The Recording Academy can receive more than 20,000 eligible entries during a single Grammy season. Independent artists do not need to be signed to a major record label to participate, but submitting a song involves more than completing a public application.
The recording must meet the Grammy eligibility requirements and be submitted by an eligible Recording Academy member or registered media company during the official Online Entry Process.
Here is how the process works and what an independent artist should do before the deadlines arrive.
Can Independent Artists Submit Music for the Grammys?
Yes. Independent artists can have their music submitted for Grammy consideration.
However, artists cannot automatically create an account and enter their own songs. Entries must be submitted by:
- A Recording Academy Voting Member
- A Recording Academy Professional Member
- A registered media company
Recording Academy members may submit their own eligible work or eligible recordings created by other artists. Therefore, the artist being submitted does not necessarily have to be a Recording Academy member.
Step 1: Create and Release an Eligible Song
Before a song can be submitted, it must be completed and officially released during the appropriate Grammy eligibility period.
The recording should:
- Be professionally recorded, mixed and mastered.
- Be commercially released during the eligibility period.
- Be available through recognized U.S. streaming or retail platforms.
- Have a verifiable public release date.
- Have an assigned ISRC or UPC.
- Include complete and accurate contributor credits.
- Remain publicly available through the final voting deadline.
Credits should correctly identify the artist, songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers, featured artists and other contributors.
A private demo, unreleased song or private SoundCloud link is not normally enough. The recording must be officially distributed and available to the public.
Artists should review the current Grammy Awards Rules and Guidelines before choosing their release date because requirements and categories can change each year.
Step 2: Decide Who Will Submit the Song
A new artist should determine who will submit the recording well before the Online Entry Process begins.
There are three primary options.
Work With a Recording Academy Member
An eligible Voting or Professional Member may submit the artist’s recording through their Recording Academy account.
The member must be in good standing. Once the Online Entry Process opens, the member can log into their Recording Academy dashboard and select the “Submit To Online Entry Process” option.
This is often the most practical route for a new artist who does not yet qualify for membership.
Become a Recording Academy Member
Artists, songwriters, producers, engineers and other music professionals may apply for Recording Academy membership.
The process begins with recommendations from two people who currently work full-time in the music industry. You cannot recommend yourself.
After both recommendations are received, the applicant is invited to complete a career profile. This profile gives the Recording Academy information and documentation about the applicant’s music career, credits and professional activity.
Apply as a Registered Media Company
Record labels, distributors, management companies and other qualifying music businesses may apply to become registered Grammy media companies.
A registered media company must generally be a legitimate business that creates, distributes, aggregates or promotes commercially released music or video content.
Media-company registration is not automatic. The Recording Academy reviews each application, and the company must register again for each Grammy season.
How to Become a Recording Academy Voting Member
Voting Membership is designed for active music creators, including:
- Recording artists
- Songwriters
- Producers
- Engineers
- Instrumentalists
- Other credited music creators
Current Voting Membership qualifications generally include:
- Recommendations from two people working full-time in the music industry.
- A completed professional career profile.
- Proof that music is the applicant’s primary professional focus.
- At least 12 commercially distributed and verifiable credits in one creative discipline.
- At least five credits released during the previous five years.
- Supporting links and documentation.
- Approval through the Recording Academy’s peer-review process.
Supporting materials may include:
- Official streaming and release links
- Verified music credits
- Press coverage
- Touring or performance history
- Music videos
- Streaming information
- Awards or professional recognition
- Evidence of active promotion
- A manager, publicist or other professional support team
After the applicant submits their career profile, the Recording Academy’s peer-review panel evaluates their qualifications.
If approved, the applicant receives an invitation to join. They must accept the invitation, pay the annual membership dues and maintain their membership in good standing before participating in the Grammy submission process.
Current annual dues for Voting and Professional Membership are $150, although membership costs and requirements may change.
New Voting Member applications and both recommendations generally must be completed by March 1 of the year before the Grammy ceremony in which the applicant wants to participate. Approved applicants usually receive invitations in late June or July and must accept by July 31 to participate in that year’s Online Entry Process.
Review the current Recording Academy membership requirements.
What If a New Artist Does Not Qualify for Membership?
