Steven LaClair, founder and editor for Nothing Original, joins us today to share some thoughts on email, publicity, and why many in the industry need to think about the way they communicate with music bloggers/journalists.
The time I have available to spend blogging about music has decreased dramatically over the last three years. There was a time when I could wake up at 8am, catch up on any emails I received during the night, respond, and post accordingly in a surprisingly small amount of time. Sadly, that is not the case anymore. It’s a full-time job trying to keep up on the world of music. The news cycle never stops, and falling behind can be detrimental to a blog. When I decided working 15-18 hours a day for a few dollars wasn’t worth it compared to a full-time job, I scaled everything I did back and believed I could still make my site, Nothing Original, work. I was dead wrong.
I always preferred to have a constant flow of fresh content on Nothing Original. I’d consider it a good day if I could get post somewhere around 10 articles, if not more. Going through emails and albums trying to figure out what I care about and what I think my readers would care about was fun, but it took a toll on me day after day. I kept at it though, because I love writing about music and I love sharing my opinions on music with others. I wish I could still do it, but there’s only so much time in a day. When I do have the time, I open up my email to over a hundred pitches that are a mix of press releases, requests, album advances, and whatever else a publicist or band is trying to get posted that day. It’s simply overwhelming.
Some publicists share three to four press releases a day, if not more based on the amount of clients they have and the number of releases being worked on that particular day. With ten or more publicists doing the same thing I’m receiving well over fifty emails daily, which makes determining what’s worth posting incredibly difficult, and that is before I scan the net for stories or streams I may not have been directly pitched. I have to figure out what is the best material to post and then find a way to say it that actually engages an audience that is already inundated with an untold number of headlines, advertisements, and clickbait-readied tweets before myself or the Nothing Original team even make an attempt at grabbing their attention, and I have to do all that in a very little amount of time. There is no possible way to make every publicist and every reader happy, but I do my best. Still, even on the good weeks, a lot of potentially great material gets discarded.
This is not the way writers should feel about receiving email. The idea of checking for pitches should not incite an overwhelming sense of anxiety or stress, but it does and that can lead one to wonder why they bother trying to be a writer at all. Most of us only have so much time in a day, and when we spend half of it going through just emails on things that honestly don’t really matter. What makes the first pitch from a publicist on a particular client different than the four follow-ups they send in the next two days? Writers cannot meet every request, and if we’re going to meet any while delivering quality content to our readers then writers’ schedules needs to be considered. I’m not asking for a world where we only receive one email a day, but I am asking for those pitching writers to be more considerate in the amount of content they shovel our way. Make the headline grab our attention, ensure the content is remotely interesting and keep it short. Also, don’t follow-up more than once in 48 hours.
I love writing about music and I wish I had more time to do it, but the truth of the matter is that adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it make writing for next to nothing a hard hobby to justify. When I do have the time, I wish looking through requests wasn’t a chore. Let us care about your band. Make each band try and seem special to you. Making them feel special to you will make the band feel important to us and then hopefully we can write about it. Make your emails and requests count. I can’t meet them all, but I’d like to at least try.
Tonight, September 30, marks the end of the free trial period for the first wave of Apple Music users. Those who signed up the first day the streaming service became available will have to decide in the coming hours if they want to keep their subscription or cancel, and those who signed up in the days after launch may want to start considering their options as well. An Apple Music subscriptions costs $9.99 per month, or $14.99 per month for a family subscription for up to six people (which requires iCloud Family Sharing). This is comparable to the cost of Spotify ($10 per month, $4.99 for students), as well as Rdio ($10 per month, which includes an offline listening mode), but doesn’t necessarily make Apple Music the better choice. That decision will likely be based largely on user preference, so we won’t waste any time trying to sway you one way or another.
If you weigh your renewal options and decide Apple Music is not for you, follow these simple steps to ensure you subscription ends when your free trial expires:
1) Open Apple Music
2) Tap the Account icon in the upper left corner of the app
3) Tap on View Apple ID
4) Select Manage under Subscriptions
5) Turn the slider next to Automatic Renewal to Off.
6. Confirm your cancellation
7. Once confirmed, your account will stay active until your current trial/month comes to an end.
If there is one thing we can probably all agree on about life on the internet it’s that those who fuel the content generation machines that keep the web buzzing with viral sensations love nothing more than drama. It can come in any form, from political to celebrity, as long as its captured on camera or in sound bites. Those bits of media are then uploaded, streamed, remixed, and shared on a plethora of clickbait hungry blogs hoping to grab a few more easy clicks from someone else’s pain. It’s a long-running and admittedly sick trend, but a trend nonetheless, and earlier today one of metal’s best underground acts were found cashing on our collective love for all things dramatic.
