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Haulix Advice: Setting Up Tour Press

Today’s Haulix Advice column is intended for artists with more than one tour under their belt. We understand those of you just getting started may be excited by notion of having press cover your first tour, but we highly recommend waiting until you’ve crossed stateliness a time or two before taking the following steps.

As you move forward in your pursuit of national acclaim, touring offers a number of unique promotional opportunities that will help drive awareness to your music and (hopefully) add a little boost to ticket sales. In oder for any of that to happen, however, you will need to put together a plan of attack far in advance of your first date, and that is what we’re going to discuss today.

It may seem a bit premature, but artists hoping to maximize the exposure they are able to pull out of a single tour would be wise to begin planning those effort almost as early as they begin booking said shows. As a band, you should work together to develop a list of everyone you want to invite to a show, all the content you hope to create during the run, sites that offer pre-tour promotional options (playlists, interviews), and a list of potential sites and publications who may be interested in hosting said content. Be specific. Know when you plan your tour to start, as well as the promotion, and use a calendar to plan when you would ideally like your content to run. Once you’re on the road, finding the time to plan is going to be near impossible, and you’ll likely have a number of other issues and needs to attend to as well. Having a plan helps to not only suppress the stress of last minute organizing, but also creates a blueprint to follow if/when things do go off the rails (and let face it: they probably will).

As soon as you confirm your dates, take time to research writers who may work in the vicinity of your shows and email them with details on your performance no later than one month prior to the tour. Invite them to come, but be careful to not beg. Writers want to believe they’re either going to see the next great band no one has heard, an underrated juggernaut deserving of more attention, or an established act whose live show is even better than their album, not a group of musicians trying too hard to be famous. Pick an angle that works for you and use it to entice the reader. Remember: This may be your first time interacting with this individual, so make sure your initial impression is a good one. Being friendly and concise goes a long way.

A month out from your first date also happens to be the ideal time to begin locking in your tour content exclusives. This could be any number of items, but the two most popular tend to be tour blogs and acoustic performance videos. Both are great tools for furthering awareness of your efforts, and neither is all that difficult to create. Once you know what your content will be, develop a list of sites you would like to partner with for the premieres and begin contacting them. Again, being specific is key. Make sure your message includes information about your efforts, the tour, and as specific details regarding the content you would like to share with their readers. If it’s a tour blog, tell them how often you were hoping to run it. If it’s a performance video, give them a target week for release. Being too specific may turn some away, so make sure you allow room for customization. The sites you want to work with have a lot of experience in this type of content, and more importantly they know what works best with their readers. Trust them.

When you’re a week out from the tour, send reminders to outlets you have not heard from and check in on everyone who said they may attend. Provide contact information, including a phone number, and request the writer do the same. Every venue is different, and you nerve know when your press plans may have to change on account of an outside force.

Check in with your contacts again the day of the show to confirm their travel plans, as well as yours. Coordinate a time that works with your schedule for the day and do whatever you can to be early. If you’re completing an interview with said writer, check in advance for type of interview (voice or video) and prepare accordingly. We’ll have more tips for video interviews in an upcoming edition of Haulix Advice.

As with every Haulix Advice column, we asked a number of industry professionals to offer additional insight on setting up tour press. You can read what they had to say below.

If you have any questions or comment, feel free to leave at the end of this post and we’ll do our best to reply soon.

“My best suggestion to any up and coming artist who is looking to do their own press would be to 1- know their music websites and 2-Contact as many journalist as possible. Start off with doing a google search to see who has covered artists like you, or other artists you have toured with. After making a list of what outlets covered those artists, as well as their contact information, reach out to each journalist individually. Tell them about your band, when your last release came out, send some examples of music as well as tour dates. Always include the best way to reach you! It’s a ton of work but absolutely is worth the effort. Also, whenever you send physical music to a journals ALWAYS include contact information and a bio. The worst thing you could do is waste your time sending a CD to a writer and then them having no clue how to contact you” – Jenna LoMonaco, Kobalt Music Group

