You’ve produced a great sounding single or EP and now it’s time to share it with the world. Sending your announcement out to your fans and posting about it on social media is one way to do it. But another obvious route is to get your music featured in the press. There are all sorts of media options available to get your music featured such as local newspapers, magazines, online magazines, music blogs, niche blogs, radio airplay and interviews, podcasts, YouTube channels…the list goes on. With so many options available, it seems like getting featured would be an easy task. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds and with so many of us musicians vying for a shot in the spotlight, the competition is high.
The good news is…there is a way for you to stand out among fellow musicians by figuring out an intriguing angle for your music that would make you an attractive subject matter. In order to get attention from the media for your music, you have to approach it with some public relations know-how. You can’t just reach out to any editor or music critic, ask them to listen to your new tune, and think they will automatically want to feature your music. It doesn’t work like that. Your job is to make yourself stand out. Here are some practical tips to give yourself a better chance of getting media attention for your music and getting the exposure you deserve.
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Step 1: Define what Makes You Newsworthy
The first step in working with the media to get your music featured is defining what makes you newsworthy. This is something that a lot of us musicians struggle with because we tend to think of our music in terms of its quality and timing. We think that since it’s a new release that’s an automatic win. We also tend to think that other accolades such as studio credibility, radio airplay, spotify airplays and quality of sound are a shoe-in for getting that coveted feature. Although these are all great things to have, they are not typically things that a media contact would use to help them determine whether or not to feature you.
The media thinks in terms of relevancy. They want to know if you are going to interest their audience. They want to present topics to their audience that are newsworthy because their goal is to get clicks and views. A new song from an unheard of artist is not going to move the needle. But a story that is newsworthy will. So let’s talk about what makes something newsworthy.
#1 is Timeliness.
This simply means that it is something new, thrilling, exciting. It’s never been heard before. That’s why reporters like to jump on certain stories because they want to be the first to report it. They know it will get them a lot of clicks and views because it’s something new.
For musicians, you have to think very creatively because the fact that your new release is new, doesn’t necessarily make it newsworthy. Are you fusing two genres that have never been fused before? Are you doing something with your music that is not normally done? Did you write an entire album about a new and interesting topic? If you’re breaking boundaries or shedding new light on something that’s news.
#2 is Proximity.
Proximity will typically involve local interest stories such as a recent local event. How close does your music release hit home for people? Are you working with a local non-profit organization? Does your album somehow feature local landmarks? Are you addressing important issues in your local community?
#3 is Novelty or Rarity.
Stories that feature a novelty or something rare are interesting because it’s something most folks have never heard of before or have only come across once or twice. Are you doing something that is unheard of or outside of the norm? Some examples of this would be, a singer-songwriter who plays an upright bass or if you perform using your own hand-made instruments.
#4 is Conflict.
We all know that conflict and drama sells. That’s how reality stars remain relevant. They’re always getting into conflict with each other because producers know that this is what intrigues people and keeps them coming back for more. As far as being a musician, sure you can easily manufacture a beef as long as you don’t get caught. We don’t recommend manufacturing any conflicts because it can backfire and you could end up being labeled a fraud. Check out this unfortunate story if you need any examples.
A safer route would be to write music about hot button topics that most people would have an opinion on such as civil rights or immigration. Don’t be afraid to share your beliefs and be transparent. Whatever side you land on based on your beliefs, you’re bound to get some attention. Think about Sam Cooke’s, A Change is Gonna Come for inspiration.
Related: The Musician’s Role During Civil Unrest
#5 is Human Interest.
Anything that resonates with people about other people makes for a really good human interest story. Writing love songs is one thing. But if you wrote an album detailing intricate stories about your family, or your relationship, or someone’s journey to self-fulfillment now that makes it more relatable. Especially if there’s an interesting back story. Think about Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Stud. Picture this… running away from your girlfriend’s family and your getaway car is the greatest horse in the world and getting into a little bit of trouble along the way? Now that makes for a great human interest story. Not to mention the lyrics are pretty witty and very catchy. These types of stories work because it reminds people about themselves but they get to witness it through someone else.
#6 is Prominence. Not everyone can pull this off but if you can find an aspect of your story that involves a celebrity or someone with any amount of fame, you may be able to use that in getting media attention of your own. Or maybe you yourself have reached some level of fame like maybe you’ve been on a network TV show, maybe you scaled a pole in South Carolina and took down a confederate flag, or maybe you had a bad experience with a celebrity and you live another day to sing about it. Prominence sells because people are inherently interested in fame and popularity.
Now these are just a few things that can make something newsworthy and if you can pinpoint elements of your story from any of these angles you really have a good chance of getting attention from the media and ultimately getting that exposure.
Step 2: Create appealing materials.
Once you have a good story ironed out now it’s time to create the content you’ll use to get people interested in your story. You’ll need a good email pitch, promo pictures, artwork, and a press kit.
A good email pitch is short and sweet and simply introduces yourself, your story arch, and how to review your press kit or listen to your songs. The email pitch should address the person directly. Consider doing a quick review of that person’s recent stories and offer a compliment. Flattery can get you a few points on these types of solicitations.
Promo pictures and artwork should be of professional quality and they should help portray your story in some way. Consider getting professional services from affordable platforms like Fiverr for retouching, design, and artwork.
Your press kit is a bit more involved. It includes a press release along with a packet or an online web page that contains everything the reporter or recipient needs to complete their feature of you. Consider including your bio, reviews, promo pictures, your song(s), any other press clippings, and a form of contact. For more information about creating a stellar press kit, see our article The Secret Weapon to Creating a Killer Press Kit.
Establish Your Artistic Persona
This Artist Development Checklist outlines all the things you should do to establish your brand and sell yourself as an artist.
Step 3: Execute your campaign.
This part of the process is probably the easiest. All you have to do is collect your contacts and hit the send button. If you’d like to stay organized, consider creating a spreadsheet to keep track of your contacts. Get their names, phone numbers, email addresses, website addresses, and keep a note section next to each contact. In the notes section, you’d be able to keep detailed information about your contact such as who they are, what their audience is like, how they’d like to receive information, and if you’ve had contact with them before. This will be especially helpful when it comes time to follow-up. You will need to follow up about 1 or 2 weeks after your initial contact. Most recipients do not typically answer on the first outreach. So, be prepared to follow-up two, three, or four times. We recommend putting together a list of 20 or more contacts for your campaign in order to get a good amount of responses. If you simply reach out to 1 or 2 contacts, chances are you’ll end up with no media attention at all. Broaden your horizons, think outside the box and reach out to as many people possible to get your music featured.
If you can follow through with these three steps you have a really good chance of getting lots of media attention and exposure for your music. It doesn’t have to be rocket science, but it does take some forethought and a well put-together campaign starting with your story. A great story that is newsworthy makes all the difference.
If you’d like to learn more about creating a unique artist identity, making yourself stand out, and building a loyal tribe, checkout our free Artist Development Checklist. It walks you through everything you need to do to establish your brand and sell yourself as a legitimate artist. Download the checklist today and make yourself stand out!
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Great article Anitra! I love how you break this down into three simple steps. It makes it seem a lot less intimidating.
Thanks Rob! Breaking things down is what I do best! 🙂