Music PR for Independent Artists

Public relations (PR) is a field that revolves around crafting the public image of an individual, brand, company, or organization. A common goal of PR specialists is to get media outlets to talk about their clients. They achieve this by, for example, reaching out to journalists or bloggers with compelling press releases and convincing them to include the story in their publications. Successful PR work can significantly boost a client’s visibility, increase relevance, and build a positive image.

Drawing from this definition, Music PR works to achieve these same goals for artists, bands, and labels: shaping their public image, disseminating relevant information about them, getting their name to appear in different media outlets, and helping them maintain a positive reputation, including through crisis management.

Solid music PR work can have a domino effect—the more outlets feature you, the more important you appear, and the higher the chances of gaining even more publicity in the future. Media placements also enhance the value of your electronic press, serving as proof of relevance.

With all the benefits that PR work offers, artists should definitely at least give it a try. But how on earth do you get journalists and editors to listen?

The first thing to remember is that media professionals receive tons of emails and requests every day, often from professional PR agencies with the tools, resources, and networks that the average person doesn’t have access to. Additionally, journalists are not in the business of giving free advertising. Their job is to discover and report on information that is valuable to readers, relevant to the outlet, and ideally brings in clicks, revenue, or at least fills content gaps.

This means that you can’t expect to get much feedback and success from simply sending journalists your new project and asking them to check it out. Instead, you need to be more strategic. With those things in mind, let’s take a look at the step-by-step process of handling music PR as an independent artist.

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The first step is to find relevant publications and outlets that cover topics and music similar to yours. For instance, if you're a rapper, you should target hip-hop blogs, magazines, Instagram pages that feature hip-hop artists, and YouTube channels focused on the genre.

You can use tools like Google Alerts to track relevant keywords related to your genre or specific niche. This way, you can refine your list of potential outlets and stay up-to-date with what’s trending and which outlets are covering those topics.

Once you've compiled a list of potentially relevant outlets, take the time to look into each one individually. This guarantees your email and the content you send are tailored to their specific focus. For example, if you’re pitching a music video, a physical magazine might not be your best choice. Likewise, if you're promoting gigs, an Instagram page that primarily posts new music won't be as effective.

This step is crucial not only because personalization is appreciated by journalists, but also because receiving irrelevant content can feel like a waste of time to them. If they remember your name, they may not associate it with anything positive and might ignore your message next time.

Once you’ve determined which outlets and individuals you are going to contact, you need to think about how to put the information you want to share with them together in a way that is digestable, compelling, and attention-grabbing.

Let’s say you're a newcomer with a few smaller placements in magazines, two successful collaborations with more famous artists, and solid (though not mind-blowing) streaming numbers. You’ve just released a new album, and your PR goal is to get a few outlets to at least mention your release in their publications.

A good approach is to put yourself in the writer's shoes and think about the answers to the following questions:

• "Who is this artist, and why should I care?"

• "Why should I report on them, and how would it benefit the outlet and its readers?"

• "Why would I report on this artist rather than the 15 others who reached out to me today? What makes them more relevant than the others?"

These questions might sound a bit harsh, but looking at things from a realistic perspective will help you craft your pitch in a way that will make it more likely to capture the recipient’s attention. Personalization, relevance, and clear value are key aspects that will help your PR efforts succeed. So, by thinking about what makes you stand out from the hundreds of other artists, you’re framing your message in a way that shows your value to the publication and its audience, which is exactly what journalists and editors are looking for.

Now that you’ve determined your approach and the value you provide, it is time to craft your press release. Create a simple document and set it up in the following way:

1. Title Heading

The title of your press release should be catchy, direct, and convey the essence of what the press release is about in just a few words.

Example: “Artist B Unveils Highly Anticipated Sophomore Album Featuring [Relevant Artist Names]”.

2. Subheading with Value (e.g., Collaborations or Numbers)

This is where you can include proof of your relevance, such as streaming numbers, previous press coverage, notable collaborations, or other accolades. It helps journalists immediately understand what makes your release noteworthy. You should also mention your genre, so that the reader can quickly gauge whether it's relevant to their publication.

• Example: "NYC-based shoegaze newcomer, previously featured in [Relevant Outlet], with over 100,000 streams in the first day.”

3. Brief Summary in Italics Font Style

Adding a brief summary that highlights the key points and value proposition is an essential part of each press release. The summary should be written in a way that guarantees that readers get the gist of your press release, even if they decide not to read the full thing.

