A great music publicist can make people stop and pay attention to your art, but it can be difficult to get them to care about your career.
Publicists are among the hardest-working people in entertainment. Whether you’re a career musician hoping to make people care again or a new artist trying to capture the world’s attention, great music PR can do wonders for your visibility.
But there is a catch—sort of. Publicists can only work with what you give them, and many artists don’t know what PR needs or wants. Most assume a publicist will tell them what they need, but that isn’t true. If a publicist has to ask for something, you’re already behind.
For example, let’s say you reach out to a publicist inquiring about their interest in working your next release but forget to include the release date, music, or artwork. That publicist then has to make a choice. They can either do some research into who you are, what you make, and when you might be releasing music, or they can skip your message and move on to something more actionable. Every publicist is unique, but you can guess which of those two options is most likely to be chosen.
In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell shares what publicists are looking for when seeking new clients. He gives you everything you need to make sure publicists open your emails, click the links, and return your calls. If that’s what you’re looking for, then click play, and enjoy! We can’t guarantee results, but we can put you in a position to succeed.
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Hiring a great music publicist can change the trajectory of your entire career, but only if you’re ready for them. We can help.
We’ve spent over a decade helping record labels, independent artists, and publicists worldwide share new music with influencers. We cannot tell you how many campaigns we’ve witnessed, but enough have come and gone that we feel confident in saying that we’ve seen nearly every variation of an album/single/tour rollout imaginable. If we have learned anything from this time, no two campaigns are alike, and most have no idea what they’re doing.
But we understand that the cause of this problem involves us. Like many other blogs and voices in music, we have spent decades telling artists to go independent. Many have listened to us, and quite a few have found success. Others, however, have tried to go it alone and wound up worse off than before. Why? The answer varies, but one thing is always true: The person behind the promotional campaign wasn’t up to the challenge of promoting new music/tour dates in the current industry landscape.
We believe in independent artists. We believe everyone should make the music that fulfills them, and we urge musicians to release music themselves whenever it makes sense.
That said, we also believe in asking for the help you need. Adding a publicist or manager to your team at the right time can make all the difference in your career. But how do you know when you’re ready for something like that? Well, today we have an answer.
In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell breaks down the key things every publicist is looking for when considering whether or not to work with a new client. These answers are pulled from conversations with music PR from the worlds of rock, pop, metal, and hip-hop. Their responses may not shock you, but they will ensure you are prepared to make a big impact with your next campaign. Check it out:
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Finding the right publicist for your next release is a challenge, but knowing what to ask can make all the difference.
Music publicity is one of the most challenging jobs in entertainment. Publicists work long hours to help artists cut through the noise and be heard. They go above and beyond daily to make sure their clients’ stories are heard, often in places that the artists themselves would never be able to reach, and they rarely receive the thanks they deserve. Music PR is, in many ways, the bridge between anonymity and stardom.
But finding the right publicist for your music can be challenging. Just because someone can promote a band or artist that makes music somewhat similar to yours does not mean they can do the same for you. Likewise, it’s possible someone who never worked with an artist like you could help you find new audiences. Others will promise you the world and deliver nothing.
While we can’t make decisions for you, we can provide the tools you need to make the best choice for your career and wallet. In the latest Music Biz update, host James Shotwell walks through more than half a dozen questions every artist should ask a publicist before hiring them. These questions cover expectations, costs, and the publicist’s understanding of the project in question, among other things. Check it out:
Questions covered in the video above include:
Please tell me about my music (describe what it is you think I/we do)
How do you define a PR agency’s worth to a client?
What do you feel about your agency’s worth in the context of that answer?
What isn’t your job?
Why is your agency best suited to work this specific record for this specific band?
What kind of adjustments have you had to make since starting your own agency?
Can you provide a SWOT analysis of our project?
What is a story that needs to be told about this band and this record for it to achieve the most commercial success?
How do you prioritize clients?
This band is outside of the genre of your biggest acts. How do you make that into a strength?
What is the current rate for your services? Do you offer discounts on multi-month commitments as opposed to month-by-month payments?
