| As every independent unsigned artist or band knows, | | | | seasoned professional, a music publicist, with major |
| it's difficult to market and promote your project and | | | | industry contacts. But you may ask - How do can I |
| get the awareness you need with little promotional | | | | afford this? |
| experience and when you are on a shoe-string | | | | Well I have some good news for you. |
| budget. Inexpensive or free self-promotion | | | | Fortunately, there are a few good music publicists |
| techniques can be effective to a degree but most | | | | out there that work specifically for unsigned and |
| times it's just not enough to bring the awareness to | | | | independent artists and they do not charge an arm |
| your project that you need, or to lift your | | | | and a leg to do publicity for you or your band. When |
| independent music career to the next level. | | | | you've reached a point in your music career when |
| To some degree, there are many methods of doing | | | | you believe you've done all you can do, it may be |
| your own music publicity that can be effective. | | | | time to consider getting a little help from a well |
| On your own you can do things like solicit feature | | | | connected music publicist. |
| articles, CD reviews, and interviews. To do this on | | | | A lot of very serious independent artists who are |
| your own, you need to create a database of all your | | | | lucky enough to have a few dollars to spend on |
| genre related web portals, and music media outlets | | | | promotion, marketing, and music publicity have found |
| that feature artists in your niche and music market. | | | | that hiring a music publicist to do all this can alleviate a |
| Contact each one, preferably by email, or by | | | | lot of frustration. Not only can they spend their time |
| physically mailing out your press kit or online link to | | | | on the all important creative end of their |
| request a feature article, interview and review of | | | | career...writing, touring, and development, a good |
| your record. You must be extremely patient. The | | | | music publicist has a lot of music media connections |
| process can take many months. These outlets | | | | right at their finger tips and can assure far more |
| receive hundreds of submission a week. They won't | | | | features, quotes, and reviews. In essence they get |
| accept all submissions or review everything but if | | | | your material in the right hands. |
| your promotional package, music, and image, stand | | | | Finding the right music publicist for your particular |
| out you have a good chance of being selected. | | | | project may however, not be as simple as you may |
| Check out each media outlet or website submission | | | | think. Be sure that the music publicist specializes in |
| policy prior to submitting. This is important. If you | | | | your genre of music and they have a proven track |
| don't follow their guidelines, this can cause them to | | | | record of success. Don't just pick one out of the |
| reject your submission. Your chances then can be | | | | blue. A good music business or independent artist |
| slim to none. If guidelines allow, follow up in about a | | | | consultant should be able to recommend the right |
| month. | | | | one for your particular scenario. Artist managers and |
| Doing your own publicity can be an extremely time | | | | consultants work with music publicists on a daily basis |
| consuming endeavor for sure. But if you do it | | | | and they know the ones that are effective. Be |
| systematically, a little each day, you can get the job | | | | cautious, get a word of mouth recommendation and |
| done. However, there may come a time when you | | | | make sure you are not just throwing your money |
| have done all that you can do and the time is right to | | | | away. |
| hand off some of the promotional publicity work to a | | | | |