Earlier this week we offered tips to help musicians make the most of their time at festivals this summer, so it only makes sense that we do the same for journalists today. This post comes to us from Matt Leimkuhler, a writer for the Des Moines Register.
Ahhh. The ever-so formidable task of mastering festival coverage. It’s not easy, running around like a chicken with your head cut off for 12-18 hours on end — making sure every must-see band has been seen, every must-shake hand has been touched and every must-interview act has been chatted with. Not only must you balance every minute of your time and energy, but you must focus that energy to make sure you are creating better content than every other writer on the scene. What does it take for you to stand out during this festival season? Here are five questions I ask myself when going into all types of festivals:
1. What story hasn’t been told before?
Every blog, ‘zine and YouTube account is going to give you the typical, “Must See” lists for festivals, and this is okay. It’s cool to give your thoughts on what the standout acts are. But why not push this idea further? Instead of the “Five Must-See Acts at the Vans Warped Tour,” why not the “Five Songs to Crowd Surf to at the Vans Warped Tour?” Centralize your ideas — make your thoughts unique and insightful. This doesn’t need to pertain to solely preview content — think about different angles for every aspect of the festival.
2. What questions haven’t been asked yet?
If you’re interviewing a band on a festival bill, odds are the act is going through an extreme press run. Don’t waste the band’s time with monotonous questions the likes of “where did you get your band name?” or “how did you all meet?” Goodness, what a waste of time. You [probably] have a smartphone…Google different interviews, visit Wikipedia, or at least read the band’s bio before stepping into the box. Dig into insightful conversation with the musician and you all might actually learn something from one another. And better yet — the artist might actually want to work with you again in the future. A good musician always knows when you’re skidding through an interview and it is a bad reflection on everyone involved. Always do your homework. Don’t be afraid to step away from even insightful and traditional interviews to have a little fun with the artists. Does the band want to talk about the best food to eat on the road? Great! Grab that opportunity and create the best damn “must eat places according to this band” piece possible.
3. What can I do to stay ahead?
Okay: you’ve done amazing preview pieces, you’ve locked in the best interviews, you’ve relentlessly prepared for those interviews and you’ve just landed at the festival. What now? Staying ahead and in your element is tough. Typically, festivals offer the best distractions possible. Food, booze, after parties and sideshows are all fantastic for fans, but you’re at this festival for generate content. Stay in communication with your publicists or tour manager. Embrace the notion of being a public figure. Live tweet sets and daily agendas, reach out to other professionals you know will be in attendance and do you best to not make an ass of yourself (it happens to everyone at least once). Do daily write-ups and reviews of what you’re experiencing at the festival to give the outside world an idea of what’s taking place. Make the most of every second. Stay focused and make great impressions but don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the fantastic music you’re getting to cover.
4. How do I sum it all up?
Congratulations, you killed your interviews and you made it home safely. Now, time for post-festival coverage. Again – tailor to your audience and strive to be unique in your post-festival coverage. Everyone will have a photo gallery and everyone will have the “best of” lists going live. Try to step back and think about the bigger picture. What really was the best part of the festival? Embrace the entire community you were apart of, not just the music. At this point of your coverage, more than ever, it’s time to be a journalist and tell a story.
5. What about next time?
Be sure to send the required follow up message upon returning home and be timely in turning your interviews around. Never take on too many interviews or you’ll dilute your product and slow down the process. Five well-thought out interviews stand out against fifteen half-hearted interviews any day. Make sure all of the appropriate parties know you are turning your content around in a timely fashion and thank them for the opportunity. Always be humble.
Attempting to cover the moment we are in right now is more difficult than most understand. Things are happening on a minute to minute basis across social media, and the demand for a steady stream of content often takes priority over time that would normally be reserved for research and content development.
With the way the industry works today writers are expected to churn out reviews and coverage at a rate never before experienced to an audience that increasingly lacks the time and attention span to consume it. Regardless, the formula for success in music writing remains the same:
To win readers and earn subscribers you need timely, in depth content that is thoughtful and well-prepared. Have a point a view and share it through facts, imagery, and video (whenever possible).
Balancing the demands of your audience with you needs as a creative is one of the more difficult parts of writing. One path to success, which few seem to recognize, is the fact no one ever told us we could only cover something once. If you have more information to share, or if you opinion on something has changed because you have a new understanding of the art, then share it.
All great writing inspires conversations, and the thing about great conversations is that they are rarely one and done. If you meet someone you can converse with over a shared interest you tend to talk about that thing again and again until you find something new to talk about. The same goes for your relationship with readers. They have followed your work because they like the things you like, so why would you hesitate to continue having any one conversation with them? Follow the story, share the experience.
For example:
If you reviewed the new Kendrick Lamar record last week, but this week you find yourself fixated on one track you feel needs further expiration, write about it.