4. Location and Date

Including the location (city, country) and date at the top of your press release is a standard practice in PR. This information provides journalists with essential context, especially when they’re deciding whether your news is relevant to their readers or audience.

5. Paragraph Heading + Key Message

This section should include the main news or key announcement of your press release. Start by naming the album and its release date to establish the main details. Then, highlight what makes the album unique—whether it’s a new sound, experimental style, or standout collaborations. Mention why this release is important in the artist’s career, whether it's a departure from their previous work or a bold new direction. Include some info on why it matters in the broader context of the industry or genre.

6. More Info About the Album

In this section, you can go into more detail about the album. You can mention the key tracks, album length, how it fits into the artist’s broader career vision, music album cover, and maybe one or two fun facts about the project or production process.

7. About the Artist

This section is crucial for providing journalists with a quick overview of the artist’s background, especially if they’re not yet familiar with them. Start with a concise biography, mention key influences that shaped your sound, along with any notable previous releases or collaborations. If applicable, include any awards or recognitions that help establish your credibility in the industry. Finally, add social proof, such as mentions in major outlets, playlist features, or other notable achievements, to show that you’ve previously received attention from trusted sources.

8. Contacts & Social Media

The last section should include all the necessary links to your streaming platforms and social media profiles, making it easy for journalists to access your music and connect with you. Include your contact details for press inquiries, and if you have a press kit, you can add the link here as well. Learn more about how to build an effective electronic press kit for musicians.

When composing an email to a journalist, follow the same principles as when writing a press release: keep it straight to the point and structure it around the value you’re providing to the recipient. Maintain a professional yet personal tone and layout, and address journalists by their (last) name whenever possible.

The subject line should be short enough to avoid getting cut off and should not sound overly sales-y. Otherwise, it could be seen as spam or just another marketing email. The email copy should be well-structured, with short paragraphs for readability. Get to the key message early and avoid unnecessary details—since all relevant information is in the press release, the email should focus on convincing the recipient to check it out.

A useful tip is to create a sense of exclusivity by sharing a link to the project before its official release, making recipients feel like they’re getting early access to something special. You can mention this in the subject line to spark interest right away.

At the end of the email, make it easy for the journalist to follow up by including links to your music and socials. Also, provide clear contact details in case they have questions or need additional materials. Keeping your email clean, professional, and focused increases the chances of getting a response.

Finally, make sure you send the email to the right person—someone whose topics and focal points match your press release. Many magazines and blogs have specific journalists covering particular areas (e.g., genres, news, lifestyle), and sending your email to someone whose coverage doesn’t align with your project could result in your email being ignored. If it’s not obvious who wrote which article, you can try to call the magazine and ask who’s responsible for a particular topic.

A common PR scenario is sending out numerous emails and receiving little to no responses. This can be frustrating and make you wonder what you did wrong, but it’s actually quite normal.

As we said earlier, journalists receive tons of mails, so it can happen that yours drowns between the others, or that other mails are more interesting (for example, a better-known name in the game will likely get more attention). A good approach is to send a follow-up email a few days later, ideally not right before the weekend, and briefly inquire if they received your message.

As mentioned earlier, journalists receive an overwhelming number of emails daily. Yours might get lost in the flood, or they might find other emails more interesting, especially those that come from more well-known names. A good approach is to send a short follow-up email a few days later, ideally not right before the weekend, and briefly inquire if they received your message.

When following up, always be polite and respectful of the journalist’s time. If you haven't received a response, a second email that briefly checks in should feel more like a nudge than a demand. Try to keep your tone friendly, and you can mention that you understand how busy they must be. This can help you avoid seeming too persistent or pushy.

If you still don’t get a response, don’t hesitate to call the media outlet and ask if you can speak to the journalist you reached out to. While this might feel pushy or awkward, it is actually a common PR practice. The worst that can happen is that they are not interested, but at least you will know you did everything possible to maximize your chances of getting coverage.

PR is about developing relationships with media professionals who can help bring attention to your work over time. Instead of only reaching out when you need coverage, try engaging with journalists and outlets regularly.

Follow them on social media, share their work, and comment on their articles when relevant. If a journalist covers your music, send them a brief thank-you email. Small gestures like these help build familiarity, making them more likely to remember you for future opportunities.

Additionally, don’t overlook smaller outlets. While major publications can be hard to land as an independent artist, smaller blogs, niche music sites, and local media can be valuable stepping stones that help establish credibility and lead to bigger opportunities later.

By consistently putting in the effort to build and maintain media relationships, you increase your chances of securing coverage not just for one release, but throughout your career.