“As a smaller band, especially without a publicist, getting press for your tour is a daunting task. Even if you’re only playing 10-15 cities, that’s 10-15 unique local markets that you have to sift through and try to find the best way to promote your show. The best thing for your band is going to be getting local newspaper and radio stations to run any sort of coverage *before* you play your show in the area, to try to encourage turnout. However, many writers will only want to cover your show post-event and many radio stations will ask for tickets to give away in exchange for coverage. This shouldn’t be a worry for you – you’ll want to commit press passes and free tickets at each show in exchange for promotion. In terms of national and online media, make sure you know where writers are located, especially the ones that like your band. If a website gives your EP a good review, make a note that the writer is located in X market so you can offer him a free ticket to review your show. Keep an organized list of contacts that help you out in each local market, too – this (hopefully) won’t be the last time you play in that area, so you’ll want to hit these people up again in the future.” – Thomas Nasiff, Fuse/Bad Timing Records/Paper+Plastick

“There are two sides of tour press: Before, and after. Before you go on tour, you should be setting up press with sites that do pre-tour features. PropertyOfZack does Playlists, a way for touring packages to let us know what they’ll be listening to on the road. We include the tour dates in there for extra press.

Then for after, you have Road Blogs, interviews, acoustic sessions, and more. Make sure people haven’t forgotten about the tour once it ends. Keep the content coming” – Zack Zarrillo, PropertyOfZack

“Always plan to start your tour press no later than a month out from the first date. The less time you give yourselves, the less chance of an effective press campaign. The less effective your campaign is, the less impact it will have in show attendance.” – Patrick Ryan Williford, Persistent Heart Media

“No outlet is too small – if you’ve got the time and a .blogspot-type writer has reached out, make the relationship and take the interview. Any press is good press, and you never know where a writer will end up – taking that interview when a site is small could benefit you tenfold down the line.” – Jack Appleby, Siren Records

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Blogger Spotlight: Brian Leak (Under The Gun Review)

Hello, and welcome back to the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. This week we have two very interesting and completely different individuals to introduce you to, and the first comes to us from the land of Northern California.

Though we have featured writers from Under The Gun Review in this series before, today is the first time in the history of this column that we’re highlighting an individual who also happens to be a parent. Brian Lion is the Front Page Editor for UTG, and over the last few years he has helped steer the site’s development, strengthened the overall grammatical proficiency of the staff, and brought countless new eyes and ideas to the world of Under The Gun. He didn’t start at UTG, but he’s certainly made it his home, and in doing so greatly impacted the overall quality of the site’s offerings. When he expressed an interest in this series, we knew his insight would offer invaluable aide to other chasing the dream of a career in entertainment.

Below you will learn about Brian’s history with music, his earliest efforts in the industry, where he sees himself in the future, and what advice he has to offer others hoping to make their way through this business. His story is one-of-a-kind, and we’re grateful that he’s chosen to share it with us.

Brian is always seeking new opportunities in music, and those looking to keep up with his efforts would be wise to follow him on Twitter. Under The Gun Review also offers a social media feed you need in your life, so be sure to Follow them on Twitter and Like their Facebook at your earliest convenience.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

BL: My name is Brian Leak, alternatively and more than likely known as Brian Lion. I work for Under the Gun Review where I am the Front Page Editor. I mainly read and edit each and every post on the site but I also do interviews, reviews, music and film news, a column when I’m able, and pretty much anything else I can dabble in. I just recently had my first photog experience shooting for RX Bandits.

H: UTG is not the first publication you have written for, but you certainly seem to have made it your home. Where did you get your start in writing, and what initially attracted you to the entertainment industry?

BL: This is true. My first publication was a print magazine/paper based in Chico, CA which was called Synthesis. I mainly did interviews with bands and some actors. Since then, I’ve written for a handful of others as well with UTG being my primary den. I’ve always loved music and film, for as long as I can remember. I used to watch VH1’s top 10 countdown constantly when I was a kid and I would watch tons of 80s and 90s action movies with my stepdad; the Lethal Weapon series, Jean Claude, Jackie Chan, Arnold, etc. It all just fascinated me so much. Whether it be music, film or television, they were just different worlds you could get encapsulated in. Part of me always felt like I would love to be involved with it in some way. That early on, writing hadn’t necessarily crossed my mind but over time as I started reading more and more online, I started to gain an interest in the industry and thought that it was a very special way to explore the things I loved from a different side.