If you have been following the big local band in your area on their rise through the underground whenever they have news, but right now they are just playing shows – cover the shows. Write about the scene and how they influence it. Take us deeper into their world and through doing so make us want to be a part of it ourselves.
If you are feeling passionate about anything then you need to find a way to write about it again and again until you have nothing left to say. When that happens you wait until they do something new or you learn to see things differently and begin all over again.
Furthermore, the more you cover an artist the more likely it is that they and the people who represent them will take notice of your work. This could lead to additional opportunities, not to mention the chance that person or their team shares your work through official channels.
The sole risk in writing about something more than once is diminishing returns, which only arises in situations where supplementary articles are not as thought out or researched as what came before. Maintain consistency and you can cover anything you want as often as you want.
In closing: Be thorough and be yourself, always.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the host of the Inside Music podcast and a ten-year veteran of the music industry. Follow James on Twitter for hot takes on pop culture and photos of his pets.
Becoming a full-time music writer in 2017 may seem like a pipe dream, but there are hundreds of people around the world making it happen. Thousands more are writing part-time, be it as a hobby or a way to bring in extra cash month to month.
But how do you, someone just starting out, navigate the often tricky waters of music journalism in the digital age?
There is no one way to become a successful writer, but as with any field there is much that can be learned from those who came before. We recently asked the writers of today what they wish someone told them early on, and we have collected the best responses into this post.
Please take the advice below to heart, but remember: You are your own person. No one can tell you what your voice is or how it should be conveyed other than yourself. Find a path you enjoy and follow it as far as you can.
“The thing I tell everyone who wants to work on the professional side of music is to pick one career path and practice being great at it every single day. If you want to be a writer you need to wake up every morning and write. Set a word count goal and hit it, no matter what. If the resulting article or piece is trash, don’t share it. All that matters early on is that you get into the routine of writing every day and slowly, over time, you will see the quality of your work improve.” – James Shotwell, Marketing Coordinator for Haulix / Managing Editor at Substream Magazine
“I think the most important tip that I’ve ever received is “act like you belong and no one will question it (most of the time).” – Ali Nugent, Music Director at WMCX 88.9 FM
“Always remember you’re there to do a job and gather information, not become creepy and try to be best friends with the artist.” – Rey Roldan, founder of Another Reybee Production
“Plan, but also allow yourself to be in the moment. Whether it’s for an interview, review, or entertainment, music is an experience. Let it guide you.” – Scott Fugger, writer at 36 Vultures
“Your writing, like your passion for music, is a journey… do not look to the end for that passion, but find the love in every opportunity along the way.” – Michael Pementel, writer at Metal Injection and New Noise Magazine
“Don’t lose focus of why you started writing in the first place. It’s tempting to get caught up in the numbers game, but nothing will kill your passion faster.” – Angela Mastrogiacamo, Founder of Muddy Paw PR and Infectious Magazine
“Be polite to everyone–tour managers, road crew, merch, stage crew, EVERYONE. This industry is small. Good manners go a long way; shitty manners get you no where.” – Jackie Cular, freelance writer
“Do your best to be unbiased, write news as it is, write reviews fair and balanced- the good along with the bad. Also appreciate everyone who helps you along the way. From the bands to the PR teams and their interns to your contributors and your readers.” – Daniel M Dread, Founder of Dread Music Review
“Do not corner an artist at a show, requesting an interview. Not only is that unprofessional, it is also poor form and puts the artist in defensive mode. If you want to ask them a question, find the tour manager and ask permission from them. They will know the artist’s schedule and if he/she minds doing post/pre show interviews.” – Rey Roldan
“Don’t share your Haulix promos with pirate sites. You will get busted and your site’s reputation will be ruined” – Craig Nicholas Roxburgh, Founder of Emo Night South Africa
“Leaking privileged information may lead to a spike in short-term traffic, but this industry is small and publicists don’t forget.” – Joshua Wielding, Founder of Digital Tour Bus
“Be prepared to challenge yourself. Take on a band or genre you don’t know much about as you can’t always cover music that you like. Also be respectful to everyone you work with.” – Sean Reid, Founder of Already Heard
“Write about bands and music that you’re passionate AND knowledgeable about, it shows in what you write, and it benefits those artists A LOT more. But also keep an open mind about what excites you. Personally, I’ll listen to ANYTHING, and enjoy it, except super hate/racist/mysoginist lyric filled music. But there are certain genres–and you can tell which ones–that excite and inspire me to write more insightfully. However, that being said, go outside your comfort zone periodically; like your taste buds, your music interests change based on your life experiences and age.” – Tracy George, Founder of TAG Publicity
“It’s never personal, unless directly stated otherwise.” – Jake Denning, Social Media Manager at Mediaskare Records
“Don’t be afraid to learn everything. In this day and age where the competition is so fierce, it is vital to be a jack of all trades. Learn how to write. Learn how to edit other people’s writing. Learn how to work a DSLR. Become familiar with social media outlets. Also, before every assignment, do your research. Know that this job can be stressful and usually doesn’t pay well, but in the end, it’s worth it because it’s a hell of a lot of fun.” – Brittany Woosely, freelance writer
“Even if you think you know everything, you don’t. In fact if you think you do, you almost definitely don’t.” – Molly Louise Hudelson, Founder of Circles & Soundwaves
Music writers today are inundated with requests for coverage from artists and their representatives on a daily basis. There are far too many for one person to ever do them all, and most would not be worth the effort anyways. This is not a slant against artists or writers, rather an acknowledgement that conducting a good interview is hard. Real hard.