Asking these questions can help you find the right person or team to help make your next release the success you deserve. Don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you need to feel confident in your decision.
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Three of music’s most exciting publicists recently came together for a panel on the state of the industry that cannot be missed.
If there is anything to learn from the age of COVID-19, aside from the need for personal hygiene, it is the importance of connection. Human beings are not meant to live in isolation. We need relationships as much as we need air in our lungs and water in our cups. Friendships are the key to everything, including happiness and success, which explains why these long periods without human interaction are so tricky.
With that in mind, Haulix LIVE! is here to fill a void in the entertainment business. Twice a month, Haulix brings together the greatest minds in music publicity and promotion to share their knowledge with anyone hoping to hear it. These events are 100% free, and they are open to everyone.
On Thursday, August 20, at 2PM EST, we held a free PR roundtable with special guests Jesea Lee (High Road Publicity), Jon Asher (Asher Media Relations), and Rey Roldan (Reybee Inc). The event covered the state of music PR today, emerging trends in music publicity, and advice for people hoping to work in the field. Viewers also had an opportunity to ask our guests questions.
About the panelists:
Jesea Lee, a man who hails from the birthplace of Rock n’ Roll where the river was hot, but the beer is cold, is the co-owner and Head Publicist at High Road Publicity. Lee fell in love with music at a young age, starting his first band before he could even play an instrument. Applying that “dive headfirst” attitude to the business side of music, Lee was hired as a PR intern at Tragic Hero Records which quickly led to him becoming the director of publicity at Tragic Hero, Sun Pedal Recordings, and Revival Recordings. At the beginning of 2015, the newly-formed company High Road Publicity launched with Lee at the helm. Since then, he’s worked with many talented and burgeoning artists, making meaningful impacts to their careers.
Jon Asher, known for being a regular fixture on the Montreal music scene, founded ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS in September 2007 to aid bands and labels in celebrating their headbanging tunes to the world. A musician himself, and a McGill University graduate in public relations, Jon had his epiphany – to help out the struggling artists and help them gain the attention they need to support their music. He has worked with a number of independent and established artists such as Annihilator, Gene Hoglan (Testament, Death, SYL, Fear Factory), Quo Vadis, Fuck The Facts, Striker, Psychostick, Necronomicon, Helion Prime, Hibria, Mutank, Anonymus, Sons of Butcher, Kill Devil Hill ft. Rex Brown (Pantera) + Vinny Appice (DIO, Black Sabbath)), Drum Wars (Vinny Appice vs. Carmine Appice), Nephelium, Ninjaspy, Scythia, All Else Fails, Auroch, Planet Eater, Vesperia, Rockshots Records, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Armstrong Metal Fest, Loud As Hell MetalFest, Calgary Metalfest, Metalocalypstick Fest, Decimate Metal Fest, Le FestEvil, Obscene Extreme America Fest and many more. He has also guest lectured at McGill University on Music Publicity for the public relations program plus has spoken on panels for Alberta Music (Calgary), Indie Week (Toronto), Noctis Fest (Calgary), Halifax Pop Explosion, and mentoring sessions at SXSW (Austin, TX).
Rey Roldan is a veteran of the music industry, both as a publicist and journalist at I.R.S. Records, Mammoth Records, Grass / Wind-up Records, Jive /Silvertone/Zomba Recordings, KSA Public Relations and Island Def Jam, for over two decades. He’s also the founder of Reybee, Inc. (est. 2004). Throughout his career, he has been involved with musicians and artists from practically every facet of the entertainment business including music, film, books, television and plays. He has spearheaded campaigns for artists including Britney Spears, Brooks & Dunn, Duran Duran, director Baz Luhrmann, Backstreet Boys, Sting, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hanson, Dresden Dolls, A Tribe Called Quest, as well as the films Bridget Jones’ Diary, Grammy winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,O Brother Where Art Thou? He has also helped launch record labels including Lost Highway, Jive Electro, and Planet Dog. If that’s not enough, he’s also currently a staff writer at American Songwriter Magazine.
Haulix LIVE! is your chance to learn from and engage with the greatest minds in music publicity today.
