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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 anyway. This is not a slant against artists or writers, rather an acknowledgment 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 of these conversations goes something like this:

– How are you?

– How is the 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 space and opportunity to be themselves and I promise – people will surprise you.

Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by multiple reader in regards to how they go about accessing the music distributed by Haulix. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Haulix exists to provide artists and record labels a secure platform for distributing promotional material. Keeping those materials safe is our top priority, and we are constantly developing new ways to further prevent piracy. We believe that by continuing to fight piracy we are helping develop the future of the industry, which is something every current and aspiring professional should feel some sense of responsibility to help create. That’s part of the reason this blog exists – to showcase the wide variety of talents and personalities that have come together to fight for the future of this business.

One thing people often do not understand about our efforts is that we do not grant access to the materials distributed through our platform. We exist to serve our clients, and those wanting to access our clients’ media will need to go through them to be invited to experience the Haulix platform. It’s not our media to share, after all, and as much as we love publicity it’s our forte.

Gaining access to unreleased music for promotional purposes and feature consideration is a relatively simple process, but without a little professionalism and tact your request will likely get lost in someone’s inbox. We cannot prepare you for every situation that you will encounter when seeking new music, but we can give you the basics of working with the type of people that use Haulix.

The first thing you need to know about requesting music from labels, PR, or the like is that no two scenarios will be exactly the same. Everyone has their own method for distributing promotional materials, as well as their own requirements for the individuals they grant early access. The best you can do is be yourself and be honest with your position in the industry. You may not have the biggest site on the net, but that usually does not matter. Labels and PR are looking to work with writers and sites that are passionate about music. More specifically, writers and sites passionate about the type of music they are trying to sell/promote. If that applies to you, then there is a good chance a wonderful working relationship can be developed in no time at all.

Before you send any messages I would take a day or two and scour the internet for the companies and groups you want to work with, as well as their point of contact and how/when they prefer to be reached. It will be tempting to send a blanket ‘please send materials’ message to everyone on your list, but the best relationships are built on taking a personal interest in the other person. If you have 55 people/places to contact then you should plan on creating 55 individual messages. The core of each letter will remain the same, but taking the time to personalize each note will go a long way towards leaving a positive first impression on the individual you are trying to reach.

The letter you draft when requesting promotional materials should be short and to the point. Introduce yourself, your site, your reason for writing, and (if possible) let them know how you plan to feature their artist on your site. There may be more details needed down the line, but this should give the person you are contacting enough information to decide whether or not they want to work with you. You can find a sample letter below:

Dear [insert name whenever possible]

Hello. My name is [INSERT YOUR NAME] and I am writing on behalf of [INSERT YOUR SITE WITH A LINK TO THE FRONTPAGE]. I noticed that you are listed as the press contact for [Artist/Group/Label] and I am contacting you in hopes of working together moving forward.

[YOUR SITE] is a music site dedicated to covering [INSERT COVERAGE]. We have been following [THE ARTIST/LABEL] for a while now and would love to work together on [PROJECT – REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS/FEATURES/ETC] in the near future. We welcome [TRAFFIC, IF POSSIBLE] a month and are growing by the week.

I understand that you are busy, but if you could review my request and respond at your earliest convenience it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Best,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR SITE]

As much as it may be a downer to highlight, the hard truth is that not everyone you contact is going to want to work with you. Heck, some probably will not even send you a reply. In those cases, it’s perfectly acceptable to send a follow-up email to ensure the receipt of your original message, but after a certain amount of time you may need to let that request go until you/your site can improve.

Whatever you do, please try your absolute hardest to refrain from attacking, bashing, or otherwise being a dick to label/PR people who are not quick to respond to you. The music industry is a wild place, and anyone working in promotion or publicity spend about twenty-three hours a day working on various projects. They want to work with you too, but their ability to reply right away may be stunted due to what they currently have going on. BE PATIENT. I know you want to hear the new album from that band you think is going to be huge, and trust me – they want you to hear it to. Being pushy and/or coming across as frustrated with the people on the other end will go you nowhere in this business.