I statistic I just made up claims only one in five interviews conducted with musicians ever result in new, interesting information being uncovered. The majority of interviews tend to cover promotional points as if they are being read off a checklist. The basic outline for these conversations goes something like this:
– How are you?
– How is tour?
– Where do you like to tour?
– When are you recording again?
– Are you working on material right now?
– Do you have any crazy stories to share?
– How can people stay connected to you online?
Some questions may be added or subtracted based on circumstance. None of these questions are inherently terrible, but they also limit responses to information that could easily be found in a press release or social media update.
In order to make your interview deserving of attention you need to uncover something deeper and more human in your interviews. To help you do this, I would like to remind you of something:
Musicians and celebrities, at any level, are just people.
Now I know that sounds obvious, but all too often journalists treat the subjects of their interview like a business rather than another person. The questions outlined above are not that far removed from the following:
– How’s business?
– Is your latest product performing well?
– What do you like about this product?
– When can we expect another product?
– Are you working on something right now?
– Is there anything consumers don’t know about your business?
– How can we learn more about your products?
Great interviews strip away the idea of celebrity altogether and share the unique perspective on life possessed by an individual or group. That may sound difficult, but in reality it is one of the easiest things to capture. All you have to do is this:
Don’t ask questions. Have a conversation.
Treat the people you interview as if they were someone you started talking to simply because you were curious. Cover the necessary bases of promoting whatever it is they are looking to promote, but also strive to understand the person behind the art. Ask about the influencing or motivating factors in their life and explore why those things have such an impact on them. Ask if they creativity comes easy or if it is a daily challenge. Ask them if they are content. Ask them what they need and want. Ask them the kind of thing you would ask anyone whose happiness and well being you are concerned about because ultimately that is the real reason for the interview in the first place: You care about this person or group, for whatever reason, and you hope more people will as well.
Allow your interview subject the space and opportunity to be themselves and I promise – people will surprise you.
James Shotwell is the marketing coordinator for Haulix. He is also a ten-year music writing veteran and host of the Inside Music Podcast. You should follow him on Twitter.
It’s that time of year when everyone starts discussing the best releases of the year. 2016, not unlike the last two to three years before it, has been packed with fantastic releases too numerous to count. To think anyone could possibly have heard everything worthwhile release this year – or any year – is insane. There is simply too much content and nowhere near enough time to hear and experience everything in a meaningful way. We wish we had a solution, but we do not. We do, however, have the next best thing.
Allow us to introduce The Playlist Club. This site is our attempt at further engaging our audience through the timeless tradition of sharing music and the stories that give them meaning in our lives. Each week The Playlist Club will post playlists and stories from readers just like you. It’s like walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, only now you have a soundtrack to round out the experience.
This club is open to everyone. Please invite your friends.
You should know now that we rely on Spotify to collect and share these playlists. Nothing against people who use Apple Music, Tidal, or Amazon, but with more than 40 million users Spotify is by and large the biggest music streaming service on the planet. You can try it for free if you have yet to do so (and no — they did no pay me to say that.)
Music is a crazy thing. Like photographs, songs and albums often serve as time machines that allow us to return to places, ages, and experiences that have long since past. My hope is that this community will make it possible for people to get a glimpse of the world as heard and experienced by others living lives completely different than their own.
Music connects us all, yet so much of why we love it based on connections wholly unique to our individual experiences. By sharing playlists and the ideas or memories attached through them we are able to create a modern twist on the idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, and maybe — just maybe—it will have a positive impact on those who participate.
Here’s what we’re going to do:
This site will serve as a hub for all stories and playlists. New additions and any updates related to the community will be shared through this platform, as well as through the site’s official Twitter account.
The goal right now is to share 1–2 playlists a week, along with an essay from the person who created it explaining the motivation behind their curation. If there is a demand for more I am open to posting more. These entries can be as long or as brief as the curator desires, but creativity is encouraged. If you want to make a list of songs that got you through college and some insight into those experiences — cool. If you want to share a collection of songs you connect with a specific person, place, or time — cool as well. If you want to curate a list of songs you believe the Conehead family would listen to if they were to land on Earth in 2016 — Please for the love of all that is holy make that happen.
