How to Get Signed to Hospital Records

To get signed to Hospital Records you need a drum & bass record with genuine musicality — melody, harmony and arrangement, not only weight. Hospital has been running since 1996 and is the most musician-minded label in the genre, which makes it a different proposition from the heavier desks: the production still has to be excellent, but what gets you noticed is what the record is actually about.

This guide covers what the A&R listens for, what the catalogue tells you, and how to submit.

The Label

Hospital Records is the London label founded in 1996 by Tony Colman and Chris Goss — Colman better known as London Elektricity. It runs several sister imprints: MAS*H from 2003, Med School from 2006, and Hospital Classic Symptoms from 2008 for back-catalogue reissues.

Med School is the one to know. It exists specifically to release newer and more experimental producers, and it is by some distance the more realistic door if you have no catalogue yet. Producers who land on Med School regularly graduate to the main label.

What Their A&R Wants

Musicality first. Hospital's signature is drum & bass that carries real chord movement and melodic content. A perfectly engineered track with nothing to say fits the genre but not this label.

Live-feeling arrangement. The founders are musicians, and the catalogue rewards records that breathe rather than loop. Dynamics, key changes, and instrumental parts that develop all count here in a way they do not everywhere.

Production that holds up under scrutiny. Musicality is not an excuse for a soft mixdown. Liquid drum & bass exposes a weak low end more than heavier styles do, because there is less noise to hide behind.

A clear sense of which imprint you are for. Say whether you think you are Hospital or Med School. Getting that right is a strong signal you have listened; getting it obviously wrong is a strong signal you have not.

What the Catalogue Tells You

The core is liquid and melodic drum & bass, but the catalogue spans the genre more widely than its reputation suggests — there is plenty of harder and more club-facing material, especially on Med School. Listen to the last year before deciding your record does not fit.

For the wider genre, drum & bass labels accepting demos covers Hospital alongside Metalheadz, Critical, Viper and RAM.

How to Submit

Open the label's profile — Hospital Records in the directory
Upload a finished master — WAV, release-quality. Liquid exposes a weak low end — check the sub translates on a large system before sending.
Write three sentences, not a biography — name a recent release, say why your record sits next to it, and stop
Submit for €2 — the demo goes to A&R with a 7-day feedback deadline
Read the feedback — production quality, originality and marketability scores, plus written notes

If they pass, you still get the notes. That is the part cold email cannot give you.

Submit your demo to Hospital Records →

FAQ

Does Hospital Records accept demos?

Yes. Hospital is listed as accepting demos in our directory and can be reached for submissions through the label profile. Its sister label Med School exists specifically for newer producers and is usually the more realistic first target.

What is the difference between Hospital and Med School?

Hospital is the flagship, releasing established artists and the label's core liquid and melodic drum & bass. Med School, launched in 2006, is for newer and more experimental producers. Many artists move from one to the other, so Med School is a route in rather than a consolation.

Does Hospital Records sign artists without a following?

Yes. Hospital has an unusually strong artist-development record for a label of its size, and Med School is built around signing producers early. A distinctive musical idea matters far more here than a streaming number.

Where to Go Next

Drum & bass labels accepting demos covers the whole genre, and how to get on a label's radar is the slower route that works when a cold demo does not.