With Coronavirus making music conferences and festivals impossible, Haulix LIVE! is here to fill a void in the entertainment business. Twice a month, Haulix brings together the greatest minds in music publicity and promotion to share their knowledge with anyone hoping to hear it. These events are 100% free, and they are open to everyone.
Join us on Thursday, June 18, at 2PM EST for a free PR roundtable with special guests Ebony Jeanette (EJPR), Jamie Roberts (Better Noise), Jon Freeman (Freeman Promotions), and Bill Meis (eOne Entertainment). The event will cover the promotional challenges of COVID-19, emerging trends in music publicity, and advice for people hoping to work in music PR. Viewers will also have an opportunity to ask our guests questions. Click here to register.
About our panelists:
Bill Meis is an aggressive multi-skilled music business professional with more than fifteen years of experience in marketing, media relations, and logistics. He is still driven by the same love for rock n’ roll that fueled him as a teenager growing up on Long Island, New York.
Currently, Bill oversees all media relations and marketing for the rock and metal artists found on the eOne music roster. During the last decade, he has landed his artists in significant publications like Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork, and Guitar World. Bill was also at the publicity helm when his artist High On Fire won for “Best Metal Performance” at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards.
Metal music publicist Ebony Jeanette’s lifework is connecting people with the entertainment and brands they love by converting messages into discoverable media experiences. Ebony currently owns and operates boutique Public Relations firm, Ebony Jeanette PR (EJPR), and over the course of her decade on this side of the desk in the music industry, she has held posts as the in-house publicist for two of the world’s foremost extreme heavy metal record labels; Century Media Records (Sony) and Prosthetic Records. Additionally, Ebony is a singer and music journalist whose work has been featured in Substream Magazine, SonicBids, New Noise Magazine, and more.
Jamie Roberts from Better Noise Entertainment has a wealth of experience as a music publicist and PR executive, having led departments at Roadrunner Records, Universal Records and EMI’s The Enclave prior to her time at Better Noise (previously Eleven Seven Music) as well as running her own firms – Right Angle PR, then For The Win Media. Over 25+ years in the music industry, she has worked with such top-tier artists as Mötley Crüe, Blondie, Papa Roach, Godsmack, Nick Lachey, and Paulina Rubio, among others. She has been an integral part of building the careers of bands like Slipknot and Nickelback and has helped artists like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Sloan, and Nothing More reach new heights of success.
Freeman Promotions is the brainchild of Jon Freeman, whose humble career beginnings are rooted in college radio. Freeman has worked his way up the music industry ranks, thanks to a cocktail of ambition, drive, and good, old-fashioned elbow grease.
Some key artists whose careers he has been intrinsically involved in include Type O Negative, Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, GWAR, Mark Morton, and Municipal Waste. If you’ve heard about these acts in some form or another, chances are, it’s because Jon Freeman was involved in spreading the word and creating their media profiles.
These four PR powerhouses have never sat on a panel together before, and you can be there to learn from their combined experiences FOR FREE. Click here to register for our event.
Haulix is kicking off a new digital webinar series by bringing together three premiere rock music publicists for a free panel later this week.
Coronavirus has prevented thousands of events from happening, including a wide variety of music conferences. We know that nothing in the digital space can replicate the feeling of rubbing shoulders with your industry peers, but we are doing our best to keep the spirit of education and networking alive during these uncertain times.
Haulix LIVE! is a new digital webinar series brought to you by Haulix, the industry standard for music promotion. Each free event will feature conversations with leaders in music promotion and publicity, and it all kicks off this Thursday, May 21, with a panel on rock music PR. Click here to register.
About our panelists:
Amy Sciarretto is the queen of all things at Atom Splitter PR. She’s worked with everyone and has the stories to prove it. Her current clients include Trivium, Killswitch Engage, Alice Cooper, Falling In Reverse, and recent GRAMMY-nominees I Prevail. There is no problem she cannot solve, and no group she cannot break.