Create a playlist based on an idea, memory, place, person, etc. using Spotify.
Write a description/essay for your playlist and submit it — along with a link to your Spotify playlist — to this publication. If you need a guide for using Medium — Click here. If you have problems with your submission or need further assistance you can tweet us directly and we will make sure your submission is seen.
All submissions will be reviewed and scheduled for release in a timely manner. Curators will be notified whether or not their submission has been accepted within 72 hours of submission.
This is a ‘remastered’ version of a post we ran when our blog was still fairly young. The core content is the same, but several lines have been removed or updated to reflect current events. The information is as important as ever, so please commit each paragraph from Chorus.FM leader Jason Tate to memory.
Want to know what I think the worst part of my job is? The easy answer is a day when I get a bunch of personal and hateful things heaved at me anonymously. But that’s more of a byproduct of the job, not actually a part of it. The worst part of my job is when I am sitting online looking at any one of my aggregation feeds and I see something that I know is a “leak” of pertinent band information. Sometimes it’ll be Amazon or iTunes that has prematurely posted album information, sometimes it’ll be a tweet about a new song title from a small market DJ, or even, worst of all in my opinion, an actual song leak. I’ve talked about these tough circumstances before, most recently on episode 42 of the AP.net Podcast; however, I think that it’s worth expanding upon even more.
A large portion of this matter comes down to how I see my job. What is it that I do? Am I just a way to put out press releases when a band or label declares them ready for dissemination? Am I a “journalist”? Am I a blogger? By and large I view myself as a news aggregator and occasional columnist; someone offering an opinion on a variety of topics. I fear that if our website turns into just another place to post press releases we will have lost a part of what makes us special and loved. We will have lost what I believe is valuable to labels and bands in the first place: the very fact that people read our website. Some publications choose to value the bands’ or publicists’ wish and will at all costs. I understand that position and respect it — as I believe it is theirs individually to make. I, however, have to make the choice as a writer where I value our readers in this equation. I know that I don’t have full trust in certain publications because I can’t be sure that they’re writing for and respecting me, the reader, when they post. If I think a publication would pull an unflattering story or relevant information — I can’t trust them. And with that, I wouldn’t trust their opinion on music or their reporting on news stories. And, therefore, I use myself as a yardstick for the kind of reader I believe reads our site. What would I want to read, what would I expect, what standard do I hold the writers I follow to? These are the questions I ask myself every day.
I am well aware you may have different thoughts on how you would write online, I want to make it clear that I respect that as well — I’m not trying to say my way is the only way, or the right way, or even the best way. I’m simply trying to elucidate my reasoning and where I’ve landed at this stage in my career. I revisit my logic frequently, especially if I know it has bummed out a band I greatly respect.
Let’s look at it this way: If our core readers visit Twitter, or Facebook, or Tumblr, or another website similar to ours, and they have already seen some information by the time it’s “officially announced” — it has become “old news” to that audience. Giving people old news they’ve already read is antithetical to my mission statement. On the internet, yesterday’s news is virtually synonymous with nonexistence. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t put a pit in my stomach sometimes when we have to make a tough call. At the time when this information spreads to an official “source” like iTunes, I get stressed out. Did the band plan for it to just come out like this? Was there supposed to be an announcement? Why wasn’t this coordinated? What happened? And in a few minutes I have to start confirming information, preparing a post, and making the call for if it goes up or not. In this case, we posted it. Then I sit there and watch my email hoping that I don’t get one from the label asking us to pull the post down (or worse something directly from a band member). I hate those emails. I know it comes with the territory and I don’t hide from it. I really do believe the label is doing their job and I respect that. I always try and let everyone involved in one of those email chains know our policy, where the information is from, where it’s sourced from, that deleting it makes it worse, and that I will update the post with any information or statement from the band they’d like. Still, it’s a very stressful scenario (and as of this writing no such email has come in this particular case).
Let’s look at the other example of the day: I’ve known the guys in Yellowcard longer than many real life friends at this point. The people I went to my first Yellowcard show with I now know as those people I sometimes see on Facebook when they post pictures with their kids. Yet, even with this history, I believe in acting in accordance to our policy and not shifting it based upon the band in question. If we’ve been told not to post something under an embargo (more details about this special case below), I absolutely will not post it. Yet, if something is out on the internet and we are not the source for it — I do believe it is my job to post about it. If that causes harm in the relationship I have with a band, I totally understand that. It’s painful to me on a personal level but my other option is to bend my policy and give special favors for certain bands and therefore censor the news that I think that our audience would like to know (in turn they would be right to seek the information elsewhere and lose trust in me). Extrapolating that to its logical conclusion, we become a website that isn’t known for having the best information about all the bands readers want — and I feel as though I have failed at my job.
