FAQs

General Info

What is 4ZZZ’s deal?

We’re a not-for-profit community broadcaster, and the longest running FM radio station in so-called-Queensland! We began as the official student radio at the University of Queensland in 1975, and now we’re based on Barry Parade in Fortitude Valley, passionately broadcasting issues, news, music, and happenings in our city. We’re proudly independent, fueled by passionate volunteers and a handful of staff.

There’s a heap of history around 4ZZZ’s inception, and you can hear more about it in our podcast series, A to Triple Zed!

Wait, independent? I thought you were funded by the government?

Nope! We do regularly receive funding from grants, some of which may be funded by government or council bodies, but the total amount of income we receive from grants only accounts for around 13% of our total income. The majority of our funding comes from subscriptions, and almost half of our total annual income is made up of a combination of subscriptions, donations, and events.

We have a transparent breakdown of our funding in our Annual Report, located on our Governance Page on our website.

Why support community radio?

When you become a 4ZZZ subscriber, you’re not just supporting our little radio station. You’re supporting local music, creatives, artists, activism and all the things that keep this city thriving. Our announcers are passionate about broadcasting local voices and issues that aren’t heard as often, as well as local arts and events so you can hear about all the important things happening in your community! Plus, they’re all completely autonomous and run their show voluntarily, so you know when you’re hearing from them, it’s coming from a place of genuine interest and care.

Community radio is a great alternative to mainstream commercial radio, which prioritises profit over the interests of local communities, and tends to have a lot more paid promotional content. Subscribers account for almost 40% of our total income; by subscribing you’ll keep us on the air - and proudly independent!

 

Subscriptions & Donations

Why should I subscribe to 4ZZZ?

As a not-for-profit community broadcaster, 4ZZZ relies on donations and subscriptions to keep the lights on, and stay on air. That means that every subscription matters, and helps us keep creating the content that you hear every day, 24 hours a day!

Our subscription model doesn’t use automatic payments; we leave it up to you to resubscribe each year. Aside from helping to keep us on air, there are a heap of benefits you’ll get with your subscription, including:

• Discounts to 4ZZZ events, such as our birthday party, Evil Zed, Access All Areas, and heaps more!
• The ability to enter giveaways, both on-air and via our Zedletter
• Access to the 4ZZZ textline and the ability to make requests
• Exclusive discounts at various stores across the city and beyond at our friendly subscriber discount outlets - just flash your sub card at checkout!
• Great discounts on 4ZZZ merch, and special limited merch with passionate and super subscriptions
• The ability to volunteer at 4ZZZ, and be a part of the inner workings of the station

Subscription costs vary - starting at $25 yearly for pets and under 18s. Head here to browse options!

What does Pay It Forward mean?

Pay it Forward subscriptions are available to anyone in financial hardship or who is currently incarcerated. This helps people who can't afford a subscription become a part of our community and volunteer at the station. If you’d like to purchase a subscription for someone who can’t, simply select ‘Pay It Forward’ as you check out. 

To learn more about how Pay It Forward subscriptions work, or to apply to claim one, head to our Pay It Forward webpage.

I’m a subscriber, why are announcers referring to me as a ‘non-sub’ when I text in?

Either your subscription has lapsed, or we’ve got an incorrect phone number associated with your subscription. To check that your phone number is correct, give reception a call during their opening hours and one of our volunteer receptionists can help you out.

When can I pick up my subscription or merch?

Reception is open between 10AM and 4PM Monday to Friday, and Saturdays between 10AM and 2PM. 

I don’t want to be a subscriber, can I still donate to the station?

For sure! We’d love that - you can donate here! Anyone, subscriber or not, can make a donation to the station. You’ll get the same kinda warm inner glow a subscriber would! And, as 4ZZZ is a registered DGR, all donations over $2 are tax deductible. 

Do you accept donations of equipment or other items?

If you’ve got stuff like office supplies and furniture, tech stuff you no longer need, or anything else you think we might be able to make use of, we may be interested in accepting it as a donation. Please outline what you’d like to donate with our station manager by emailing manager@4zzz.org.au. Include the number of items, their condition and where they’ve come from. Please don’t bring equipment donations straight to the station without confirming with the station manager first.

If you have sponsors, why do you need subscribers?

Our sponsors only make up about 30% of our funding, but the biggest portion of our income actually comes from subscriptions. That’s the way we’d like to keep it - we love being able to be selective with the sponsorship we accept, and try our best to keep community interest our number one priority even in paid promotions.