Partnering with the fine editorial team at Faster Louder, the member of Thy Art Is Murder released a collaborative feature on the popular music blog detailing the best and worst bands they have toured with up to this point. The list named several artists, praising some and trashing others, all with seemingly no concern for public or professional backlash that may occur. The band highlights 3 genre peers as being ’the worst,’ each of whom have fans around the globe and international touring experience, as well as 3 they consider ‘the best.’ While those regarded in high standing are certainly given some well-deserved praise, the acts the band chooses to look down upon are essentially bullied for an entire paragraph. Volumes, for instance, are referred to as follows:
The “homies.” The billionaire rich kids. Their dad is like some Grammy-award winning producer. Fully don’t like these dudes that much. The last time I saw the singer I told him I was going to beat him up, real bad, to his face.
There is also an allegation of wrongdoing on the part of someone associated with the band, as well as a story of a near physical altercation from a previous tour.
The band given the worst treatment is Within The Ruins, a metalcore act found on Victory Records, who Thy Art Is Murder claim “fully suck.”
While there is certainly nothing wrong with having an opinion or sharing it, the members of Thy Art Is Murder are not doing themselves any favors by conveying their thoughts and feelings in this way. The band comes across as bullies at best, and at worst they appear to be cocky assholes who believe the best way to raise awareness for what they are doing is by stepping on bands who have shared time with them on the road. Nothing could be farther from the truth however, as it is the bonds built through working in music that ultimately propel artists and professionals forward. The music community is surprisingly small, and everyone knows someone who knows everyone else. When you talk poorly or act out of line towards someone or some group, there are repercussions down the line the offender may have never thought possible. Maybe the person who books Within The Ruins also heads up a major festival that now will never work with Thy Art Is Murder, or perhaps they rep a band that would have otherwise served as a perfect tour pairing. Now the possibility of that happening is gone, and for what? A few clicks?
If I had a say in the happenings of Thy Art Is Murder I would urge them to consider finding a new publicist, as the person who encouraged them to create this feature obviously did not have their best interest in mind. The popularity of their rant against other bands will fade within a day, but the damage done from trashing their peers may linger for the rest of their career. The situation could be made better with an apology, but given the brash way the band described those they consider ‘the worst’ I doubt we will be hearing anything akin to “sorry” from them in the near future.
Let this be a lesson to all artists: Tearing one another down is never going to help you get ahead. You might grab a few fleeting bits of attention, but the longterm impact of publicized negativity is rarely good for business. As your mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say a word.”
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
As any music blogger will tell you, the quality of pitches sent from aspiring artists and PR professionals often run the gamut from eye-poppingly gorgeous to outright embarrassing. Some arrive as brilliantly designed emails with photos and color to spare, while others are simple one or two paragraph emails that highlight a few recording details. What makes one blogger click a link others might overlook is something we don’t really have time to get into, as the possibilities are quite limitless, but there are ways to hedge your bets. If you keep a few key things in mind when crafting your outreach to the press your chance of getting noticed will be as high as anyone else, leaving it to your music to do the rest.
1. Know who you are talking to
This one may sound obvious, but as a guy named James who has received emails addressed to everyone from Sean, to Beth, David, Matthew, and even Topher, I would argue it’s something too many take for granted. The importance of knowing who you are talking to in a pitch and gearing the conversation towards them cannot be overstated. If I see an email addressed to anyone other than myself I immediately send that message to my trash. It’s not for me, and if it was the person sending it didn’t both to double check the one line where they address me directly, so why give it my time?
You also need to remember that many writers are as younger, meaning they don’t necessarily prefer to be addressed as ‘Mister’ or ‘Miss.’ In fact, I haven’t encountered a single music journalist at any age that people refer to as Mr, Mrs, or Ms _________. Learn the first name of your contact and use it whenever possible. Be personable. It makes you, and your music, come across better.
2. Make sure the person you’re writing covers your style of music
I have never been associated with a site that regularly covers dance music or black metal, but every day without fail I receive a number of press releases trying to sell me on those genres’ latest talent. There are things I admittedly spin out of curiosity, but the vast majority of these release go directly to the trash bin. I have enough talent to engage and cover without wasting time on material that fall outside the coverage area of the sites who accept my work. You or your client may be talented, but I simply have no way to help you, so don’t waste your time or mine with an unnecessary pitch.
3. Read the submission guidelines
Most, not all, music blogs have some form of submissions guidelines buried on their site. Do your research before submitting your music to ensure your pitch has the best chance of being considered for coverage.
4. Always keep it simple
Everyone in music is busy. It doesn’t matter what day of the week you reach out, or what time of day your email is read, the person on the receiving end will always have a million tiny tasks awaiting their attention, including several other hopefuls such as yourself. Play into their lack of free time by finding concise and exciting ways to sell yourself. Long emails are only read in full when the recipient has a deeply vested interest in what is being conveyed. That is rarely, if ever, the case with reading new music submissions. Keep it simple and keep it fun. Tell who you are, what you create/represent, and where that art can be found. If you have something new you are trying to bring attention to, highlight that in its own short paragraph, along with any related links/embed codes.