I’m not unlike most people: I don’t particularly enjoy bands, or labels, or publicists, or managers, or friends being mad at me. I don’t relish the idea of someone I respect being upset with me. It’s a dance between press and “journalist” (bleh) and one that I wish I had better solutions to after years of waltzing. My lighthouse is to continually come back to the question: Who am I writing for? I’m writing for the others like me that are looking for all the latest information on bands they love — and I feel duty bound to report on the information that’s available. All in all, this leaves me with a variety of options and a set of guidelines:
Option 1
I don’t post anything at all. The information is now elsewhere on the internet and I just wait until it is “supposed” to be released. It spreads around on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and other websites. The “place” to talk about these stories is no longer AP.net — we, in turn, become more of a press release echo-chamber. The pro is that bands and labels probably like us more and the con is that our readers like us a whole lot less.
Option 2
I go rogue and post everything and anything. I post anything I hear, even if it’s embargoed or off the record. I post links to full album leaks and thumb my nose at legal. I lose respect for myself, hate my job, and quickly burn every bridge I’ve spent years building.
I see nothing good that comes from this option. I do see some sites that try and run with the full rebel/pirate mode and they seem to have a boost in popularity in the short term but few last very long. I’ve been doing this over a decade and don’t plan to quit anytime soon.
Option 3
I post the news and then remove it when asked by the band or publicist. This plays out very similar to option 1, only it also adds the wrinkle that our readers now know we are censoring newsworthy stories to some degree and that we can’t be trusted to give them the latest information about the bands they follow.
Option 4
I try to follow a set of guidelines (outlined above and below) and keep the dialogue open with bands and publicists and readers and other staff-members to make sure we are communicating every step of the way. This adds a level of transparency and hopefully trust with the reader — it lets everyone know where we stand and why. And, it keeps the conversation open for options we haven’t thought of or technology that hasn’t been invented yet. To pretend I have all the answers right now and can just follow a formula forever seems misguided at best. Mostly, I just want those that read my words to know where I’m coming from. I want them to trust me when I write something and know that I’m speaking from a position that places honesty paramount.
Album Leak Guidelines
One of the things I touched on in that podcast episode is that I will not post links to album leaks on our homepage. If a singular song leaks, I will, however, link to where it can be found. I will also immediately update that post to point toward where the song can be legally streamed or purchased the moment it’s available. This, to me, is probably the toughest call of all. I’m not specifically fond of linking to where someone can hear music if the band doesn’t want that music heard yet. At the same time, as I mentioned above, I do believe in my duty to inform our readers that a song is available to hear. I know that the band or label can normally have the sound file removed from somewhere like YouTube or Tumblr, but I am also aware that it’s sort of passing the buck. When this happens with a band I have a really great relationship with I can feel my hands get clammy and my stomach tie up in knots. This is where I have to try and be objective and realize that if I would post about the YouTube song “leak” of a band I didn’t like or consider friends, I need to be consistent in how I handle the situation with those I do.
Information About An Album / Tour Guidelines
These situations feel easier for me because it’s information and not music that is leaking. I understand a band, label, or publicist’s desire to control the information that comes out around certain big press announcements. I can empathize with all parties when they talk about how they get bummed out when information comes out before they’re ready.1This goes double when the band has had something special planned for the announcement or if they wanted to maximize the hype around information to coincide with a pre-sale or similar endeavor. I still struggle because I understand that without the bands making music, or going on tour, or being interesting to fans, we obviously don’t have a website; they are the lifeblood to the content that we cover. However, I am also cognizant of my duty to our readers: to present them with accurate and up to the minute reporting on things they are interested in reading. This is where all I’ve talked about above comes into play: I have to trust myself and my decision to write as though I’m our website’s number one fan.
Embargoes
When it comes to information that’s been embargoed, that is, given to us to post at a specific time but not before — I honor these completely. For example, I had the Yellowcard track listing before it was leaked today. Now, when something is embargoed that means I absolutely won’t be the source of the information, and I personally will not confirm something even if I know it to be true. I will present the information as “alleged” or “reported by” — and make it clear that I’m not confirming or denying the embargoed news. I am very careful about my words when I make a post on the website. If the information surfaces via another blog, or Amazon, or something that is not from us, then I will post about what has happened. This can create a weird scenario because, obviously, I wouldn’t post flat out false information. For example, I obviously knew the track listing being posted today was correct. I had not, however, seen the album artwork for Lift a Sail and made sure to note where the information was coming from, where I saw it, and that nothing was confirmed. It’s important to read how I word things because I always try to be as honest and upfront as possible about where information is coming from and what we currently know. I pick my words carefully. These situations, where information has hit the internet and I know the (embargoed) truth, are always complicated.
Off the Record
If someone tells me something off the record: I’m the only person that will ever know it. I don’t tell other staff, friends, or family. I usually will ask if this is information that can’t be attributed to the source and can be used as “background” or if it’s flat out never to be reported information. If it’s just for “background” — I’ll wait until I have multiple sources to run anything but without source attribution. I won’t give up a source, so you can either believe me or not in those situations, but my track record is pretty damn good.