 

Volunteering at 4ZZZ

I have a cool idea for a show - can I be an announcer?

Well, maybe! There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make that decision. To become an announcer on 4ZZZ, firstly you need to be an active subscriber and volunteer at the station. There are a number of things you can do to help out and become an active and contributing member of our community. It’s important to stay involved and get to know the station and the people that keep things running, before jumping straight into a show.

Next, you’ll need to complete our mandatory in-house announcer training. This is the minimum requirement for hosting your own show on 4ZZZ, but there are a number of other factors including availability on the grid, contributions to the community, programming decisions, and your ideas for content!

What do volunteers at 4ZZZ do?

There are so many options for enthusiastic people keen to help keep the station running, and learn some skills in the process! From processing music as it’s released and uploading it to our database, to manning the front desk to greet guests and sell subscriptions at reception, to helping set up and pack down events like carpark shows! And heaps more - just fill out the volunteer application form to get started with some info about what you’re interested in doing, and what experience you’ve got.

We welcome volunteers from all walks of life; if you’ve got any questions about volunteering, go ahead and email 4ZZZ’s Volunteer Department volunteerdept@4zzz.org.au for more information.

How much time do I need to spend volunteering?

Certain tasks require certain levels of commitment, but there are plenty of flexible volunteering options as well. There is no minimum or maximum number of volunteer hours we expect from you per week, and we’re happy to work with you to see what works best. 

I have accessibility requirements; can I still volunteer?

Of course! If you want to get involved, we want you to have access to everything 4ZZZ has on offer, and we’ll do our best to make sure you get the most out of your time with us. Our building on Barry Parade does have a few issues that make accessing the building difficult for some. But, we’re determined to make it a better, more welcoming place for everyone, and have been working hard to make that a reality. 

If you have any questions or concerns, or just want to say hey, you can email our volunteer coordinator Salty, salty@4zzz.org.au. If you’re able to give us some info about your needs as a volunteer, we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Can I book your studios to use for personal projects?

No - our studios are in high demand for current 4ZZZ announcers and volunteers working to contribute to community radio. We don’t have the capacity to hire the space out for external projects.

 

Bands & Musicians

How can I get my music played on 4ZZZ?

Firstly, thank you for contributing to the thriving & ever-growing music scene in this city!

Submitting your music to 4ZZZ is easy - all you need to do is fill out this webform with all relevant information.

Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:

• Make sure you link to a high quality download (min. 320Kbps), and not a streaming service. Our lovely music department volunteers need to be able to download your music in order to include it in our database!
• Test the link before you submit the form; commonly used platforms like Google Drive and DropBox are ideal, but make sure whatever you use has free downloads enabled & that the music department inbox (music-dept@4zzz.org.au) has access. 
• Double check spelling & make sure your information is all correct before submitting the form

We use minimum quotas to ensure the music played on Zed is inclusive, but all our announcers select their own music, and nothing is playlisted by the station.

Do you accept CDs and Vinyl submissions?

For immediate processing for our digital library, we require digital submissions. However, we will accept archival submissions for our physical library. Please address these submissions to ‘4ZZZ Music Librarian’.

How can I find out if my music has been played?

Check out our grid to browse programs, and check their playlists to see what they’ve played recently. If you’re a subscriber band or solo artist, our Subscriber Band Coordinator will send you a message to let you know when your music has been processed and is in the database.

Unfortunately we aren’t able to send a breakdown of all plays, or notify non-subscribers when they have their music processed. 

Why hasn’t my music been played?

We proudly don’t run on playlists, so announcers have complete autonomy over what they play on their shows. This means no announcer is obligated to play requested tracks.

Why should I subscribe as a Band or Solo Artist?

Aside from getting that warm inner glow from knowing you’re helping to keep us on air, subscribing will get you 4 subscriber cards to share with your bandmates as a band subscriber, or just one if you’re a solo artist. This’ll give you access to discounts at our Subscriber Discount Outlets (including a number of music services such as Via Studios, Airlock Studios, Twisted Pair Productions and more). 

You’ll also receive confirmation from our Subscriber Band Coordinator when your music has been processed and added to our database, as well as a listing on our ever-growing Subscriber Band page!

One more perk is that you’ll be able to activate a complimentary week-long live read campaign, valued at ~$550! And, you’ll also get access to our special indie rates, offered exclusively to subscribers.

Head to our support page to subscribe.

If I book sponsorship, will my music get played?