5. Be respectful
Knowing the blogger’s name and the kind of content found on their site is one thing, but you can win over a writer much faster if you also show a true appreciation for their work. Comment on specific articles you enjoyed, or mention topics you know they have covered in the past. Bloggers, like anyone else, love to know their work is actually being enjoyed. Tell them.
6. Provide the blogger with everything the need to create a post
As noted above, time is of the essence when it comes to music blogging, so any pitch you send should provide the recipient with everything they need to cover your music. Building a relationship is important as well, but when it comes to actually getting featured on a site you can help yourself quite a bit by providing bloggers with any and everything they could need up front. This means providing everything from details behind an LP/EP (studio name, producer), to store links, tour dates, social links, and – most important off all – a proper promotional photo. Writers don’t have time to scour social networks for the most recent professional-looking image of your band. Do the work for them and they will love you all the more for your effort.
7. Don’t spam people
As you build a list of blogger contacts it will be increasingly tempting to blast every single email you find with the same promotional messaging, but believe me when I say doing so will win you no friends. Promotional messaging should only be directed to people who have covered your talent before, as well as those who have experienced any interest in covering that particular artist or release moving forward. Not every site will work for every piece of news and information you develop, so be smart about who receives what and you will have a much easier time maintaining strong relationships with those in the industry.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
Taylor Swift may be the queen of modern pop music, but her latest tour has ruffled more than a few feathers with its aggressive approach to controlling media distribution. The first to complain were photographers, many of whom believed the ‘1989’ creator’s photo release form to be outright ridiculous. As photographer Jason Sheldon explained in his open letter to Swift, the photo waivers for the pop star’s concerts stipulate that a photographer can use the images from the show only once and only within the published report on that performance. That means they can’t sell it to other editorial outlets, nor can they sell prints of the image in any way.
While this is not an entirely uncommon set of guidelines for a photo release, it is only the tip of the iceberg on for Swift. As COS points out, “the real kicker is not the rights it takes from the photogs, but what it gives Swift and her team. The contract states that Swift and Firefly Entertainment have the ability to use any concert photographer’s images themselves for any publicity or “non-commercial purpose” in perpetuity. In other words, they can use a photographer’s work in marketing material and not pay them a penny.”
None of these restrictions have applied to photos taken by fans, of course, but only because fans are rarely in a position to snap a high quality photo of Swift during her performance. The photos fans take are often zoomed in shot of the pop star taken from a great distance. They’re the kind of thing people share on their Snapchat story, or in a thread with friends who could not attend, which is a long way of saying the pictures fans captures are intended for non-commercial use. Apparently, this is still not good enough for Taylor Swift and/or her team because a new story circulating online points to even more aggressive restrictions being placed on media captured during Swift’s latest tour.
As TorrentFreak first broke late last week, Taylor Swift in her team have reportedly been issuing dozens of takedown notices to fans and media who use Periscope to capture her performances. The videos, often shared by some of the most passionate fans, are seen as apparently being viewed as copyright infringement. Swift has surrounded herself with a dedicated enforcement team called TAS Rights Management who swiftly take them offline. An example of one a takedown notice currently being distributed can be viewed below:
As far as we know, Taylor Swift is the only artist who has assembled an entire takedown task force to protect what she perceives a copyrighted material. She is not, however, the only person to issue takedown notices for Periscope broadcasts. Many brands, including sports organizations like the NFL, NBA, WWE and Premier League, also have teams working to make sure their broadcasts are not replicated or shown without their consent.
While we understand Swift’s desire to keep the best parts of her show a secret for those who pay to see her, we can’t help but feel her secret task force may eventually do more harm than good. A big part of why we enjoy social media as a culture is the way it allows us to share experiences instantaneously. Swift is essentially trying to prevent that type of interaction from happening whenever the media being shared involves her, and in a way its only serving to mute her most dedicated fans. Call us crazy, but we don’t really see the benefit in that. Do you?
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
Working in music has provided me with a lot of opportunities to speak with young people about their experiences with music. If you ever get the chance to do this, be it with a sibling or someone else, I highly recommend doing it. Young adults who are still amazed at the fact there is music beyond what their parents enjoy and whatever is currently hot at radio are amongst the most dedicated music fans on the planet. They consume everything, old and new, simply because they want to know what else exists. Some stuff they enjoy, and thanks to the age of streaming they can burn through most artists’ discographies the same day they discover them if they so desire, but the vast majority of material is in one ear and lost in space. It becomes the kind of thing they tell their friends they’ve heard so they don’t risk sounding uncool at the next big party, but in reality they only know that one song someone shared on Twitter that one time. Their video was probably cool.
