As any concert-goer knows, tickets can be expensive and often are completely sold-out.  One of the most underrated ways of scoring tickets, is by winning radio contests.  In addition to concert tickets, radio stations also often give away backstage passes, meet-n-greets, vacations, trips to music festivals, and various other prizes like gift certificates and money.

Radio stations choose to hold contests in order to increase listenership and to advertise for their sponsors.  The best way to win a radio contest is simply to listen to the radio.  Try to pick less popular stations, like mix107.3, DC101, and 93.3 Today’s NEW Country, so that you have a greater chance of winning.  You can even look up contest schedules online to see which one appeals the most to you.  Also visit the websites for the radio station since some competitions just involve entering your information online.

For contests involving telephoning the station, make sure that you are not actively driving when participating.  Add the station’s number to your phone and put it on speed dial to make the process more efficient.  Wait until the host actually says that the contest has begun because calling before the start-time can lead to your call not being accepted.  If you do not get an answer, don’t give up!  You still have a chance at winning so just redial until the announcement is made that the competition is over.  If you are at home, call from multiple phones or ask a friend to help you out.

Additionally, remember that many stations have restrictions on winning, like a limit to how many times you can win in a 30 day period, so make sure you follow the rules of the competition and only call in to competitions you actually want to win.  There can also be age or area limitations so be careful.  Remember to pick up your winnings as soon as possible since many stations require the prize to be claimed within 10 business days before they are given to someone else.  Good luck!