H: What drew you to the position of Front Page Editor at UTG, and why do you feel its purpose is important?

BL: I’ve always been lucky enough to fully grasp the English language and have never truly struggled in that area. I won a couple spelling bees when I was younger and some awards for regional writing events and such and a lot of my teachers and family always told me that writing would in some way be what I would do. At the time, I never really believed that or thought too much on it but as I got older and began noticing an unfortunate lack of literacy around me, it sort of became a pet peeve — spelling and grammar that is. When I was in high school, I had considered working towards becoming an English teacher but I was a teenager and wanted to be such, so that much work didn’t sound as appealing to me once I really put thought into it. Eventually, after having immersed myself into writing about music and film, editing other peoples’ mistakes in the same field only made sense as I would see errors going unnoticed otherwise and felt obligated to remedy that. I just can’t let shit go.

H: In recent years Under The Gun has evolved from covering music to featuring news on film and stand-up comedy as well. Aside from these expansions, what do you feel separate the efforts of UTG from those of similar websites?

BL: Well these expansions are huge for us of course but it’s all about the way we execute our content. We have a very interesting cast of characters on staff spanning the US with one staffer in Europe as well and with that many unique personalities, you’re bound to have some strong convictions, views, and ideas. As a group, we’ve had some of the most hilarious, interesting, and even sometimes aggravating conversations that I think I’ve ever had.

We try our best to allow our contributors to use their voice as they please because that to me is what will make an article more interesting for a reader. There are plenty of sites out there that you can go to for formulaic news, but we try to add ourselves into our content to create a more relatable and enjoyable atmosphere for our readership. Aside from that, timeliness is next to Godliness and original content is our bread and butter. With a sociable and well-connected staff, you can pull a lot of great resources to score some really cool content from friends in the industry. We just try our best to come up with new features and continue expanding as we’re able.

H: One thing that sets you apart from many bloggers is that you also happen to be a father. How has starting a family changed the way you approach your work?

BL: That’s a great question. In one sense, it has made me want to work harder of course but there’re always times when I wish I could just take an entire week off and do nothing but play with my little girl and do whatever we want. I can’t say that that feeling won’t grow even more in the future as she gets older and can interact more but this is my dream and I like to think that it will lead to more and more great opportunities as it already has over the years.

H: Some might think having a child may detract people from chasing their dreams, but you clearly don’t see things that way. What advice would you offer others who find themselves in a situation similar to yours?

BL: Obviously, your child should come before anything and everything, but at the same time, if you give up on a dream in the process, especially one that you’ve made great headway in, then you’re failing your child as much if not more than you’re failing yourself. Writing was always about my own personal gain until we had her. Now it’s just that much more important that I make this work and continue to expand so that it does lead to those other great opportunities that will hopefully benefit not just me, but my family as well.

As far as advice I’d offer others in a similar situation — if possible, do not give up on your dream, but don’t let it take over your life to where you become a stranger to your kid(s). I know that in a reversed situation, I would likely be upset to find out that my parents gave up on something they loved because of me for some reason. I would feel guilty and or disappointed in them and I don’t want my daughter to feel that way about me when she grows up. I want her to be proud that I accomplished my goals just as I will be of her.

H: As someone who not only covers new music, but film as well, how do you go about discovering new talent?

BL: Word of mouth first and foremost, but I’ve bookmarked a lot of sites over the years that I explore now and then. Bandcamp, which is a gold mine of undiscovered talent, has been one of my go-to resources for finding new music. Pandora has introduced me to some artists I was unfamiliar with, and just sites like UTG that I always followed. Finding new music is one my absolute favorite things. Discovering an incredible new band is like Christmas, but usually better because you don’t have act like you like something if you really hate it. No need for gift receipts.

As far as film, I use Letterboxd which is amazing and has helped me come across countless mind-blowing films. I used to just search through Rotten Tomatoes and see what was coming out. It’s pretty good for seeing ratings on more obscure stuff that you may be interested in. I’ve stumbled upon some pretty cool things online, sometimes using StumbleUpon. Go figure. Short Of The Week is a great site for discovering new short films, which many that know me will tell you is a huge interest of mine.

