Unsigned Guide for a few years now and find it really useful - especially for industry contacts and when applying for festivals. It’s a great resource for getting updates."
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

"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

“The Unsigned Guide has been incredibly useful for me in establishing connections with other like-minded music lovers and industry professionals.”
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

"Using The Unsigned Guide helped me find not only a recording studio but also media links to help promote my track!"
Ross Mayhew

"The Unsigned Guide is a musician’s bible. Honestly, so many opportunities and support through tapping into this wonderful platform. I recommend it to everyone!"
Atlanta Mae

"The Unsigned Guide has been super helpful to find and contact the right people. We have used it to find gigs primarily but we'll be using it over the coming months to send our new songs out to labels, managers, A&R and generally trying to make contacts as you can't get enough of networking."
Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine

"Back when it was a printed thing, it was full of circled listings and scrawled notes. Nostalgic I know, but it's better now it's online and you don't have to fold the pages to remember where that guy's number was.
The thing is, nobody gets into a band because they want to deal with representation, promoters or publishers. They do it because they want to impress potential sexual partners and/or create music. But then, there comes a time where you sort of have to consider these things and, it's always better to have options.
Of course, you'll listen to the more successful bands you share a stage with but the truth is, they don't always have it sussed. Having something that you can dip in and out of for reference, that is curated impartially, is always going to be worth its (previously substantial) weight in gold."
Hauspoints

"The Unsigned Guide has been a great resource for me as an independent artist. I recently applied to Help Musicians for some funding for PR and used The Unsigned Guide to contact PR companies. It's an area of the music business I was approaching for the first time, which can be daunting, especially when it's an expensive business with variable results. I was grateful to have a database where I could trust the calibre of the companies listed and approach them with confidence."
Roisin Quinn

"I use The Unsigned Guide with my manager to find many opportunities for my career growth and education. The depth of information and resources is second to none. As you can imagine, both myself and my manager rely heavily on the ‘MEDIA’ section. To me, The Unsigned Guide is pure gold, full of useful resources, contacts, and opportunities."
TinXshe

"I literally found out about The Unsigned Guide whilst googling on the internet for a contact email about 3 months ago! So it's still fairly new to me...but I have to say so far it's been a great find. I've applied for a few festivals already. I also found out about the FAC through reading an article...and I've written to some live agents I got the contacts of through your site. As an unsigned indie artist it's great to have this resource for information, news and support!"
Bird

"The Unsigned Guide has been 100% useful to us. We're increasingly of the belief that musicians are only as good as the people around them. That's certainly true for us, as a duo. The sound techs, the producers, the PRs, the photographers are all instrumental and we couldn't do much without them. So we're always looking for great people who like our music to bring on board. In fact, we began our search for a producer for this EP, Flowers Through the Concrete, on The Unsigned Guide. We actually reached out to somebody else listed on UG, but they weren't free and their agent was like "we've got this other guy who just heard your stuff and would like to explore working together". It couldn't have worked out better for us, because Adrian Hall (producer, mixer and mastering on these songs) really was the perfect match for us, guiding and pushing us in the right direction with this perfect balance of expertise, understanding and good humour."
PHWOAR

"The Unsigned Guide has been an incredibly useful resource in navigating the music industry. It's provided valuable insights into different facets of the industry, from identifying gig opportunities to connecting with industry professionals. I've primarily used it to reach out to venues and promoters and to stay informed about festival application timelines. While it's already been a great tool, I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what it has to offer."
Ciinderella Balthazar

“I’ve got so many contacts from The Unsigned Guide that have led to radio play and blog posts. It’s such a useful tool for us unsigned artists!”
Dreaming of Citra

“The Unsigned Guide got me a slot at Cambridge Folk Festival, it got me a number of reviews and radio plays and it hopefully will help me along my way to get some shows in the new year! I think it’s a brilliant platform.”
Francesca Louise

“We’ve used the directory when promoting our last couple of releases, and have been subscribed to the mailing list for years. It's been helpful for staying informed about the music industry and having some sense of what to do when getting things off the ground.”
Nuclear Club

The Unsigned Guide has been invaluable to me. It was through the Guide that I discovered the Yamaha Ambassador Competition, which led to me becoming a finalist. I had the incredible opportunity to showcase my music to the Yamaha team, A&Rs, and successful artists, all in a room filled with new faces and loved ones. Without The Unsigned Guide, I never would have found this chance. It’s an essential tool for independent artists, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to make connections and take their career to the next level.”
Palmtreeprince

“As an independent artist not really knowing where to start, The Unsigned Guide has been incredibly helpful. It's been a great resource for finding contacts within the industry, which made it easier for me to share my press kit and reach out to the right people. It's definitely helped me navigate those early stages.”
Hana Markson

"I've found The Unsigned Guide very useful for finding the contact details for online publications and community radio stations. I've also applied for some festivals when the opportunities have been advertised on the Unsigned Guide blog. All in all, I'd say it's definitely worth the subscription fee."
See Emily Play

