Triple J Unearthed remains one of the most important platforms for emerging Australian artists. Getting your song reviewed by the station’s music team can lead to radio play, festival slots, and real industry attention. But with thousands of uploads every month, standing out requires more than just good music.

I’ve talked to three former Triple J Unearthed reviewers and a handful of artists who’ve gone from upload to rotation. Here’s what they consistently said matters.

Before You Upload

The biggest mistake artists make is uploading too early. Every reviewer I spoke to mentioned this.

“We hear so many tracks that are clearly demos,” one former reviewer told me. “The song might be great, but the recording quality makes it hard to advocate for. Get the mix right before you upload.”

This doesn’t mean you need a professional studio recording. Bedroom productions are fine if they sound intentional. The key is that the recording quality should match the artistic intent. A lo-fi garage rock track with rough edges works. A pop song that sounds like it was recorded on a phone doesn’t.

Get your track properly mixed and at least run it through a mastering pass. Even an AI mastering service is better than uploading a raw mix.

The Upload Itself

Tags matter more than you think. The Unearthed team uses tags to find music for specific programs and playlists. If you’re a hip-hop act from Western Sydney, tag accordingly. Genre, location, and mood tags all help reviewers find your music when they’re looking for something specific.

Your bio should be short and specific. Don’t write a novel. Two paragraphs maximum. Who you are, where you’re from, what you sound like, and what you’ve done so far. If you’ve played notable shows or been featured anywhere, mention it. If you haven’t, that’s fine — just be direct about your music.

The track description matters. Reviewers often read it before pressing play. A sentence or two about what the song is about or how it was made can provide useful context. Don’t oversell it. “This is our debut single about growing up in suburban Adelaide” is better than “This genre-defying opus will change how you think about music.”

Upload on a Tuesday or Wednesday. This is anecdotal, but multiple sources suggested that uploads on weekdays tend to get reviewed faster than weekend uploads, simply because the review team is more active during the work week. Avoid uploading on Friday afternoon or over the weekend.

After You Upload

Here’s the part most artists skip: promotion.

Unearthed has a community element. Plays, reviews, and engagement from other users do factor into visibility. Share your upload link on your socials. Ask friends who are also on Unearthed to listen and review. This isn’t gaming the system — it’s basic promotion.

The Unearthed team also monitors social media. If a track is generating buzz on Instagram or TikTok, they’re more likely to check it out. You don’t need viral numbers. Even a few hundred engaged responses can catch attention.

Don’t upload everything. Quality over quantity. An artist with three strong tracks on their profile makes a better impression than one with fifteen mediocre ones. If a song doesn’t represent your best work, don’t upload it to Unearthed.

What Gets You From Upload to Radio

The reviewers I spoke to were consistent about what makes them champion a track internally:

Distinctiveness. Not weirdness for its own sake, but a clear sense of identity. They hear thousands of indie rock songs. The ones that get flagged have something — a vocal quality, a lyrical perspective, a production choice — that makes them stand out.

Authenticity. Australian audiences respond to music that feels genuine. Every reviewer mentioned this. Songs about real experiences, delivered without pretension, consistently perform better than polished but generic material.

Radio readiness. This is pragmatic but important. For Triple J rotation, a track needs to work in the context of a radio program. That means reasonable length (under five minutes, ideally), decent recording quality, and enough energy to hold attention between other songs.

The Realistic Expectation

Getting played on Triple J from an Unearthed upload is not common. Thousands of tracks are uploaded monthly, and the station plays a fraction. But the platform serves other purposes too. Being on Unearthed gives you a presence in the Australian music ecosystem. Booking agents, festival programmers, and label A&R people all browse the platform.

Even without radio play, a strong Unearthed profile with good reviews and decent play counts demonstrates that you’re an active, serious artist. That matters when you’re trying to book shows, apply for grants, or pitch to media.

Don’t treat Unearthed as a lottery ticket. Treat it as a professional platform where your music is discoverable by the people who matter in Australian music. Upload your best work, present it well, and keep making music worth uploading.