H: Let’s say the artists want to come to you. What advice would you offer a band hoping to stand out from the countless others vying for coverage?

BL: Oh, man. Originality is key, but even that is hard to create these days in a sea of similar bands trying to grab your attention. I’ve seen almost every bait deviation there is and coming across one that really draws me in is few and far between. I personally don’t like when people try too hard. Sincerity is nice and I want to be wowed. Me being an editor, it’s incredibly frustrating when I’m not even sure what the band is trying to ask of me. If you can’t spell or form sentences, you may want to get someone who can to write up your press releases. That’s for starters. As much as I understand the urgency and excitement, I don’t like when people are pushy about it. They should know that almost anyone they’re trying to pitch their material to is going to be a very busy person. I’m a sucker for cleverness; puns and esoteric pop culture references. That’s how you can get me to do a double take and put my headphones on.

H: When it comes to receiving music and film for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

BL: I personally like to just be able to click to Bandcamp or Soundcloud; some simple streaming platform. I don’t really want to have to download something before I’ve heard it. Physical copies are always nice, too. For film, online screeners seem to be typical and I like that. Again, physical copies are fine with me as well. Other than that, if need be, Dropbox and or WeTransfer are great for a quick exchanges.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

BL: Uhhh, one thing…that’s difficult. I think I would take out a lot of the ferocity and venom from the competition. For being a medium that is so universally loved, there is a lot of hate and facetiousness involved behind the scenes, and sometimes in the headlines. It can be daunting and exhausting when you’re trying to enjoy your work while bands and artists start feuds and other writers and publications find it necessary to bash what you do because they do it differently. Sometimes they do nothing differently and they’re just clearly vicious people that feel better about themselves by slandering others. I can’t say I’m not a shit-talker but when it comes to my work, I try to respect my peers at least. If I don’t like the way they’re doing something, I look at it as their problem, not mine.

H: Your team writes a lot about having big plans on the horizon. Can you tell us a bit about what UTG has planned for the remainder of 2013?

BL: More original content, more features, more coverage. Hopefully some more indie film screenings like we did last year with Iwrestledabearonce. We should be covering another handful of festivals before the year’s end as well. We just had a staffer attend AFI Docs for reviews which was very unique amongst our peers and helps expand our film coverage. We’ve discussed maybe putting out some merch. Maybe we’ll launch a Kickstarter just to fit in.

“Yes! The danger must be growing / For the rowers keep on rowing / And they’re certainly not showing / Any signs that they are slowing!”

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Haulix Advice: Making The Most Of Email Interviews

The last few editions of our Haulix Advice column have focused on making introductions and getting your music in front of people who will [hopefully] share it with their readers. Today we’re focusing on selling what lies behind the music: Yourself.

Once your music begins getting traction online, the time will come when you desire to setup additional features for your band with notable publications. Interviews are always a great route to go, but all too often the bigger outlets do not have the free time needed to execute a face-to-face feature with rising acts and an email interview (sometimes referred to as a form interview) may have to suffice suffice. This may seem like a negative, as everyone tends to express themselves better through conversation than statement, but with careful thought and consideration fill-in-the-blank questionnaires can be a gateway to a deeper relationship with your fans, as well as an effective marketing tool. After all, any opportunity for exposure is better than none, and rarely will you come across an opportunity as customizable as this.

For everything a form interview lacks in terms of human interaction it more than makes up for in the endless freedom offered to the artist. The questions outlined should be viewed as starting points for conversation with the reader rather than individual bullet points. Make your introductions quick and be sure to answer everything clearly, but keep in mind every response is another opportunity to connect with listeners on a deeper level. They want the details (that’s why you’re being asked you questions), so make sure you take your time to answer everything in full. That may sound fairly obvious, but having spent last half decade in journalism I cannot count the number of one-word or single sentence responses I’ve received from artists of all sizes. It’s not engaging or entertaining to read. Ever.

In terms of reaching new listeners, form interviews offer you the opportunity to discuss elements of your art that may pull in the casual webzine reader. In depth information regarding your inspiration, goals, antics on stage and behind-the-scenes, views on music, and the like can offer the publications printing the article an angle to sell, and with the right hook you’ll be reeling in new listeners in no time (pun unfortunately intended).