When I cracked open my writing app and a beer tonight, I didn’t expect to write as much as I just did. But it feels good to have put it all down. These are the things that sit in my head and I have very few people I can discuss them with in any detail, let alone actually talk the theory behind them with. Thanks for reading if you made it this far — I venture the next long post will be about actual music.
The other day I reached out to one of my favorite up and coming music writers to inquire as to the reason I had not seen them on social media as of late. I waited somewhat impatiently while the three dots on my phone screen told me they were writing a reply, and even though I had an idea what the response would be I was still surprised to see it appear in front of my eyes. “I feel like a fraud,” they told me. “I’ve spent the last few years trying to become a music writer, but I feel the same as I did on the day I started, except now I know some musicians who have found success. I think my success, or whatever you call the progress I have been able to make, is more due to their rising notoriety than the strength of my words. If that is true, and I think it may be, then how have I grown in all this time?”
This isn’t the first time I have heard someone in music writing put themselves down in this way, though in certain circumstances the reasons people begin to question their own growth and progress are slightly different. Sometimes it’s not that they have witnessed musicians they know find success, but other writers. I’ve spoken to numerous site editors and founder who have built great sites that help aspiring writers gain the recognition they need to begin pitching outlets that are able to pay their contributors while the people the editor and/or founder struggle to make the same magic happen in their own careers. It’s a frustrating situation to believe yourself to be in, and it’s not hard to understand why it makes so many people question their desire to continue working in writing. If all you do is push others into the place they want to be without managing to move your own place in the hierarchy of the music business, then why should you continue doing what you do?
It’s important to understand that everyone in music writing – and probably everyone in the entertainment business – finds themselves in this position from time to time. Call it a creative rut or a professional crisis, but we all encounter what I like to call ‘The Wall’ in our individual journeys through life. This wall can be birthed from many sources, but its function in your life is largely the same across the board. ‘The Wall’ exists to make you question yourself and all you have done to help others because a very primitive part of our brain is telling us we need to ensure we get ahead at all costs. Modern society is a world different than the ages where people had to fight to get anything in life, but the part of our brains that evolved to help us survive are still adapting to the way life works in our globally interconnected society. Individuals no longer have to fend for themselves out of necessity, nor do we have to avoid helping others because we run the risk of preventing ourselves from finding success. In fact, the opposite tends to be true more often than not. Helping one another success is the fastest way to get ahead in this industry, and just because you don’t rise up as fast as those you surround yourself with does not mean you are in any way, shape, or form less than them.
Here’s the kicker: Knowing that ‘The Wall’ exists and knowing what can cause it does not in any way guarantee you won’t encounter this mental block time and time again in your professional journey. I’m about to turn 29 myself, and a few months after that I will celebrate 10 years of work in the world of music writing. In all that time I can count at least five instances where I found myself in a creative drought where I lacked imagination and motivation as a result of feelings I had towards the success of people around me. I could spend months or even years promoting someone’s talent, but as soon as I felt they surpassed me in some way – big or small, doesn’t matter – a little piece of me began to turn on them. It’s not that I wasn’t happy for my friends as much as it was that I selfishly wanted their success to be my own because I felt their getting ahead somehow meant I was on a plateau or otherwise not progressing myself. What I have had to remind myself time and time again, just like I am reminding you now, is that all of that nonsense lives in your head.
No matter how you feel about yourself right now, know you are worthy of this industry. If anything, this industry is not worthy of you. Don’t let the progress of others lead you to believe you are stuck in place, and do not let the fact you have not lived up to your idea of what success should look like make you think you are not successful. You are a success. By taking as little as a single step toward chasing your dreams you’ve done more than the vast majority of people ever even attempt, and with each additional step taken you inch closer to the goal and further into the rarified air experienced only by those who don’t let their fear of failure prevent them from taking action. You are worthy. You are good. You are what this industry needs. Don’t lose hope.
In my decade of experience in music writing I have found that contributors, especially those working for little to no money, are incredibly flexible as business professionals. The way people are able to find the energy to create brilliant observations before or after committing their time to a job or other interests that often provide much more fruitful returns is something that has never ceased to amaze me. Your favorite writer has probably been one of these people at one or more point in their life, scraping together whatever they can from the volumes of work they create in hopes of one day finding regular pay that is good enough to support themselves (or, for the real dreamers, a family). I know I’ve been there my fair share of times, and I am almost certain I will find myself there again before my time in this business has come to an end.
While it is true most contributors are able to put up with a lot when it comes to developing their careers in this business, the one thing no one has time for are false promises of payment that never result in writers actually being paid. This goes for everyone in writing, by the way, and not just those who have only recently begun their journey in music. Publications of all sizes have been called out online by frustrated writers looking to be given the compensation they were promised for words already written, but despite a consistent outcry from writers everywhere the amount of hurdles that often need to be left over in order to actually see the money owed to a writer can be substantial.