Anyways, what I love about conversations with young music fans is their willingness to spin practically anything at least once. They don’t put much weight in names or genres, at least not at first, and I believe that allows them to enjoy music in a way far more pure than our consumption as jaded adults. We hear a name, or a genre, or even a track title, and we make judgments. We think, “Oh, this is going to be another one of these artists/bands,” and immediately draw some conclusion. It sucks, and it’s something that is incredibly hard to find a way around. In fact, I don’t have a solution. At 28, my plan is to simply say yes to everything I am able and experience whatever comes my way. Sometimes that results in epic post-rock amateurs doing their best to spin new versions out of ideas everyone who has ever heard Explosions In The Sky could recognize, other times that means experiencing some truly, truly terrible souther hip-hop. It’s a roll of the dice every time, but it’s always an experience that gives me a good story.
A band with a name like Fit For An Autopsy is probably not one you would expect to see accompanying a headline like ‘Monday Motivation,’ but if that is the case then you’ve been several under-appreciating the world of modern metal. For the better part of a decade Fit For An Autopsy have been finding unique ways to express themselves through the heaviest and most aggressive music this side of Sweden’s black metal scene. Critics writing about their music often use descriptive phrases like ’skull-crushingly heavy’ or ‘relentlessly brutal,’ but that doesn’t really do the band and their art justice. That isn’t to say such phrases are untrue, because they often fit the sound of a FFAA release to a ’T,’ but it’s the way the band delivers their take on heavy music that makes their art something everyone should find time to consume.
Without naming any band or artist specifically, there are many in the world of music today who are getting by on having just enough talent to write a good hook or create a catchy riff. Their music is fine, but after one or two releases it becomes clear they are pretty much creating the same sound over and over with only slight variation. It’s as if they believe changing things too much will scare fans and their money away, which is the one thing they fear more than anything else. Creative freedom be damned! As long as people keep asking for the band or artist to be one thing they will never attempt to be anything more because they have no desire to evolve in the first place. The fact they made it big in the first place is a miracle, and they will ride the idea that first made them popular until long after album sales have taken a nosedive.
I don’t hate artists like those described above. In fact, there are many I enjoy precisely because they can be relied upon to create solid albums every time they enter the studio, but I never look to those acts to create records that will forever stand the test of time. In order to create that kind of release an artist or group must challenge themselves, as well as their listeners, by taking bold and unexpected chances with their music. They must throw caution to the wind and see what happens when they attempt to do something other than whatever has been working for them up to that point. It’s the kind of thing that only happens when someone or some group put their careers on the line for the sake of creative expression, and even then there is no guarantee the final results will work in their favor. They rarely do, if we’re being completely honest, but for those who pull it off their is an ever-increasingly window of opportunity for growth and continued success that few ever experience.
Fit For An Autopsy could easily be a band that created the same good, but never truly great album for their entire career and they would have likely found a way to make things work for at least as long as they have now, if not longer. Fortunately for everyone in the world of metal that is not the kind of band they want to be, and with the release of their new album they have final taken the steps and risks necessary to produce something really special. Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell is a thrilling release that captures the brute strength and unabashed sincerity of Fit For An Autopsy’s music in a way no prior creation of theirs has ever been able to covey. It’s proof that being true to yourself and doing what feels right for you is the smart play when forced to choose between creative integrity and financial success. While money may be nice in the short term, there is no feeling worse than knowing you could be doing something better than you are if only you had the gull to make a change. Fit For An Autopsy have no desire to live with regret, so they poured their all into Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell and everyone who hears the album will be better off as a result.
If you’re reading this today thinking there is no way in (absolute) hell you could find inspiration in metal, let me be the first to tell you that you are wrong. Like any style music performed well, great metal has an ability to instill a sense of confidence in its consumer that is possessed by no other medium. It’s as if knowing that the music you’re hearing is what the artist wanted to convey somehow makes it okay for us to do whatever it is we believe is needed in our own lives. I don’t know why life works that way, but it does and I am forever thankful. I am also thankful for Fit For An Autopsy, because it is their latest album that has given me the strength to do what is needed in my own life as of late. I can be a better me because they are working to be a better them, and I think anyone who experiences their new album will feel the same.
This week – be bold. Take risks you have been avoiding for days, weeks, or months and do that thing you know you should. Also, buy the new Fit For An Autopsy album. It’s really good.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
A lot has been written about the supposed dire state of the music industry, but truth be told there are a number of successful and growing companies, including record labels, that are thriving in 2015. In this column we bring together every job opening we can find from the companies responsible for building the future of the business and present them to you, our reader, in hopes of aiding you on your journey to join the global music industry professional family.
Each week we scour the internet for the latest and greatest job postings throughout the music industry. You can help us better serve our community by sending any job openings you find or have to james@haulix.com. Be sure to include the name of the company hiring, a detailed description of the position being offered, a desired start date, contact information, and any additional supplemental information you feel may be needed.
