For emerging songwriters and artists, few things compare to the feeling of being recognized by
industry professionals you admire and peers who share your passion and drive. That’s exactly
what the American Songwriter Song Contest offers—your moment to be heard, celebrated,
and win career-defining prizes.
And for 2025, one of the most impactful prizes is back: a comprehensive music promotion and
radio tracking campaign from Play MPE—the professional-grade platform trusted by major
labels, top promoters, and seasoned artists to get music into the hands of verified tastemakers
in radio, media, music supervision, and beyond.
But you don’t have to wait to win to take action. With a new limited-time offer, Play MPE is
giving indie artists the chance to start promoting now—with 25% off International Music
Promotion Bundles on first-time Caster releases through the end of summer.
See how Caster can help you grow your audience.
Why Radio Should Be In Your Promotion Plans
It’s tempting to view radio as a relic of the past—but for artists serious about building a lasting
career, that would be a misstep.
“No matter what the latest digital trend might be, radio has shown its durability over
and over again,” says Peter Carruthers, formerly of Canadian record label Arts &
Crafts and now part of Play MPE’s Industry Relations team. “Local concert listings
and contests, along with the classic late-night shows that spin new local music are
the first spark in many long music careers.”
According to Carruthers, radio remains one of the most effective tools to build real-world
awareness.
“Radio has been and is a key tool for discovery of new independent music in any
release campaign. Success at radio drives sales not only for streams, but physical
music, merchandise, and tickets.”
Get Your Music Heard Beyond the Border
As artists start to gain traction in their hometowns, expanding regionally—and then
Internationally—becomes the natural next step in growing a serious music career.
Just like Song Contest entrants who are taking their songwriting journey seriously, artists who
promote their music through Play MPE’s Caster platform demonstrate a professional mindset.
And that kind of visibility can be a game-changer.
“Artists often focus on breaking into the U.S. market, but the world has become a
vast opportunity,” says Play MPE’s Alen Vitasovich. “Geographical constraints don’t
limit discovery the way they used to.”
Whether your next fan is across the street or across the world, Play MPE helps you connect the
dots—one curated release campaign at a time.
Built for Industry Pros, Ready for DIY Artists
Originally designed for label promotion teams and professional radio promoters, Caster now
empowers indie artists to launch their own campaigns. With just a few clicks, your release —
complete with audio, metadata, and assets—is delivered via email blast to a curated, vetted list
of industry contacts. Those verified tastemakers can then access the release alongside today’s
top acts, in Play MPE’s secure music library, Player. Everything the pro curator needs to do
their job is there. If you are an industry tastemaker head here to request access.
“Player is a one-stop shop to discover and access new music,” says Rusty Roberts,
longtime NonComm and Triple A radio promoter, now with Play MPE. “Stations can
search by artist or genre and are also likely to come across something they might
not have found otherwise. That makes Player the best way to get music into the
hands of programmers and DJs across the country.”
Rusty knows the power of Player firsthand—he still hosts a specialty new music program on
WHUP in North Carolina and regularly discovers tracks through Play MPE himself.
With Caster, artists can also track curator engagement to see which contacts in Player are
opening the emails, streaming and/or downloading the release. All campaigns include two
additional reblasts of the email which can be updated with the latest rollout buzz. Caster users
can also easily export songs directly to Play MPE’s airplay tracking tool MTR for real-time radio
reporting — all without needing a label or a manager to lead the way.
What You Could Win By Entering the Song Contest
Entering the American Songwriter Song Contest means a shot at winning a comprehensive
promotional & radio tracking campaign for up to a full-length album—provided by Play MPE—with distribution to key tastemakers not just in the U.S., but across international music markets.
Even more exciting? All category winners will also receive a Play MPE music promotion and
radio tracking package for a single release—making this year’s prize offering one of the
biggest yet.
If you’re serious about a future in music, this is your moment to level up.
Don’t Want to Wait? Promote Music Now with 25% Off
Of course, you don’t need to wait for the winners of the Song Contest to be announced to get
started. For a limited time, Play MPE is offering 25% off all International Music Promotion
Bundles for first-time Caster users—a summer promotion designed to help indie artists reach
further.
Whether you win the grand prize or start building momentum on your own terms, the right
promotional tool can help your next release be discovered by key decision makers in charge of
radio airplay, album reviews, sync placements, and more.
For more information about Play MPE head to plaympe.com
Featured Image Provided via Play MPE
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