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First, thanks for asking.
The variety of occasions my job as a publicist will get confused with that of a supervisor, marketer, or reserving agent is ridiculous.
And I get it.
There’s not a lot of knowledge on the market about what it’s a publicist really does, and relying on what business you’re in and the way large of an artist you’re working with, your tasks can differ to a fairly massive diploma.
For this text, we’re going to be focusing totally on publicists for indie artists, however know that a lot of the duties are the identical, simply a little extra flexibility and fluidity when a publicist is working with an indie artist (ain’t that all the time the reality!) vs a main label artist.
So first, right here’s what a publicist doesn’t do…
- We don’t guide your exhibits.
- We don’t handle your profession.
- We don’t run Fb adverts.
- We don’t enhance your Instagram followers.
- We don’t work miracles.
I do know, it’s a lot of stuff. However right here’s the deal: a publicist’s job, in a nutshell, is to inform your story in a method that makes individuals wish to pay attention and to do this by the press.
The rationale we get confused with advertising so usually is that individuals appear to suppose PR and advertising are the identical. Whereas they’re comparable, and in a really perfect world, the 2 campaigns would work in unison, advertising is extra about numbers and gross sales, whereas PR is about displaying the world who you actually are and why that ought to matter. PR is what will get individuals prepared for advertising, and advertising is what will get individuals to purchase. Make sense?
Additionally, we don’t work miracles. Simply since you pay us doesn’t imply we will get your model new band into Billboard. We’re flattered you suppose now we have magic powers however please, don’t be too disillusioned that we don’t.
Right here’s what a publicist really does:
We Assist You Construct Your Model
That is trickier than you suppose — however a publicist will work with you to essentially hone in on what your model is, and how one can convey that by all channels — your social media, your press interviews, and even into your reside exhibits, excursions, and the alternatives you safe.
The clearer you’re in your model, the extra options your publicist is ready to safe. Which implies, we wish to assist you get crystal clear.
We Form Your Story
It’s not sufficient to easily have nice music — you additionally want a nice story, and your publicist will assist form that. Generally it’s one thing apparent — in case your album has a sturdy theme of falling out and in of affection, we’ll discover the distinctive spots inside that and play that theme up.
But when your track or albums are feeling too broad, we’d dig deeper into the track and the method to faucet into a extra attention-grabbing, workable angle. I’ve labored campaigns with themes on all the pieces as common as like to as niched down as bringing consciousness to local weather change.
There’s a place for all the pieces, it’s simply a matter of discovering yours.
We Get You Options in Press Retailers
That is the obvious factor we do — we safe you options in numerous shops (often blogs, however typically others — extra on that in a minute). We do that to get your music on the market and to unfold that message and model we’ve simply labored so arduous to create. That is the place your evaluations, interviews, and visitor blogs are available.
Generally, We Assist with Spotify Too
We all know how a lot you wish to land on a widespread Spotify playlist. However pay attention, it’s not straightforward. These gatekeepers are tucked away fairly tightly and getting in isn’t any straightforward process, even in your most seasoned publicist. Nonetheless, if a weblog or business influencer has a playlist, we’ll attempt to get you on it. It will not be the Spotify official, however these streams add up.
And typically we additionally do print and TV (however not everybody does).
As a US-based publicist, I used to be shocked once I briefly lived in Canada to seek out out many of the publicists there are doing print, radio, and TV options for his or her music shoppers in addition to digital shops. Some PR companies do that, some don’t — however I’ve seen it does are likely to differ a lot on the place you’re.
So, if print/TV is one thing you’re eager about, don’t neglect to ask your publicist in the event that they do this.
As a publicist, our job isn’t all the time straightforward — there are a lot of sudden hurdles that may come our method, and it may be a lot of stress to attempt to make our shoppers glad—and it’s what we would like greater than something, to make them glad. To assist them succeed. To inform their story and unfold the message of their music and assist everybody else see them because the superb artist we do.
So yeah, it’s a lot of labor. But it surely’s completely price it as a result of now we have the good job on this planet. Working with you.
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All of our mentored on-line programs include six weeks of 1-on-1 skilled teaching and suggestions in your work. It’s like having a private coach, however for music! Share your targets with us and we’ll discover a course for you, or create a customized mentorship session with a professional musician, engineer, educator, or music business veteran, that will help you obtain them.
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Angela Mastrogiacomo is the founding father of Muddy Paw PR, the place her artists have seen placement on Different Press, Spotify, Noisey, Substream, and extra, in addition to the Director of Neighborhood and Occasions for Music Launch Co. Her free coaching ‘Reaching a Wider Viewers With out Spending A Dime’ helps rising artists lower by the noise and get in entrance of followers and business influencers in simply a few steps. She loves baked items, a good guide, and hanging together with her canine Sawyer.