Job summary: Webster Public Relations is a public relations, media strategies and social media firm seeking creative, motivated and passionate students (undergraduate, graduate or recent graduates) for an internship position. In addition to administrative responsibilities, clipping features/reviews, research projects and social media tasks, interns will also help coordinate press events (meet & greets and album launches). There will also be an opportunity to observe interviews, photo shoots and performance events.
Job summary: Occasional part-time work that can be 0-15 hours weekly depending on availability of assignments. Work consists of music and market research in businesses in various states. Assignments include onsite research in businesses during late evenings, including weekends, and can require possible travel and overnight stay.
Job summary: Do your thing. We’ll tell everyone! That’s the motto of Wyatt Brand, a publicity and design agency. We’re looking forthe right intern to support our work for a growing roster of clients, including financial, small business, large/small arts organizations, magazines, artists, visionaries, music ensembles, collectives, and so forth. This is an unpaid internship but can be used for class credit.
Job summary: The Marketing Manager will handle product development through delivery, marketing and promotions for TV/Features for the Creative Services division. They will develop and implement integrated marketing plans and strategies for the creative services division that maximize sales potential and manage the creative process to ensure the proper execution of all advertising, marketing materials, product design/packaging and promotional development. In addition, they will manage the Creative Services various web identities and commercial/feature promo reels.
Job summary: Drastic Plastic Records is looking for a professional, organized, congenial, self-starter to handle the various responsibilities pertaining to the operation of a vinyl reissue label including but not limited to elements of production, publicity/marketing, order fulfillment, licensing, and miscellaneous other duties.
Job summary: Webster Public Relations is currently looking for a Publicist in its Nashville office. The ideal Publicist candidate holds a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, PR or journalism and has at least 3-5 years, post-college, full time relevant PR experience, with an agency background preferred. We are looking for qualified PR professionals that are creative and enthusiastic with passion and experience in high-end clientele, music business professionals, plus proven results with top-tier media outlets locally, regionally and nationally.
Job summary: Complex’s Brand Partnerships Studio (Marketing Department) is hiring a Pre-Sale Marketing Strategist in its Los Angeles office.The candidate will be primarily responsible for conceptualizing, writing and managing integrated marketing proposals to create compelling partnership programs for a variety of advertising partners.Responsibilities also include working alongside Strategy Management team to merchandise internal editorial opportunities and produce innovative brand storytelling tools.
Job summary: The iHeartMedia Account Executive will identify and solicit new business; service and grow existing account. They are responsible for developing persuasive proposals in response to client needs and/or opportunities. They will guide their clients based on market, platform or station information. They are responsible for ensuring client satisfaction through cooperative communication. They will also negotiate rates consistent with iHeartMedia operating goals and budgets and ensure prompt payment. They will utilize all available Clear Channel resources to create effective marketing campaigns.This is a commission based outside sales position.
Job summary: The Marketing Coordinator plays a strategic role in facilitating website, social media, advertisement campaigns and customer relations. This position works closely across teams, vendors and with customers to fulfill marketing strategies. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills and will be initiative driven and detailed oriented.
Job summary: We’re looking for a Sales Manager who can drive strategy and growth. In this role you will lead and coach a high-performing sales team responsible for selling prospects on our unique value proposition and ensuring that the broader market understands how we are shaking up the way ticketing is done.
Job summary: Works with the Director of Public Relations to strategize, plan, and execute short- and long-term objectives pertaining to publicity for all BSO, Inc. activities, expanding press outreach to media sectors beyond arts and music, to travel, lifestyle, and educational press, among others, with an additional focus on expanding online press coverage through relevant social media, blogs, and online sites. In addition, writes and edits press materials pertaining to office production schedule; assists with photography and video when needed; and develops key relationships with local and national television media for coverage of BSO, Inc. activities.
Job summary: The Sire Records Label Coordinator supports the President and Director of Sire Records in fulfilling any and all his A&R and administrative duties. Specific responsibilities of this position include office duties, helping to scout new bands, artists, and music, as well as attending shows and acting as a liaison between the A&R rep and the parent entity, Warner Music Group. This position must often maintain and develop relationships directly with artists, scout and research new artists, songwriters, and producers, review demo submissions, cover shows, coordinate detailed bi-weekly A&R research reports and carry out other marketing and label duties as needed. The label coordinator is also responsible for helping to come up with new marketing concepts, working with the creative department on images and advertisements, developing marketing strategies and plans, and present findings to company executives.
Job summary: The right candidate will have a proven track record of securing press coverage in multiple disciplines. We work with a variety of clients that include everything from rising and established musicians to start-ups, non-profits and apps. The position will encompass all aspects of account work such as: drafting media materials, building media relationships, brainstorming pitch angles and securing coverage for local, regional and national press campaigns. Excellent written and verbal communications skills are crucial, as is deep knowledge of and passion for pop culture. Creativity, teamwork and dedication must define your work style.