4ZZZ proudly doesn’t run on playlists. Therefore, our announcers can choose what they’d like to play during their show. If you book sponsorship, our team will roster prerecorded spots promoting your music or gig during shows that we feel align with your sound. The intention of sponsorship is to increase awareness, which may in turn result in airplay, but we aren’t able to guarantee that your music will be played. 

 

Businesses and Community Organisations

Why should I subscribe as a Business or Community Organisation?

Like Band and Solo Artist subscribers, you’ll get access to most of the same perks, including discounts at our Subscriber Discount Outlets - including a number of printing services like MBE Brisbane CBD and Minuteman Press.

And, you’ll be able to activate a complimentary week-long live read campaign, valued at ~$550! You’ll also get access to our heavily discounted indie rates, offered exclusively to subscriber bands, businesses, artists and community organisations.

How do I become a Subscriber Discount Outlet?

We have an ever-growing list of businesses who have generously offered our community of subscribers a discount on their products and services. If you’d like to do the same, you’ll be in great company - check out our subscriber discount outlet interactive map here!

In exchange for a small discount, we’ll create a 30 second pre-recorded spot to be aired once a week for a full year - or however long you’re willing to offer the discount!

To become an SDO, email subdiscount@4zzz.org.au with a bit of information about what your business is all about, and the discount you’d like to offer!

 

Sponsorship

How can I promote my music, business or event with 4ZZZ?

Get in touch with our sponsorship team! We offer spots, which are 30-second announcements rostered strategically throughout the grid, keeping in mind shows with similar taste to create a cohesive sound. We also offer eDM features in our weekly Zedletter, which you can subscribe to here. Indie rates are also available to independent artist, band, business & non-profit subscribers. 

Email sponsorship@4zzz.org.au & sponsorassist@4zzz.org.au for rates. And have a read of the next couple of questions on this FAQ page to get a better idea of how we can help you!

What are Live Reads?

Live Reads are a short announcement read out by our breakfast (6am - 9am) and drive (3pm - 6pm) announcers during the week. So, that’s two announcements reading a script written by you per day, for 5 consecutive business days.

The link to submit your Live Read Request will be sent to you via email once you subscribe.

How can I arrange an interview?

If you have an announcer’s contact details, or if they’ve chosen to list them publicly on their show page, then you can reach out to them directly to arrange an interview. Otherwise, email our interviews coordinator - interviews@4zzz.org.au with some information about your project, any specific shows you have in mind, and a friendly greeting!

Please keep in mind that due to the number of interview requests and our volunteer interview coordinator’s capacity, you may not receive a response. We do our best to accommodate as many requests as possible. Our announcers have autonomy over what they choose to program as part of their show; this includes the music they select, and extends to the interview guests they host.

I have music/merch/tickets to give away - how can I do that?

Giveaways are typically reserved for large campaign sponsors. However, we want to support small musicians and artists as best we can and are aware that sponsored campaigns are not a viable option for everyone. Much like with interviews, announcers are able to choose what they do on their show each week. 

We have a restricted amount of time we can dedicate to sponsorship of four minutes per hour, and announcers are aware that giveaways count towards that time limit whether they are paid for or not. We also receive a lot of giveaway requests, so to make things streamlined, here are the two ways you can book a giveaway at 4ZZZ:

1. As part of a sponsorship campaign. Email sponsorship@4zzz.org.au to see how you can book a giveaway as part of your campaign.
2. As part of an on-air interview. If you’ve got an interview lined up, have a chat with the announcer to determine what you’d like the giveaway to look like. If the announcer is keen, go for it!

Can I donate a prize?

Our sponsorship team arrange prizes for Radiothon, April Atonement and our monthly subscriber prize draw. We also have prizes at special events such as Evil Zed, Access All Areas, and the station’s birthday party raffle! 

If you’ve got something you’d like to donate as a prize, we’d love to hear from you!

Radiothon and April Atonement prizes tend to be valued quite highly. Monthly subscriber prizes are smaller, and other miscellaneous raffle and special event prizes vary significantly in value. Hit up sponsorship@4zzz.org.au, and we can discuss the best fit for what you've got on offer!

I want to book an interview or sponsorship and no one has gotten back to me! What’s going on??

We’re a big team of volunteers and a very very small team of (mostly part time) staff! Give us a bit of time, but if you don’t hear back from anyone within a couple of weeks (or if it’s something time sensitive), give our volunteer reception team a ring Monday - Friday between 10 AM and 4 PM, or Saturday between 10 AM and 2 PM. They can pass along a message for you!