And make no mistake: Writers understand that finding money to pay for creative writing is harder and harder to come by in the modern age. Social media and the splintering of consumer behavior in regards to new consumption in the digital age has created hundreds of niche audiences that are served by a wide variety of sites and blogs who are all competitions for the same shares of an often quite small market. The only publications able to make real money are those who are able to cultivate a community around their content offerings, and even then convincing a major brand to advertise takes business skills few in the world of music journalism possess. Still, we (contributors) need to be paid.
When you promise to pay a writer, or even better sign a contract guaranteeing payment, it is your responsibility to make good on that deal. Not when it’s convenient. Not after they have asked for it for weeks or months on end with little to no response. You need to pay them when you agreed to pay them, and if some reason that is beyond your means you need to be open with them about this fact. You may have other bills and costs piling up, but a deal is a deal. You need contributors as much, if not more, than they need you, and rest assured they will be vocal about any wrong doing on your part. There may be thousands of aspiring writers in the world, but only a couple hundred are doing it in any real capacity, the cream of the crop – the ones who really matter and maintain some semblance of influence in a time where ‘everyone’ has been given a voice online – only work for the places that make good on promises. They not only talk to one another, but they have an audience of writers at every level following their every thought on Twitter.
It’s simple: You are trying to build something – a site, zine, magazine, etc. – and you are looking to others to help you accomplish that goal. Bringing on writers is no different than hiring on a construction crew. Both work when the money is good, and they stop when it’s not. Make good on your agreements and everything will be fine.
I know we all like to believe we may one day ascend through the ranks of music journalism to become some kind of modern Lester Bangs, but we no longer live in the same world Bangs once inhabited. The ways to consume media of all forms has splintered to such an extent that even counting the number of channels producing any type of music-related content is impossible. You are one among tens or hundreds of thousands making various types of media to support or promote the latest and greatest music has to offer, and you’re one of literally billions trying to be heard in the digital space. Your team, which is how I like to consider the contributors to a single site, is just one group among untold thousands as well.
To be blunt: The chances a few dozen well-written stories or editorials is going to grab the world by the collar and make them believe you’re the next great music commentator are about as likely as you being attacked by a shark on your way home from work or school this afternoon. The world is no longer being influenced by three television networks and whatever print publications are available at an individual’s local pharmacy. Today the world is informed by magazines, blogs, zines, video essays, vlogs, Instagram posts, Snapchat Stories, tweets, and a wide variety of additional social platforms. You don’t have to be everywhere at once (nor could you be), but you do need to keep an open mind about the changing trends in how people consume information.
Any Google search involving the words “video” and “millennials” is going to provide you with a number of studies pointing to a growing preference among the 18-24 set for more content delivered by video than text. In fact, millennials in one ComScore report chose YouTube as their preferred source of all media, including films and current seasons of new TV shows. Perhaps even more telling however, are some of the additional stats in that same report which claim millennials prefer video to text across most, if not all, major social platforms. This is to say that most people between the ages of 18-24, not to mention the majority of those younger than that, are far more likely to watch a video about a news story than to read a news post on the same topic.
Like many of you I wish this were not true. I personally love reading, and as someone who got their start in journalism through review writing I still believe the written word to be a very powerful tool for communicating thoughts and ideas. That said, I also love watching videos online, and with the target demo for most music outlets showing a growing preference to video the idea of taking time to learn how visual media could work for you is not at all crazy.
The music business is all about survival. You have to survive the time spent creating and/or working for free before you can do anything else, and even once you start getting paid you have to survive an endless cavalcade of changes to the market and industry that will impact how you do business in ways you cannot yet imagine. Journalists all over the world have known changes were coming to our industry since the dawn of the digital age, and in 2016 it has never been more clear that those who are going to survive this evolutionary period will be those able to adapt to changing trends in consumer behavior.
I’m not saying you should quit blogging, and I’m certainly not tasking you with launching a digital music news service with 24/7 broadcasts a la CNN (though that would be very cool to see and I am sure someone will attempt it very soon), but you do need to take a hard look at how video is beginning to enter the music news arena online and ask yourself how you might be able to apply your own skill set to making clips for your site. Maybe you start with teaser clips meant to promote new premieres, which is honestly a great idea because it will allow you to learn while creating very easily sharable pieces of media, or maybe you start recording video versions of breaking news stories where you inform viewers about the latest headlines without forcing them to read. Find something that you believe will convey the stories you want to tell in a way people will wan to consume and set to learning how to make that idea a reality.
You don’t have to take any course (though you certainly can), but you do need to commit to constant growth as a journalist. Our industry is changing faster now than at any other point in its existence, and as a result there are a lot of unexplored possibilities just waiting to be brought to the public. Video could be the key to your future in this business, and even if you don’t become a full-time journalist you will understand video in a way that can easily be applied to music marketing and publicity efforts, as well as other realms of business.