Job summary: Live Nation Entertainment, the largest live entertainment company in the world, is looking for a highly creative thinker to bring their passion for music, experience in email marketing and knowledge of the online world to the position of Digital Marketing Coordinator. In this role you’ll be tasked with developing and scheduling email campaigns, managing data, and coordinating presales, working closely with venues in North America.
Job summary: You are the face of Feature.fm on campus. You will manage our marketing and business development efforts on campus by engaging with your college music scene and integrating Feature.fm in your college’s music community. The ideal candidate is very self-driven and self-motivated with an entrepreneurial aptitude and passion for the music industry. You will have the flexibility to take initiative to help grow the business based on your understanding of Feature.fm’s needs and goals.
Job summary: drive sales of our client’s products within a specific territory. You will be responsible for achieving target sales metrics by directly engaging and selling to retail consumers. Assisted Sales Representatives will support activities educating, training and building relationships at all levels of CCS retail partners. ASRs are responsible for product knowledge, promotion, strong relationships, and ultimately product sales. In addition, collecting and reporting on in-store training, in-store activities, competitive information as well as maintaining brand presence at retail through merchandising, display maintenance/cleanliness and POP.
Job summary: General Description: Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Communications, this person is responsible for managing Celebrity Series social media efforts, as an element of integrated communications campaigns, to meet the goals of increasing ticket sales and brand engagement. Daily responsibilities include e-mail marketing, social media strategy and tactics, brand awareness development, and generating in-bound traffic and leads. This person will also analyze campaign results and other institutional data and translate it into recommendations and plans for enhancement and optimization. This person also works closely with the Associate Director of Marketing and serves as a resource for the marketing team. This position is a real opportunity for a self-motivated individual to help create a new position.
Job summary: The Manager, Label Analysis will report directly to the VP, Market & Consumer Research and will support the EVP & CFO, Finance plus the SVP, Sales & Digital Teams for Warner Bros. Records with Market Research and Data Analysis around sales and streaming platforms for Warner Bros. Records. The Manager will work with WEA team as well as WB staff to provide detailed view of key marketing drivers, consumer behavior and current digital initiatives for going to market their artists as well as competition.
Job summary: Bright Antenna is a super cool independent record label in the San Francisco Bay Area looking for an experienced Product Manager. We have global partnerships with Warner Music Group and ADA Label Services. Our offices are located in Mill Valley, CA (across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco). Please familiarize yourself with the artists on our website before you send us a resume, and in your cover letter tell us your 3 favorite albums, a little bit about what music means to you, and what your salary expectations are.
Job summary: The Bailey Agency, LLC is seeking several ambitious and talented Regional Account Managers in various locations throughout the United States. We are seeking sales professionals with a “hunter mentality” who know and enjoy selling. The Regional Account Managers are primarily responsible for building brand recognition and securing new customers through cold calling and industry connections. Connections to the entertainment industry or local entertainment scene, is not required but strongly suggested. As a Regional Account Manager, using a consultative approach, you will prospect new accounts and grow sales volume. You will conduct analysis of sales and market data to develop and implement strategies to ensure successful results. You will be selling at the executive level to music and entertainment industry professionals such as entertainment managers, and talent investors, as well as musicians, band members, actors, performers, and work towards defined sales objectives.
Job summary: Department: Client Relations Type: Full Time Min. Experience: Mid Level Reporting to the VP, Client Relations, The Orchard has an immediate opening for a full-time Manager, International Client Relations. The NYC based position will act as an intermediary between The Orchard, its partner offices worldwide, and a roster of music and video clients. Supporting our international partners, this position builds and maintains scalable processes to train and guide the global client relations team through use of The Orchard’s industry leading client tools, and troubleshooting content as it flows through our delivery system. The person should have an understanding of digital retail requirements, with a focus on metadata and solid technical capabilities. A keen eye for detail and a love for all types of music is a must.
Job summary: As a Technology Manager, you’ll have the opportunity to have a direct impact on a business enjoyed by millions of music lovers. You will be a technologist taking responsibility for the success of YouTube’s largest partnerships, leading deployments, optimizing implementations to increase business growth, driving new business opportunities and seeking innovative solutions in the fluid work of digital music to build strong, successful, long-term partnerships. You are a creative thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, market-driven environment and wants to take on both technical and business challenges in the same role. You will have the opportunity to lead projects and cross-functional teams and should be a self-motivated individual looking to solidify YouTube’s strategic partnerships with the largest traditional Music partners (for example, major record labels) and the most successful new media partners that have grown large businesses almost exclusively on YouTube.