A new artist with only one or two commercially released songs may not yet have the 12 verifiable credits required for Voting Membership.
That does not necessarily prevent the artist’s music from being submitted.
The artist may:
- Work with an eligible Recording Academy member.
- Work with a label, distributor or management company that has been approved as a registered media company.
- Continue building their catalog and professional credits for a future membership application.
Artists should carefully verify that anyone offering to submit their music is genuinely eligible to access the official Online Entry Process.
Step 3: Prepare the Submission Materials
Before the submission window opens, the artist and submitter should organize:
- The final audio file.
- Official artist and song titles.
- The public release date.
- Streaming or retail links.
- ISRC or UPC.
- Distributor and label information.
- Complete songwriter and contributor credits.
- The intended Grammy field and category.
- Any additional documentation required for that category.
The Recording Academy also encourages submitters to provide an Artist Intent statement. This statement can explain the recording’s genre, creative direction and why it belongs in the selected category.
The Recording Academy reviews every entry individually. Its Awards staff and screening committees may determine that a recording belongs in a different category.
Step 4: Submit During the Online Entry Process
The eligible Academy member or registered media company must enter the song through the official Online Entry Process.
There is only one entry period each year. If the recording is not formally entered before the deadline, it cannot be considered or included on the Grammy ballot.
Artists should submit as early as possible. Waiting until the final day leaves less time to correct missing information, technical problems or category questions.
Deadlines for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards
The key dates for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards were:
Product eligibility period: August 31, 2025–August 28, 2026
Media-company registration: June 25–August 14, 2026
Online Entry Process: July 7–August 21, 2026
First-round voting: October 12–October 22, 2026
Nominees announced: November 16, 2026
Final-round voting: December 10, 2026–January 7, 2027
69th Annual Grammy Awards: February 7, 2027
The Online Entry Process closed on August 21, 2026, at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
It is important to note that the submission deadline occurred one week before the eligibility period ended. Recordings scheduled for release between August 22 and August 28 still had to be submitted by the August 21 deadline to be considered.
Submissions for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards are now closed. The Recording Academy advises prospective submitters to check back beginning in summer 2027 for information about the 70th Annual Grammy Awards.
Exact dates for the next eligibility period, media-company registration period, and Online Entry Process have not yet been announced.
What Happens After a Song Is Submitted?
Submitting a song is only the first step in the Grammy Awards process. After an entry is received:
- The Recording Academy reviews the recording to confirm its eligibility.
- The entry is screened to determine the appropriate category.
- Eligible entries are placed on the first-round ballot.
- Voting Members vote to determine the official nominees.
- The Grammy nominees are announced.
- Voting Members participate in the final round of voting.
- The winners are announced at the Grammy Awards.
Professional Members and registered media companies may submit recordings for consideration. However, only Voting Members participate in the voting process that determines the nominees and winners.
Does Submission Mean the Artist Is Grammy-Nominated?
No. A Grammy entry is not the same as a Grammy nomination.
After a recording has been entered, an artist may accurately say that the song was “submitted for Grammy consideration.”
The artist should not describe themselves as “Grammy-nominated” unless the Recording Academy officially announces their nomination.
How New Artists Should Prepare for the Next Grammy Cycle
Artists interested in future Grammy consideration should begin preparing early:
- Finish and professionally master the song.
- Confirm the song’s ownership and contributor credits.
- Choose a qualified distributor.
- Obtain an ISRC or UPC.
- Review the new eligibility dates before setting the release date.
- Decide whether to pursue Recording Academy membership.
- If pursuing membership, request two professional recommendations early.
- Identify an eligible Academy member or registered media company as an alternative submission route.
- Research the most appropriate Grammy category.
- Prepare the entry materials and Artist Intent statement.
- Submit as early as possible once the Online Entry Process opens.
Grammy consideration should be treated as a planned professional campaign—not something arranged after a song has already been released or the submission deadline has passed.
For personalized help with Recording Academy membership, release planning, eligibility research or preparing for future Grammy consideration, artists must book a paid consultation call or enter into an artist management agreement with Red Velvet Studios.
Review the Recording Academy’s Online Entry Process information.