Charley Bezer is the VP of PR at Cosa Nostra Publicity. She has a reputation for helping alternative bands receive mainstream attention, and she sets the bar for determination. Her recent work with Dance Gavin Dance resulted in a number one placement on the US album sales chart, as well as multiple appearances on other influential charts, both stateside and around the world.
Maria Ferrero is an internationally-recognized music publicity maven and CEO of Adrenaline PR. Her resume reads like a who’s who of famous rock artists from all corners of the genre. She’s currently working with Lamb Of God to promote their highly-anticipated tenth studio album, as well as numerous other bands.
These three PR powerhouses have never sat on a panel together before, and you can be there to learn from their combined experiences FOR FREE. Click here to register for our event.
With the launch of It’s A Pixies Podcast, a limited series program, the long-running indie rock group offers a glimpse at the future of music promotion.
‘Podcast‘ may be the most significant buzzword in music this year. Not only has the format been accused of encroaching on a form of entertainment previously reserved for music and audiobooks, but streaming services Spotify and Apple Music have been investing heavily in promoting notable shows, as well as creating exclusive podcast content.
According to MusicOOMPH, 71% of Americans are familiar with the term ‘podcast,’ and a little over half of the population has listened to a podcast. There are currently 700,000 active podcasts boasting a combined catalog of 29 million episodes, and that figure is going to grow substantially in the latter half of 2019.
The world of podcasting has already proven beneficial for many performers. Comedians in particular have found the freedom of expression podcasting allows as a way to engage their audience between specials and promote tour dates. Musicians can and should see view podcasts the same way. In a time when everyone wants more from everything they love all the time, podcasts present an opportunity to continually offer new content without rushing to release songs or records before they’re complete.
A press release this week announced that one group, iconic indie rock band The Pixies, is ready to embrace podcasts and the numerous possibilities it can offer. The band is promoting their upcoming record by sharing a limited, twelve episode series that documents the creation of the record and the conflicts that arise during production. The podcast is hosted and narrated by New York Times best-selling author Tony Fletcher who was with the band during throughout the creative process.
The full press release reads:
Good morning! “It’s A Pixies Podcast,” Pixies’ 12-episode series, makes its debut today and we hope you’ll check it out. It’s now live on all podcast platforms including Apple, Pandora, Acast, Stitcher, Google and more. The podcast is hosted and narrated by New York Times best-selling author Tony Fletcher who was embedded with the band and producer Tom Dalgety while the new album, Beneath The Eyrie, was recorded last December at Dreamland Studios near Woodstock, NY. The podcast provides a real fly-on-the-wall perspective of not just the recording, but of the interaction between the band members and Dalgety, while tracking in the main room or making a cup of tea in the kitchen. Beneath The Eyrie will be released on September 13 (BMG).
You can stream It’s A Pixies Podcast wherever you enjoy podcasts. The band’s new album, Beneath The Eyrie, will hit stores in September.
Artists at any level can get into podcasting, and they should. You don’t have to talk about your music. You don’t even have to talk about music in a general sense. Find something you’re passionate about and share that interest with your fans. It can be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or whatever works for you. As long as you’re having fun, your fans will enjoy the experience, and they will come away from each episode feeling more connected to you. That connection translates to more engagement, more purchases, and more support.
Successfully pitching song premieres is only the beginning. If you want your next release to make an impact you need to follow these steps.
Song premieres are a dime a dozen in the world of music blogs. Even the most sought-after music publications share multiple premieres a week, and most, if not all, go mostly unnoticed by the world at large. That is most often due to a lack of originality on the part of the site, as well as a lack of support from the artist/team behind the track before the premiere. Far too many artists send a link and a thank you message without giving the site or its writer anything substantial to work with when creating the article that supports the premiere, but today we’re going to help you make a change.
To have a song or video premiere make an impact on oversaturated music fans with short attention spans you will need more than the media you’re planning to release. Great premieres require great articles, and you can achieve that by providing sites with everything they need to tell not only the story of the thing you’re premiering, but the story of your career as well.
Before your next premiere, make sure you have these materials ready to share:
Song or Video Embed (obviously)
Artist bio (and album bio, when available)
Multiple high-quality photos
A quote about the thing you’re premiering and what it means to you or the story behind its creation.