Job summary: The Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts is currently seeking a Director of Music Education to develop and oversee educational programming with a vision toward advancing the mission of Festival & Center, enriching the communities the organization serves, and increasing overall enrollment and participation in Center and Festival education programs. As a senior staff member, s/he will work closely with Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and the Executive Director to develop innovative, compelling educational concerts and programming for the Festival and Center; will support, inspire, and motivate the Center’s nearly 50 artist/faculty members; will lead program evaluation processes for the Center; and will work with the ED and Operations Manager to program and oversee the Center’s popular Kaleidoscope concert series.
Publicity internship for someone who has knowledge of the music and television industry with current television and radio contacts for a well known self help pop psychology author who is also an up and coming recording artist with books,app and rap songs already on iTunes.
Job summary: Monitors and maintains one or more instructional music laboratories and practice rooms provides instructional assistance to students in the development of perceptive listening skills, and is responsible for the routine business transactions of the music department office.
Job summary: The Associate Product Manager will work closely with the Product Manager who is focused on the development of TouchTunes new Attract TV Digital Out of Home (DOOH) product. In addition, the Associate Product Manager will have the opportunity to also support other company products including jukebox, proximity & mobile as needed.
Job summary: Conceptualizes, develops and produces full-length or short form programs, and/or segments of larger programs, while maintaining the channel’s creative vision. Initiates show topics, collaborates ideas with show hosts, books guests and prepares interview materials including background information and interview questions. Makes decisions related to creative processes, content development and production. Works independently on standard programs, and assists with larger, complex and high profile programs. Exercises a high level of creativity and executes programming assignments with minimal oversight. Oversees technical staff performing editing and running audio boards. May be assigned to more than one program and perform slightly different functions across programs.
Job summary: This individual will work with a designated Sales Rep to ensure seamless campaign execution while providing high level of client service support for Advertisers and Agencies. The right individual will be responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining, and enhancing/optimizing online and mobile advertising campaigns of various cost structures including CPM, CPC and CPA. This position involves working strategically with sales and advertisers/agencies to have a thorough understanding of campaign objectives and success metrics. The successful candidate will be an independent self-starter who has a high level of attention to detail, strong communication skills, a knack for reporting and interest in Excel, and the capability to interpret data in order to provide suggestions to improve campaign performance.
Promoter (Storm Group Entertainment – Houston, TX)
Job summary: Do you want to make money while earning FREE music festival tickets and merchandise? Have you always wanted to get paid to party?! Storm Group Entertainment is an expanding event promotion company that is actively seeking dedicated promoters for future events in your area. Promoters can earn commission and get paid cash for getting the word out about these upcoming events and products. In addition, they can earn free tickets to the Music Festivals, nightclubs, raves, and will also receive free merchandise!
Job summary: The Coordinator, Music Marketing will play an integral role in key marketing initiatives for the company. Must have marketing experience, be knowledgeable of the music industry, able to juggle multiple projects, thrive in a deadline-driven environment and be a true team player
Job summary: We are looking for a Global Experiential Marketing Director that will drive creative development and execution, of physical and digital experiences across brand, partner, and internal activations. Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.
This position provides administrative support to the Music Department faculty and students by managing and coordinating daily office activities. It also provides accounting, purchasing and expenditure tracking support for all fiscal operations for the Department of Music.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for stopping by our company blog. This is the last update we will run in the month of September, and overall we think this month has treated us well. Our staff is entirely comprised of people who adore Halloween, so believe me when I say we’re all anxious for October to begin. We also have some major surprises in store for the month ahead, but we’re not quite ready to reveal them just yet. For now, jam this:
As I mentioned above, each and every weekend we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS:
Unlike last week, there is no major development news to share. That said, staff member James Shotwell did have a chance to see the revamped version of Haulix we plan to release later this year just last night and he wanted to offer a initial on the product for readers:
“I know I am bias, but the new version of Haulix is the best one yet. The new design is streamlined to the max, with beautiful graphics and in-depth analytics. I’m not allowed to discuss a lot of bells and whistles I saw in action, but it looks really good. I think clients and press alike will be thankful this update took place.”
BLOG NEWS:
We are incredibly proud of this week’s content. I know we say that every few weeks, but something about the last five days has been incredibly special. Not only did we deliver a wide array of content, but we managed to cover a number of interesting subjects along the way, including feminism and the current state of mainstream rock and roll.
In case you missed anything, use the links below to catch up before a new week of content begins:
In all my years of music blogging, ‘conflict of interest’ is probably the one term I have heard thrown around more than any other when discussing the efforts of various writers. Site owners, much like countless industry professionals working in areas like publicity or management, often have several industry-centric efforts going on at the same time. Some see this as a problem, while others view it as simply leveraging a position those individuals have earned through hard work. I’m not here to tell you which side is right because in all honestly I’m not entirely sure, but I can provide insight into the meaning of this often thrown around term and how it applies to the world of blogging today.