“The Unsigned Guide has been incredibly useful for finding all sorts of support, and I would recommend it to any independent artist out there. Thank you for running such a valuable resource.”
Holt

“I use The Unsigned Guide all the time! I regularly check in with the blog and different articles, particularly the different opportunities you can apply to. I also use the directory to help with things such as pre-release campaigns, as it can be really difficult to find contact details as an independent and self-managed artist.”
Megzz

“We’ve used The Unsigned Guide a lot, from finding a record label, a lawyer (to go over contracts), radio stations, blogs, you name it! It’s been our most valuable resource.”
The Wednesday Play

"We're always checking The Unsigned Guide for contacts. It's a big help for independent bands like ourselves to make contacts and make new connections."
Little Juke

"I’m so grateful to find a place that doesn’t gate-keep. I think your industry contacts directory is particularly amazing, and I also like the Advice segment and will be turning to it a lot throughout my new journey!"
Mason

"I think I first subscribed to The Unsigned Guide in about 2018, with a folky project years ago. It helped land me the first-ever festival I played! I still use it fairly regularly, although I do a lot less clogging up people's email inboxes and a lot more research on how stuff works and who works where. Amazing tool, I'm super grateful for it."
Big Fear

"We actually use The Unsigned Guide quite a lot for finding useful industry contacts. A few of the venues we played on our tour last year we found through the venue directory so it’s been a good go-to resource for us!"
The Public Eye

"The Unsigned Guide has actually been a pretty pivotal tool in our quest into the big music machine! We have secured quite a lot of contacts, that we now have some great working relationships with. We actually have 'The Unsigned Guide' for the guidance to festivals, which secured our first ever national festival in London last year."
LEAZES

"I regularly check the ‘news’ feature of Unsigned Guide as it’s super helpful to stay on top of when festival & competition applications open. The database of industry contacts is also invaluable for independent artists like us."
Pager

"It’s been an amazing tool for reaching multiple industry contacts. It's been invaluable during our previous release, meaning we have been able to reach more people than ever before."
Tiny Vessels

"It’s been a really useful resource when we pitch new singles for radio play, when applying for slots at festivals and for drawing up shortlists for labels to send demos to."
Project Overload

"The Unsigned Guide has been really useful for myself personally, coming from such a small town. The opportunity to go and meet/gather contacts organically at events just doesn't really exist, so having the easy tools to search for what I need, in the area I need it, has been really invaluable."
Kiwi

"We write, record, design and release everything ourselves, so having tools like this really makes a difference when you’re doing it all DIY. It’s great to have as a resource for contacts and industry insight - it keeps things feeling a bit more accessible when you’re doing everything independently."
Heatwavers

"I’ve used The Unsigned Guide as a resource to connect with opportunities like this. It’s an amazing platform for independent artists to bridge creativity with visibility."
Young Tan

"It is something that a few of us even used in older projects a while back, so we have found it quite instrumental in getting contacts early doors to really help push us out into the public eye. The blogs and radio lists have been so useful to us."
Toy Parlour

"I’ve spent time exploring the Advice section of The Unsigned Guide website while putting together my EP, EPK and artist biography, it’s been incredibly helpful and insightful."
Bye Lily

"It's been such a good resource for me and my manager - especially when we were navigating signing to a distributor and then a label. So many people are figuring this out as they go along, and it's so important to have a place to turn to if you haven't got that network already of people who can give you a steer on things."
Gigi Wilde

"We’ve used The Unsigned Guide quite a bit. We are currently looking for management and some gigs outside of London. So been slowly reaching out to contacts in the industry. We think it is brilliant."
Boxing Club

"I discovered The Unsigned Guide just after I had released my first EP. I had an idea of how things worked although it was perhaps a little different to the reality of the industry. Finding The Unsigned Guide was incredibly helpful - the guides and advice as well as being able to access the huge lists of contacts and references have been so very useful over the past 12 months. The emails are really good packed with great information - they were certainly one of the reasons that I applied to the Next Gen fund, so thank you The Unsigned Guide!"
Madeleine May

"I’ve used The Unsigned Guide quite a lot to find contacts and opportunities, but also just to help me understand the different sides of the music industry, which can feel quite overwhelming when you’re trying to figure things out independently. It’s been really useful having so much information in one place, especially for live opportunities, radio, press and industry contacts."
Ellijai

"We’ve been using The Unsigned Guide regularly. It’s been a great resource for an independent band like us, helping us identify the right contacts to reach out to and get our foot in the door. It's given us the chance to talk directly to, and even meet with, some really cool people in the industry who have been super supportive of us."
Radiogirl

"The depth of the directory is genuinely useful when you’re at the stage where you’re building those relationships from scratch. A lot of the groundwork in independent music is just knowing who the right person is to approach, and The Unsigned Guide takes some of the guesswork out of that. We’d recommend it to any band trying to get serious about their outreach."
EVERYMAN

"Some of the radio airplay we had on our debut single came as a result of reaching out to people on The Unsigned Guide's directory."
The Streetlights