SAN FRANCISCO — Attention all Bay Area musicians: San Francisco Public Library’s (SFPL’s) free music streaming platform, Bay Beats, is reopening its annual submission round for artists across the Bay.

From March 1 through May 31, 2026, musicians across all genres, from jazz to soul, rap to rock, classical to world, New Age to noise and everything in between, have the chance to feature their music for streaming on Bay Beats as well as receive a $300 honorarium.

Musicians currently playing or recording in the nine Bay Area counties are eligible. Submission guidelines can be found at baybeats.sfpl.org/faq. Artists are not required to grant exclusive rights to music on the site and are encouraged to share their music as much as possible.

“As Bay Beats continues to grow leaps and bounds each year, it has been such an amazing opportunity to revisit, engage and support the Bay Area’s artists,” said librarian Brian Weaver, the Library’s team lead. “That’s why the Library is excited to reopen submissions for 2026 and shed a light on our powerful, local music community once more.”

Anyone around the world curious to hear the Bay Area’s rich, diverse soundscape can stream music on Bay Beats. Nearly 500 albums from top-rated solo musicians and bands from a variety of genres are available for anyone to listen to, with or without a library card. SFPL cardholders have the added benefit of being able to download music. Additionally, the platform allows artists to curate their own band pages, so they can let their fans know the latest about upcoming gigs and new releases.

SFPL has received over 1,560 submissions since its first call for artists in 2023. While other U.S. and Canadian public library systems have similar music streaming platforms, SFPL carries the distinction of having doubled the number of submissions previously received by a library system and is on track to offer the most robust catalog of its kind in the country. In addition to nine community jurors—whose backgrounds range from Mandarin indie pop to Latin jazz to Stern Grove Music Festival projects—a team of Library staff selects the music for Bay Beats. 

Since its launch in 2023 through March 2026, SFPL has coordinated over 40 free live Bay Beats concerts at its locations for both new listeners and well-versed fans to share the creativity that makes the Bay Area’s sounds special. 

To take a listen, visit baybeats.sfpl.org.  

Bay Beats is proud to partner with Amoeba Music, BFF.fm and White Crate.