To offer additional insight on how artists can make the most out of email interviews and the reasoning behind why it’s important, I turned to a few notable members of the music world for advice. You can read their insight below. If you have additional tips for artists reading this column, please feel free to comment at the end of this post and add your two cents. 

“I think the short responses in interviews via email are not because the artist or musician doesn’t care, it’s because either: 1) The artist feels as sense of entitlement because someone cares enough about their art to interview them about it. OR 2) They aren’t viewing their art as a business. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to act professional. no one wants to work with unprofessional artists who are flakey and don’t care about their perception to the public. – Mike Sacchetti, Bad News Bears

In the unfortunate event that an interviewer is left with no other option but to send out an e-mail interview as opposed to doing a phoner or in-person, it’s important that the artist(s) being questioned elaborate on their answers to make for an interesting and insightful read. There is generally no way for the interviewer to anticipate how the artist(s) will respond so more often than not, an e-mail interview will not flow as well as an in-person or phone interview would, as the interviewer doesn’t have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions in regards to the artists’ answers.

I would suggest that the interviewee read all of the questions before they begin answering because it has been my experience that the artist will answer with similar responses multiple times throughout the interview due to the order of the questions. Many times, the artist(s) will answer a question as well as a succeeding one at the same time which isn’t always necessarily a good thing in terms of length and an engrossing read. This also falls into the responsibility of the interviewer to ask engaging and unique questions to hopefully get the most out of the interviewee, in way of in-depth responses.

In some instances, an artist will be cooperative enough to allow you to send some follow-up questions if you’re unclear on something they answered or you feel that you need to expand on something that could ultimately make for more piquant content. It would be nice if all artists offered this option knowing that an e-mail will typically need a little more life than what is breathed into it in the initial transaction. – Brian Lion, Under The Gun Review

When filling out digital interviews, every band should take the time to make sure they not only hand in thoughtful answers, but responses that are professional. Time and time again, I read and put together interviews where artists don’t take the time to even run spell check over their answers, which can reflect poorly on your band. Put in a few extra minutes, look over your answers and make sure what you’re saying is representative of how you want your band to be perceived. – Tyler Osborne, ToZ Productions

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Haulix Tips: Setting Up An Exclusive

In recent weeks we have talked a lot about breaking the ice with journalists, and the reaction from all of you has been overwhelming. We want to continue helping you lay the groundwork for a genre takeover, and today we’re outlining one avenue to ensuring your music reaches as many potential new fans as  possible: Setting up exclusives.

This probably will not come as a surprise, but bloggers LOVE exclusives. It’s the only original content aside from opinion pieces they have to get ahead of the competition, and if you play your cards right they may see your music as the latest ‘must hear’ piece of content on the net. 

The first thing you need to know about setting up exclusives is something everyone who succeeds learns early on: Relationships are everything. While bloggers are always open to discovering new music, but using their brand to back a new project is serious business, and most are not likely to jump at an offer from someone they are not familiar with. Before you even consider attempting to setup exclusives, make sure you’ve taken the proper steps to first introduce yourself and your efforts to the publication in question. This can be as simple as an email with a link to your music, or as over-the-top as a physical press kit sent to their home office. Either way, first impressions are everything. Journalists will associate everything you do and offer moving forward with however you first came on their radar, so make sure your introduction is fitting for the brand you’re trying to promote.

Secondly, make sure your requests provide the publication with everything they need in order to create great content. If you offer a song, make sure there is an mp3 and Soundcloud link ready to go. If it’s artwork or other information not available when making the initial offer, outline when the content will be available and provide as much supplementary information as possible. Keep in mind that time is something no journalist has to waste, so doing as much of the legwork as possible ahead of time reads to them as less work required on their part. It doesn’t guarantee they will bite, of course, but it never hurts to be present yourself as prepared as possible.

Finally, always keep in mind that every publication is different and not every piece of content you create will be loved by everyone. Even major artists sometimes struggles to lock in exclusives, so don’t be discouraged if your initial efforts fail. It can take awhile to properly network within the music industry, especially when you’re trying to get new content to people who are metaphorically drowning in unheard music, but with patience, kindness, and just a bit of chivalry you will see doors open in time.

