Break into New York's Indie Rock scene

Groover connects you with a diverse range of NYC indie rock gatekeepers including bloggers covering the Brooklyn and Lower East Side scenes, independent radio programmers, Spotify playlist curators specializing in guitar-based indie, venue bookers from key performance spaces, and indie label representatives looking for the next breakthrough act from the New York scene.

Authenticity is paramount in NYC's indie scene. Focus on your distinctive songwriting and sound rather than trying to perfectly emulate established acts. New York curators appreciate music that acknowledges the city's indie legacy while pushing boundaries. Include references to your influences, especially if they include New York artists, but emphasize what makes your approach unique within the indie rock landscape.

New York's indie scene is characterized by its intellectual approach, urban intensity, and high standards. Unlike cities with more homogeneous sounds, NYC embraces diverse indie substyles from garage rock swagger to meticulous art rock compositions. The scene has a literary quality, with songwriters often approaching lyrics with novelistic detail, while maintaining a connection to the city's raw energy. There's also a distinctive interplay between mainstream ambition and underground credibility that's uniquely New York.

While New York has embraced everything from The Strokes' garage rock to Vampire Weekend's afro-indie fusion, what matters most is conviction and quality. NYC curators respond to authenticity regardless of whether you're making angular post-punk, melodic indie pop, or experimental art rock. That said, understanding where your sound fits within the scene's ecosystem helps target the right curators. Groover enables you to reach tastemakers who specifically appreciate your indie rock subgenre, whether it's more accessible or experimental.

The curators & pros on Groover are carefully selected music enthusiasts screened by the Groover Team for their ability to curate and discover talented new artists.

We review their application based on:

• Their degree of influence (globally, or within their niche)

• The quality of the content they produce

• The artists they support and their editorial line

Curators on Groover fall into three main categories, depending on what you’re looking for. You’ll gain access to the full list of curators and pros once you’ve started your campaign and added details about your track. From there, you can refine your search using filters like music genres, curator types, and countries.

• Visibility Curators: Media outlets, blogs, radio stations and shows, playlisters, and YouTube/Twitch channels. If they like your track, they’ll share it with their audience, helping you reach new listeners.

• Partners: Record labels, bookers, managers, sync supervisors, and publishers looking for their next big discovery—the artists they want to work with and represent. If you’re looking to build your network, these are the ones to reach out to.

• Advice: Managers, coaches, mentors, and other industry professionals selected for their ability to offer valuable feedback on your production, career, or overall project. If you’re sending a demo and want detailed advice, these are the people to connect with.

All record labels and pros on Groover are passionate about discovering new talent. They’ve been carefully selected based on the opportunities they can provide. Each curator and pro is independent and specializes in different music genres.

Yes! As long as you have a YouTube, SoundCloud, or Audiomack link for your track (it can be unlisted or private), you can use Groover!

You can send tracks on Groover that…

• are unfinished

• are unreleased

• will be released in the near future

• have already been released (even tracks from your back catalog)

There are record labels & pros for every level of development and any style of music on Groover.

Yes, Groover is a paid service. This is what allows us to secure the feedback you receive from the music curators and pros you've chosen, which is our #1 mission. 



Here's an overview of our fair and transparent pricing:

Grooviz are virtual credits on Groover. In order to send your track to the curators & pros of your choice on the Groover platform, you will need to purchase Grooviz.

• 1 Grooviz costs €1, all taxes included (~ $1.07 USD)

• Sending a track to 1 curator/pro will cost you 2 Grooviz. In rare cases, it will cost more (usually 4 or 6 Grooviz) to contact a curator/pro if they are one of our top curators.

• You can buy attractive packs (discounts of up to 24%!) to save money on your campaigns.

Your credits will be refunded and you’ll be able to contact any other curator on the platform.