Music PR
What is Music PR?
Music PR or Public Relations involves a promotional campaign strategy to stimulate interest among the public, media, and record companies about a musician, band, or other musical ensembles. The campaign usually promotes new releases, books, or live tours. A music publicist capitalizes on an extensive network of contacts in both media circles and in the music industry to tell the artist’s story and establish the brand. A music publicist works with the musician/client to create both long and short-term goals for recognition. With a successful music PR campaign, artist interviews, album, and live show reviews as well as other promotional efforts keep the artist in the spotlight.
How Music PR Works
It creates a buzz
Music PR is all about the buzz. When an artist or band is everywhere you look on social media, in the press, or on tour; that's the buzz. A Music PR campaign strategizes around ways to get the public, media, and record companies excited about an artist, band, or musical ensemble. In preparation for the campaign's launch, the music publicist assembles a press kit and compiles a list of the music industry and media sources who can push the client and the music for greater visibility. Some of these relationships have been nurtured over years. Once the press materials go out, follow-up calls or other forms of communication will hopefully yield interviews, articles, reviews, or any other kind of promotion that keeps the client's persona and brand in the public's mind.
It needs a press kit
Any successful Music PR campaign relies heavily on a press kit. The press kit contains lots of information about the client and the music being promoted. There are several elements in a typical music press kit. The bio or biography of the client is usually a one-page story about the artist and how their music career started, musical influences, etc. There's maybe an artist or band photograph and a link to a video. There will also be interesting quotes, tour information, music or book reviews, and interviews. A well-assembled press kit should also contain a link to a SoundCloud or other platform where the client's music can be heard.
It needs a strong social media presence
Before the internet, musicians needed to land a spot on primarily radio or television to get media exposure. All that has changed with social media. Most Music PR firms work with their clients to design compelling websites that showcase their artists with blogs, videos, and fashion, in addition to music. Artists who blog are able to positively promote their brands and will usually receive high user engagement.
Why Music PR Matters
It plans ahead
A successful Music PR campaign juggles lots of deadlines for publications, premieres, and tour dates. Magazines work months in advance on articles. National publications need a three to four-month lead time. Press tours require planning from four to six weeks in advance. It pays to stay ahead of the game.
It thrives in the digital space
Digital promotions in Music PR have changed the game for artists, bands, and other musical ensembles. Music PR is now a 24/7, 365 days a year monster that must be fed with fresh and new information at all times. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook are all great elements in a strategic promotional music campaign. YouTube can be the biggest booster of all as long as the artist's message is clearly defined and the videos are top quality.
It establishes the music publicist's role
In Music PR, the client pays the publicist for their time and involvement in devising a winning campaign strategy. The publicist represents the client to the media and works extensively to place the client in the right media and social media settings. On the other hand, a publicist is not an artist's manager. The publicist is not responsible for cutting deals or managing the artist in any way. Sometimes, publicists don't see the positive results of a campaign until after the campaign is over. But there should be some payback for all the effort either immediately or in the future.