I know some of you may be reading this and thinking, “As much as I love your attempts to help, nothing in the preceding paragraphs is all that description.” If that applies to you, pat yourself on the back because you, my friend, are correct. The reason we kept things vague this week is because there is no one way to setup an exclusive. Every publication is different, and the variety of things they each look for in potential exclusive content is as numerous as the number of sites in existence. Following our guidelines will aide you in getting your foot in the door, but after that point your continued success is on you. Still, in an attempt to be slightly more helpful, we asked a number offer industry peers to send us advice they had for bands hoping to setup exclusives. Here’s what they had to say:

“Be sure your pitch includes all the key information that the website will need in order to run the exclusive including what they’re premiering, when you’d like it to run, what you’re promoting and a bio/fact sheet on your band.” – Jamie Coletta, SideOneDummy Records

“I would highly recommend researching the proper editor (plus contact information) and send them your best pitch that exemplifies what the band has going on and showcases your top accolades.” – Jen Appel, The Catalyst Publicity Group

“Clear subject. Realized intent. Short body. Social links.” – Zack Zarrillo, PropertyOfZack.com

“I prefer to write about and promote my friends. Reach out to me on Twitter, start a conversation about a mutual interest. That’s a good place to start.” – Jacob Tender, Underthegunreview.net

“What I do is this: I approach a publication with an album, telling them that I’m seeking an exclusive with them. I allow them to listen to the album. I tell them they have 24 hours to say pass or take before I move on to the next publication.” – Josh Hammond, Publicist

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5 Social Media No-nos Every Artist Should Avoid

Social media has developed countless ways for artists to promote themselves, but along the way a number of bad habits have developed that drives journalists, fans, and labels alike absolutely insane. Using improper marketing techniques over these channels can not only drive away fans, but prevent you from reaching potential new listeners as well. We polled over a dozen bloggers from various genres about the social media no-nos every artist should avoid and put together a list to help all you aspiring stars get a bit closer to your dreams.

1. Stop requiring a “Like” before allowing users to access your music. Even though we asked bloggers from a number of musical backgrounds when working on this article, every single person polled mentioned Facebook “Like” walls within the first few lines of their response. The whole point of promoting your music is so people will visit your page and hear what it is you have been working on, so why make it any more difficult to hold their attention than it already is? The few seconds it takes someone to notice your “Like” wall and read it may be all the time they need to decide you aren’t worth their time.

2. Avoid unsolicited direct/private messaging (AKA Spammer No spamming). Everyone knows you’re excited about your music, and for the most part people will give you a bit of their time to share your excitement with them. However, sending direct/private messages through social networks is not the way to begin the conversation. Your band may be a group of people, but online you’re a single entity that is essentially a complete stranger to anyone unfamiliar with your music. You have to break the ice to start the conversation, of course, but to do so requires more tact that blindly messaging a link to your latest release. Social networks are like mixers, they exist to create a sense of community among strangers through dialogue, but that is not the same as pitching yourself. Leave the pitching to emails and press kits unless someone asks for more information. Until then, join the conversation wherever you are able and keep an eye out for opportunities more fitting for self-promotion (ie people requesting/asking for new music recommendations).

3. Your band does not belong on LinkedIn. This one is relatively simple, but it can be apply to a number of emerging social networking sites. While there are a limitless amount of opportunities to meet people who could help your career through various groups and discussion boards, LinkedIn works best as a tool when used by an individual (or an individual representing a group). Professionals using LinkedIn are not looking to add your band, The River Run Blood Red, to their networks, but they may be interested in engaging with you as an individual. If you can create a dialogue with them through the site by leveraging the various messaging tools, then it may be possible to open a door to promote your band. If you rush it, or try to force your music on those unfamiliar with your work, no one will want to listen.

