This sold out panel saw Jasmine Takhar from BBC Introducing on the Asian Network, Producer Maria Hanlon from BBC Introducing in London, and artist Stretch explore different routes to airplay, explain the BBC Introducing Uploader and share tips to set you up for success as an artist. Maria Hanlon was hosting the panel and shares the key points discussed…
I was joined on stage by the wonderful Jasmine Takhar from BBC Introducing on the Asian Network and the amazing artist Stretch. Every seat in the room was taken so I kicked things off by asking who knew what BBC Introducing was by a show of hands. Everyone in the room raised their hand which was great. I then asked who’d been played on BBC Introducing and almost half the crowd put their hands up, showing how many people in the crowd had already benefited from BBC Introducing.
I wanted to first find out how Jasmine and Stretch got into music. Stretch said he’d been making music since he was 13, but three-four years ago he decided to take it more seriously. Jasmine shared that Stretch was her first ever BBC Introducing artist on national radio, “When I heard his music and saw his music video I was taken back, I was like why is this guy not signed, he’s smashing it!”
Jasmine’s radio journey started when she was 19, she did everything from community radio to local radio, travelling from Nottingham to London and hardly getting paid. At one point she was presenting 10 shows a week, and also worked abroad in Miami at one point. She recalls a time when she was thinking of giving up, but then she was offered a Friday night residency on Asian Network. Fast forward to today and Jasmine has been part of the BBC family for eight years. She did five years of weekend breakfast before deciding she wanted to go back to helping artists and her passion for new music. She created her own independent platform called ‘Seen Not Heard’, which focused on artists outside of London and also worked with Toddla T and released a single. After that, Jasmine was asked to host BBC Introducing on the Asian Network, which at the time was a brand new show and has been hosting it for three years now. She said, “One of my favourite things within those eight years has been discovering brand new artists and being able to push them on national radio.”
We went on to talk about the BBC Introducing Uploader and how it works. In case you’re not familiar with the Uploader, it’s a tool that allows you to upload your own tracks to your BBC Music Introducing profile, and in turn distributes your music to BBC radio shows for producers to listen to. Jasmine told us how she sits with her producers each week and listens to every single upload ahead of her show. She stressed the importance of uploading but also adding as much information as possible into your Uploader profile so that we can find out more about you.
I was curious as to how Jasmine structures her show, speaking about the different genres she covers she said, “We play a little bit of everything, just because you’re British Asian doesn’t mean you make one style of music, right?” Jasmine also told us that she has an BBC Introducing Artist of the Week for each show and said how important she thought BBC Introducing as a whole is, “It’s literally the one connecting thing that gets you from being played locally to nationally.”
I then asked Stretch if he could share his experience of using the Uploader and he said, “Prior to Jasmine noticing my song, I was investing my own money into my music videos and studio sessions that was leaving me out of pocket. But because I uploaded my song to the BBC Introducing Uploader she was able to forward it onto other BBC DJs and that actually allowed me to get paid for that song, for the first time in my career, which allowed me to make the money back for my video, for my studio session, which allowed me to make the next song that was going to impress her.”
So many artists we know and love today have been discovered by BBC Introducing including Little Simz, Olivia Dean and Lewis Capaldi to name a few. I shared the story of BBC Introducing in London and BBC Introducing on Radio 1 Presenter Jess Iszatt discovering Arlo Parks’ demos on the Uploader years ago and has been supporting her ever since. Fast forward to this year and Arlo Parks played a secret set at Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing stage which was such a special full circle moment. Jasmine also shared a story about an artist called Deeps who she’s supported on her show and made Introducing Artist of the Week. This year he got selected for The Great Escape Festival, then went onto perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and was played across Radio 1. That was all a result of him uploading to BBC Introducing a year and a half ago and is the perfect example of how beneficial uploading to BBC Introducing can be. Stretch agreed and added, “It opens you up to loads of opportunities. The uploader is here to help you and it will help you.”
Before we went to audience questions, I asked Stretch to share some advice for other artists. He replies, “What it’s really about is you expressing yourself, constantly keep doing that and no doubt you will be noticed by the people you need to be noticed by. I was noticed by Jasmine and I’m sitting in front of you speaking. This is a domino effect of me uploading my music on the Uploader.” He ended with, “Always be your biggest fan, don’t let anyone determine what your music is. You tell people what your music is. Represent yourself constantly. We’re an embodiment of our artistry.”
Jasmine followed on from Stretch and said, “It’s not one linear journey. Be persistent & consistent.”
We covered a lot in the panel, both Jasmine and Stretch shared their own personal career journey’s and words of wisdom for others. I hope everyone in the room left feeling excited and inspired to work on their music and hopefully one day we’ll get to hear it on the BBC Introducing Uploader!
Upload your music to BBC Introducing HERE.
Follow Stretch on Instagram and check out his music HERE.
Follow Jasmine on Instagram and check out her shows on BBC Introducing on the Asian Network HERE.
Words: Maria Hanlon @mariahanlon Listen to The Voices Breakfast Show with Maria Hanlon on the 1st & 3rd Friday of the month 9-11am on voicesradio.co.uk.
Photography: Kat Friar @kat.alyssst