Production information about the thing you’re premiering. For songs, that means writing credits, studio information, producer credits, the release it hails from and its street date. For videos, the director and production company they hail from, as well as when and where it was filmed.
Information related to everything else you’re currently promoting. If the song or video is part of a bigger album push, offer information about that record. If you have a tour, share the tour dates.
Imagery to promote anything else you may be promoting (album, tour, etc.).
An interview opportunity. Even if it’s for five minutes, offering the site hosting your premiere the chance to discuss the release with you can lead to great information being shared that you wouldn’t otherwise think to include.
A list of relevant social links (Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). Be sure to express your preferred social network, if one exists.
When it comes to premiere, you often get out of them something equal to the work put into their creation. If you do the bare minimum you cannot expect to reap huge returns. Music is your passion, and you want people to understand that as clearly and as quickly as possible. Most will only look at a headline for your premiere for a second or less. Make the most of that limited time by doing whatever you can to ensure the content around your premiere is as high-quality as the thing you’re releasing.
A smart marketing campaign may propel your next release into the spotlight, but you can’t get there without actionable data.
Music promotion is harder than it used to be, and it’s growing increasingly difficult with each passing day. The old method of compiling a list of contacts that artists then send a generic email to with a single link to Soundcloud or Dropbox page rarely produces results. Even worse, the results such efforts do produce are hard to quantify. Here’s an example:
Let’s say I have a new single to promote ahead of its official release. I upload the song to Soundcloud, set the stream to private, and then send the share link the service offers to 500 media contacts. After a few days, I check and discover the song has 250 plays. That information is good to know, but there are many questions Soundcloud cannot help me answer: Who listened to the song? How many times did they listen to the song? Did anyone start the track, but not finish it? And if so, who?
While the low cost of Soundcloud or Dropbox has long been attractive to artists on tight budgets, the use of such services requires talent to sacrifice the most valuable thing in promotion: Data.
In this episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell addresses the drawbacks to promoting music on Soundcloud and offers a low-cost alternative method of promotion that is used by everyone from Chance The Rapper to Metallica.
You can join Haulix today and receive your first month of service free. Cancel anytime during that trial period and your credit card will not be charged.
Email is the name of the game when it comes to music PR, and when everyone is doing the same thing, it’s the details that make all the difference.
Everyone working in music receives a lot of emails all the time for a wide variety of reasons. Writers and music critics, for example, receive press releases from anyone with an artist or release to promote who is smart enough to find their email address. They also have messages from editors, personal contacts, and – in the case of blog editors – aspiring professionals looking for an opportunity. It’s overwhelming, and it is becoming increasingly hard for any message to stand out.
Many marketing blogs will tell you that an eye-catching subject line is all you need to get someone to open your message. That may be true in certain circumstances, but an open only brings a reader to your message – it does not make them engage with it.
If people don’t like what they see at first glance, then your email is no more successful than the messages that get trashed without an open. Grammar and structure aside, there is one thing that can grab the attention of a writer (or anyone) at first glance:
Use their name.
First or last or both, it doesn’t matter. Just use it.
That seems surprisingly simple, and it is, but the vast majority of publicists, artists, and others vying for attention these days do not take the few seconds needed to address the recipient of their emails adequately.
Here is a sampling of the most common, least engaging greetings used today:
Dear Music Blogger
Hello, Music Friends!
Dear [Wrong Name]
Media Friends:
To whom it may concern
Sir or Madam
ATTN:
[Name] <– This happens when they leave what should be automated forms blank, and it happens a lot.
Technology may make connecting with others easier than ever before, but it still lacks the personal touch of a traditional conversation. Even letters written by hand required something more tactile than a digital message can allow. Using someone’s name tells them you view them as something more than a faceless body existing in the void of the internet that you seek to use as means to ascend through the ranks of the entertainment industry. Using someone’s name, treating them like a professional should, is so simple, yet it can mean so much. It tells someone you see them and their work, which often is the result of great sacrifice, and it subconsciously makes them care a bit more for what you have to share.