Video is here to stay whether you like it or not. You don’t have to adapt, but doing so certainly won’t hurt.
The following post is the latest in our ongoing collaborative series with the fine folks at Sonicbids.
I’ve been to a lot of music conferences. At nearly every single workshop or Q&A session, the question is asked: “What are the dos and don’ts of sending emails to industry people?” Most of the time, the answers are pretty generic and simple, but to be honest, it’s a good question. A lot of people suck at sending emails.
I’ve spent quite a few years learning the ropes of the music industry, and in that time, my band and I have developed a pretty solid email game (if I do say so myself). In fact, we’ve literally received compliments on the detail, efficiency, and organization of our emails.
After you’ve read this guide, you should have a clear idea of how to send a killer email to anyone in the music industry. If you have questions, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
1. Be concise
Have you ever met somebody who tells really long stories with way too much detail? Don’t be that guy. Aim to send an email that includes as much detail as possible in as few words. For example, if I’m trying to book an opening slot, I’ll put this in the subject line:
Subject: May 21st – Opening Slot Inquiry – The Middle Coast
Right away, whoever is receiving this email knows what I’m asking for, who’s asking for it, and on which date.
Then, in the body of the email, I’ll say something as simple as this:
Hey there Dave!
My name is Liam, I play in a Canadian band called The Middle Coast.
We would love to jump on the opening slot for the May 21st show at Your Cool Bar with This Cool Band.
I’ve included live video and a link to our EPK where you can stream our unreleased record below.
Thanks for your time,
Liam
Fifty-nine words. That’s all you need. You don’t need to include your bio. You don’t need to include 20 different press quotes. You don’t need to pander and ask this person a bunch of questions about his or her personal life. You don’t need to humblebrag. Just be straight to the point and professional.
2. Be up front and tell people what you want
When you send an email, you’re hopefully sending it with some sort of goal in mind. You need to tell people what you’re emailing them about, otherwise they won’t give it a second glance. I get it – you don’t want to play all your cards, and you don’t want to look desperate. But if you don’t tell people what you’re looking for out of this email, you’re probably not going to get a reply.
An example: I have a friend who runs a label and manages bands. He gets a ton of emails every week from people, and many of them simply say, “Hello, check out my music.”
Concise, but not enough information. You need to tell people what they’re looking at. When I send my music to someone at a label, my email would typically look something like this:
Subject: The Middle Coast – The Basement, July 1 – Unreleased Record
Again, telling people who they’re talking to, letting them know that I’m playing a show in their city, and that I have an unreleased record.
Hey there Laura,
My name is Liam Duncan, I play in a Canadian band called The Middle Coast.
We are just wrapping up production on our debut album with Bigwig Producer. We play ‘70s-inspired pop with big harmonies and great hooks. You can stream the album in its entirety at the streaming link below.
We are building our team for this release, and would appreciate your consideration.
You can catch us in Your City, TN at the Basement on July 1st. I can put you on the guest list.
Thanks for your time,
Liam
Laura now knows where I’m from, what kind of music to expect, who produced the album, what we’re looking to do, and has a streaming link for the entire record. Perfect. If she likes what she hears, she’ll come to the show.
3. Have a detailed email signature that includes your EPK
The vast majority of the information anyone could need from me is in the email signature that accompanies almost every single email I send. This is a screenshot of exactly what it looks like:
As you can see, I’ve included a description of what you’ll find in our electronic press kit (EPK), which is more helpful than simply linking “EPK.” I also included a Facebook link, because everyone wants to see it anyway. And last, but certainly not least, I list our website and a personal phone number.
Every important piece of information can be found in this email signature. All our social media links are in the EPK, as well as more video, press, biographies, downloadable promo pics, and downloadable tech/hospitality riders.
People love that they don’t need to go searching for every single bit of information. It shows that we are organized, professional, and have been around the block a few times.
4. Don’t send attachments
MP3 attachments take up space in people’s inboxes. They can slow down an email app and are otherwise just annoying. Most people prefer streaming links. Make your songs in the EPK downloadable, just in case they do want to download your music. Or send them a Dropbox link.
5. Don’t be afraid to follow up
You should never be afraid to follow up with someone you’ve emailed. If you’ve followed this advice, your email should be very polite, professional, up front, and concise, so there’s no reason for you to be shy about following up. I think following up once every 10 days or so is reasonable.
6. Be nice
It seems weird to me that musicians are ever rude or arrogant, because pretty much everyone I know is very nice. Yet I hear countless stories from people in the industry about artists who throw a fit when they don’t get what they want or are just plain rude.
The least you can do is be polite and professional. You don’t need to suck up to anyone and you don’t need to be shy, but you do need to be friendly, accommodating, and polite.