To quote our friends at Businessdictionary, a conflict of interest (COI) is “any situation that has the potential to undermine the impartiality of a person because of the possibility of a clash between the person’s self-interest and professional interest or public interest.” To put it in simpler terms: conflicts of interest are situations that occur when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation.
Some of the COIs taking place in music today include:
Bloggers writing about bands who they have an invested interest in, whether it be through management, label dealings, publicity, or any other facet of the music business.
Bloggers accepting cash ‘donations’ in exchange for covering certain acts on their blog that may otherwise not fit into their normal content offerings.
Critics scoring albums higher than they normally would because of a personal relationship with the artist.
Publicists contributing content to blogs featuring their clients.
Publicists and managers handling artists they have invested time/money in alongside to artists they have no financial ties to.
Bands touring with groups they have a financial interest in, as opposed to working with the best band for the bill.
Record labels maintaining music blogs under pseudonyms in order to push their latest releases.
Record labels paying music critics to review albums they would otherwise never consider highlighting.
Partnership blogging, which is an act where one writer covers a certain person’s artist so that the other individual will in turn cover their artist at some point in the future.
There are many more potential conflicts of interest taking place in the music industry today, but the vast majority are never brought to light. The reason for this is because the blogging industry, much like the wild west, is a place that is still very much trying to define itself. Everyone is scrambling to make something for themselves before the powers that be set a precedent everyone must follow, and until that happens people will use any and everything at their disposal to get ahead? Is that right or wrong? Again, I’m not a hundred percent sure anyone can really say either way.
Conflicts of interest must be addressed on a case by case basic in order to determine where they fall in the world of business ethics. That said, whether or not the person executing the COI cares for business ethics is another discussion altogether. There are far more people writing about music online for free than there are those who make a living doing it, and as a result It’s not hard to understand why people would bend rules and business practices for financial gain. That does not necessarily make it right, but in the mind of a young writer it’s not right that they often must write for years and years before seeing a single dime. COIs offer a quick leg up against the competition, be it for promotional or financial purposes, and as long as that remains true there will always be those willing to risk whatever fall out may occur if their efforts are uncovered.
Speaking of risks, it’s hard to tell what – if anything – will happen to someone whose COIs are discovered. In extreme cases there may be people removed from contributing staffs or black listed from a certain mailing list, but more often than not the only damage done in these situations is to the perceived reputation of the individual responsible. If you’re a critic and word gets out that your opinion can be bought, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for you to sell people on your word being trustworthy in the future. Likewise, if it comes to light that coverage on your blog is available for purchase your readers may look to what they believe to be more authentic outlets for news and music discovery. Then again, some might not care at all. People are weird like that.
In a way similar to how you choose the type of person you want to be in life, you also have a choice when it comes to the type of blogger you want to become. There are as many ways to success in music as there are to failure, but I can tell you from my decade of experience that nothing beats an honest voice with a unique perspective. Be yourself, regardless of what others say, and over time you will see your career flourish. You will find and audience, or perhaps they will find you, and together you will create a dialogue on music that is rewarding for everyone involved. Cutting corners for short term success or minuscule financial gain offers no longterm benefits, forging a trusting relationship with your reader is something that will reward you again and again.
Over the last year you may have seen your favorite pop punk band tweeting about a limited run of cassette tapes a tiny indie label was pressing for their latest release and thought, even if just for a moment, that such news was fairly odd. After all, the cassette tape has long been thought dead by mainstream America. It was killed by the CD, and then the CD was killed by the digital age, but new numbers from one manufacturers tells another story.
According to National Audio Company, the largest of the companies still involved in cassette manufacturing, the company sold nearly 10 million units last year. Vinyl, for those keeping track, reportedly moved 13 million units during that same time. One format received far more attention than the other, but it’s clear based on number alone that the recent rebirth of tapes in popular culture is more than just an overnight fad.
Of the 10 million tapes produced in 2015, over 70% were created for labels big and small, including Sony and Universal Records. The other 30% was for blank cassettes, which I can only imagine are being sold to someone hoping ‘real’ mix tapes will one day make a comeback (they probably won’t).
Adding to the cassette’s apparent return to popularity is the fact many audio manufacturers have begun producing new tape decks. After phasing cassette players out of cars and home theaters all together in the mid-aughts there are many who are now receiving demand from consumers to have them back. Prices vary, but new tapes on a well made machine can offer rather incredible sound quality.
As for who is buying tapes, it’s the same under-35 market that helped breathe fresh life into vinyl. It seems those brought up in the digital era have found something special in the physical format that they refuse to let die. Punk and rock labels make up the majority of tape releases, but there are new tapes being made for every genre imaginable as demand continues to rise.
All this said, longterm success of the tape revival still seems unlikely. The decay in quality begins the first time a tape is played, and as much as those under-35 seem to appreciate the cassette format I doubt they will feel the same once their beloved Modern Baseball cassette begins to deteriorate. Then again, maybe they will.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