4. Stop promoting yourself 24/7. Bands are a brand in their own way, and just like many brands on social networks bands often forget the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your network: Engagement. People follow you because they support what you’re doing and want to know more, but that does not mean they want a constant stream of advertising for whatever you have to promote. You may be a group, but you’re also individuals with personalities, and that should be conveyed through social media as well as your latest activities. Fans know about your latest album, and they certainly follow because they want to know when you have new tours or releases, but they’re also trying to learn more about you as people. They want to connect with you more than they have been able to through albums and live shows, and that is the exact opportunity provided by social networks. By engaging them you’re able to create a dialogue that can eventually evolve into a digital community of fans who not only communicate with you, but others as well. If you can accomplish that, those same users you engaged in the beginning will aide you in sharing your music with others. That will lead them to start conversations with new people who could potentially fall in love with your music and the cycle begins all over again.

5. Save the drama for your blog. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and without a doubt there will be days when you feel stressed as a band, but ranting on social networks and/or attacking others is not going to help further your career (especially if those attacks are directed at fans or members of the industry). Just like how LinkedIn is no place for a band profile, band accounts on social networking sites are no place for unnecessary drama. Fans want to know what’s going on with you, and you should keep them informed, but too much drama can take the focus away from music. Also, you must always be aware of how your accounts appear to those not familiar with your work. If your feed looks more like an individual’s thoughts than the efforts of a cohesive band focused on getting ahead, people may pass by without even giving the music a chance. Appearing driven and welcoming will get you much further than anger and negativity. Always.

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5 Tips For Crafting The Perfect Pitch Letter

It’s no great secret that the competition for the attention of bloggers and label reps is tougher than ever these days. The digital age has made connecting with these individuals easier for everyone, and in doing so made it more difficult than ever to get noticed. We asked a panel of journalists from a variety of musical backgrounds what tips they would offer artists/bands hoping to email them pitch letters, and below you will find the top 5 responses we received. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for additional tips on getting noticed and be sure to follow us on Twitter to ensure you never miss an update.

 

1. Grammar. Grammar. Grammar.  This may seem like an obvious response, but it’s probably the most important tip we can offer. Every single journalist we approached for this article admitted to deleting and, in some cases, never reading pitch letters with grammatical errors. The pitch is an introduction of yourself and your art, but it’s also the first example of your business acumen and attention to detail that others will encounter. You only get one chance, so be sure it’s delivered void of any avoidable errors.

2. Keep it simple. Journalists know you’re excited about your music and want to share every detail about your efforts up front, but they’re also aware of the thousands of similarly anxious and excited musicians hoping for their break that have or will contact them as well. Avoid being lumped in with those that over-embellish by refining your letter to be simple and to the point. Phrases like “here’s a much needed breath of fresh air” and “I’m sure you get this all the time…” should be cut immediately, along with any band history stretching more than 3 sentences. This letter is a handshake and a hello, not an in-depth discussion about your history as an artist. You want to intrigue writers, not bore them.

3. CDs are dead. Long live high quality digital servicing. Though some may argue their place in retail, most music journalists prefer music be submitted for consideration through digital means rather than physical. Packaging is nice, but digital is faster, easier, and requires less postage. That said, journalists are also not fans of music sharing services that come coupled with walls of advertisements. You don’t want journalists thinking about whatever pop up ads appear while trying to hear your music, you want them thinking about you and the brand you are trying to market. Haulix allows artists to create personalized pages for their music that offer high quality streaming and watermarked downloads, as well as in depth analytics to help track overall engagement. 

4. Avoid impossible/unknown comparisons. One trick many artists you to quicken the introduction process with journalists is to compare their work to musicians that may be more recognizable. While many of the writers we spoke with agreed that this is a helpful tactic, it can lead to disinterest if the artists name are too famous, vague, or (on the opposite end) unknown to the journalist. If you’re going to use comparisons, we suggest researching the artists each writer covers and reworking your name drops to coincide more closely with their tastes. 

5. Be specific. When writing a pitch letter, make sure you have  something to promote and that your letter only promotes that thing. Journalists want new music that is actually new, not just unknown to the masses. If more than a few months have passed since your last EP or album, don’t send a pitch letter unless you have a tour, video, or additional major media item to promote. Bloggers are not interested in six month old albums unless it’s attached to whatever new thing it is you’re trying to promote. Sell them on what is new first. If response is strong, then you can approach about cover more/older material.

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