spoken word Archives - WORT 89.9 FM

Contact Information

Music Director: Sybil Augustine – musicdirector@wortfm.org (for music submissions, charts and tracking, promotional exchanges for music events and following up on volunteer applications or other requests. Please include specifics in your subject line, such as “Hiphop Music Submission” etc, )

Music Assistant: Aaron Scholz – musicass@wortfm.org (for record donations and sales, promos recording volunteers, etc.)

Music Calendars: Submit your events online here or send by email to calendar@wortfm.org

How do I get my music played on WORT?

We accept submissions in most genres and styles of music, focusing on noncommercial, out-of-the-mainstream, independent releases (check out our playlists and music charts for more information.) It may take up to a few weeks for us to review and process your submission so we appreciate your patience, and feel free to contact us to follow up. Please send your music, indicating any tracks with language that needs to be aired after 10 pm and including a one-sheet description and any biographical and tour information, to WORT Music Director, 118 S. Bedford St, Madison, WI 53703 and/or to musicdirector@wortfm.org.

We do accept digital files on .wav or mp3, but currently we still prefer CDs to digital submissions because it’s the quickest way to get it into the hands of our programmers and onto the airwaves, though we have a growing digital library. Digital submissions should be .wav or other lossless files, or high quality mp3s [128-320 kbps.]

You can follow up or “track” your submissions by email, or call 608-256-2001 on Wednesdays between 1-4 pm CST to ask if we received it, has it been reviewed, has it been added to our library, and what kind of airplay it’s getting—e.g. light, medium, heavy or charting. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

WORT Music Playlists

What was that song I heard? Who was the artist, what is the album title, where can I get it? Where can I find the entire playlist for a show?

Click on the Playlists button to bring up a calendar where you can choose any date to find the playlists for that day. If you can’t find the right playlist or the song you’re looking for, your best bet is to call the station the next time that program’s on and ask the host yourself. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you, but please have as much information as possible at hand when you contact us, such as: approximate day and time the music was played, what type or genre of music it was, who hosted the show and any other information you remember about the selection and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Once you figure it out, there’s a “Buy It!” link next to each track in online playlists that leads you to a place where you can buy songs and albums, and by doing it that way a small portion of each purchase goes to support WORT.

The Reid Poetry Hour

November 3, 2018 by WORT 89.9FM

A one-hour spoken word program featuring Nathan J. Reid’s original work, which will be shared in both a live and pre-recorded capacity.

Read and Recycle: open mic and book swap in honor of Earth Day

April 25, 2019 by WORT 89.9FM

Come to perform, exchange books, and enjoy the Read and Recycle event at ZuZu Cafe in honor of Earth Day. Our thematic for this open mic is “Life!”

World Radio Day Gathering at Parched Eagle Taproom

February 13, 2019 by Sybil Augustine

WORT celebrated World Radio Day 2019 at the Parched Eagle Taproom, 1444 East Washington Ave. This world-wide event brings volunteers and listeners together to appreciate independent, noncommercial, community radio. We enjoyed live performance from the Handphibians and spoken word from Flowpoetry, as well as WORT DJs Helena White (On the Horizon) and Kayla Kush (Kayla’s […]

The Reid Poetry Hour

May 18, 2018 by WORT Music Department

A one-hour spoken word program featuring Nathan J. Reid’s original work, which will be shared in both a live and pre-recorded capacity.

Johannes Wallmann on celebration and struggle

April 26, 2018 by Tone Madison

Johannes Wallmann’s latest album, Love Wins, draws on a couple of pivotal moments in the jazz pianist’s personal, political, and creative life. Wallmann and his husband Keith Borden were among the people who sued the state of Wisconsin to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. That lawsuit of course succeeded, with a federal court ruling […]

Rob Dz Reflects on Martin Luther King

January 17, 2017 by WORT News Department

Rob Franklin, better known as Rob Dz, performed live at the Madison & Dane County Martin Luther King Day tribute on January 16th.

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Contact Information

How do I get my music played on WORT?

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The Reid Poetry Hour

Read and Recycle: open mic and book swap in honor of Earth Day

World Radio Day Gathering at Parched Eagle Taproom

The Reid Poetry Hour

Johannes Wallmann on celebration and struggle

Rob Dz Reflects on Martin Luther King