By Jacob Ezra
How to establish real connections with music media platforms
Networking in music media is all about building genuine, personal connections- and standing out from all of the other artists who are using the same approach. In many ways, these two elements are connected. If you think about how many artists are approaching writers and media personnel in a transactional way- just dropping links with either a short greeting or none at all- then just by connecting on a more “human” level, you immediately stand out. Now, of course, the question is how should this actually be done. In my experience as a writer, curator and also an artist, this is how I think it’s best to approach music media platforms.
Firstly, it’s important to be realistic about where you are in your career. If you are a “small” artist starting out, then try to aim for smaller, independent music platforms. Your chance of getting a feature will be higher, and you are likely to get placed on more blogs, as opposed to approaching tons of larger sites and only getting maybe one or two features. The volume of different places that you get posted is important early in your career- as simply getting your name, photo, and music spread to different places where people are seeing it can help push you to another level when you are starting out.
It will also be easier to establish genuine connections with these platforms. Realize that they also need your support, as well as you needing theirs. They will probably really appreciate you liking, commenting, and messaging them about the content they post. If you show genuine interest, and you also interact with their content even when they are not featuring you, they will notice this and appreciate this. It will also help you stand out from the multitudes of artists trying to get featured, dropping links with very little else, and whatnot.
Essentially, just supporting and sharing content, speaking to curators and writers in a more “human” way other than just trying to promote your music, and just showing real interest in the things people are building can go a long way. Even beyond media- in music in general, when you start to make it less about what you can receive and more what you can give, that tends to be a sure-fire catalyst for growth.
When approaching a platform of any size something that can be really key is providing value. If there’s a way that you can provide value to these media platforms, definitely try to do that as well. Just an example, if the platform has a discord you could offer to be a mod or help organize events. I keep repeating it, but again, I’m trying to emphasize how important it is to do both 1. stand out and 2. build real connections. If they see you as someone who is willing to help and constructively grow what they are building, this will allow you to stand out a lot.
How to maximize the usefulness of press
Marketing yourself as an artist is not an easy process. But one thing that is essential to marketing in music is having a story. With strong stories behind you and your art, your audience will feel drawn in, captivated, and invested in what you are doing.
But what makes a story strong? Primarily, it would be something that resonates emotionally with your audience. Something that they can relate to, because they have been through it themselves- or you are expressing what people want to communicate, but aren’t saying. There are other ways, though- a story could also be funny, gripping, very unique, or whatever else you are able to come up with that is compelling.
Press can help you tell your story, communicating it with audiences, and just generally strengthening it as a marketing device. When pitching to press you should try to communicate your story with them, and have it be a central part of what will hopefully get featured as an article or placement (more on how to craft an actual pitch later).
Let me use the story of Roundhouse as an example. We want to communicate to press and our audience things like: we are a homegrown, independent operation, originally founded in a bedroom with little budget, and just built up organically. This helps build our story and identity when we get press features, and enhances the usefulness of any article written about us. These are interesting things that people can relate to, because we started out untraditionally and in a grassroots way, just with limited resources like many underground artists themselves.
There are other approaches to maximize the usefulness of press as well, this is just one of the core ways that it can help you as an artist. Definitely be creative and open to trying different methods, and feel free to inject as much of your unique identity as you like. You can use humor, be big on personality, standing out with something wild, or anything really that sets you apart and makes some kind of impact.
How to craft a pitch, and the actual process
There are a few things to know when approaching your network and pitching your music, that will help with the process. Firstly, ask your contacts if it is okay if you send them a new release before you shoot it over. Send them a message telling them about the hard-work and soul that you’ve likely put into it, maybe a little about the story behind it and what it’s about- and first ask for permission to send it. This is just a courteous thing to do that writers and curators typically appreciate. Then, I highly recommend pitching it through email and not social media platforms. It’s more professional, respectful, and it makes it much easier for the writer and curator organization wise. Remember you should be trying to make their job easier during this process.
Your email body should be polite, have a “human” feel and not simply seem robotic, and explain a little bit about your story or the song from an emotional perspective. For example, “this song is about how I felt when ____”/ “this song is about the feeling of ____”. Expressing things that others have experienced and can relate to. Or you can use humor, this always helps too as long as it’s tasteful, as this is in a business context. Then at the end, of course, always thank them for their time and consideration, and ask if there’s anything you can do to help with the process and make it easier and simpler for them. Be sure to include a listening link to your song, album, etc. I will include an example of an actual email later in this article that you can reference.
Your email should also include a press kit, which should be attached to your email as a document, or linked in the email body. Your press kit (also known as an EPK), is a sheet that includes a compelling pitch about your music, explains who you are as an artist, communicates what your music is about, and provides all the information and materials the media outlets will need. The materials usually included are: listening link to the song, press photos, social media links, any credits, etc. I will break all of this down with an example of a press kit below, so that you can see it visually and reference it.
I think by now you know what I mean when I say tell a strong story- same goes for the pitch. The over-arching theme here is that you should be working your story into mostly all of what you do as far as press and marketing. Check out the example of the press kit below, where I will break down the explanation.
Outreach email example:
Hello [insert name here],
How are you doing? I hope you have been well and that you’ve been having a good week. I wanted to reach out to you to put a new release on your radar, “Yesterday’s Gone” by Max Green, and submit it for possible consideration on your platform. This song is an emotional journey that explores Green’s rise in music as a DIY, independent artist who started out self-funded working at a coffee shop- making it all the way to headlining shows, touring, while fostering a strong fanbase. It details the financial, emotional, and mental hurdles that Green faced that have made him the hard-working, vulnerable artist he is today.
Listening link to “Yesterday’s Gone”: [Insert link]
Thank you so much for your time and consideration, I attached a press release including press photos and all of the other materials. If you need anything else from me or more information, don’t hesitate to reach out and I will be sure to provide it.
All the best
Press release example: Available HERE.
Closing notes
Establishing meaningful connections and as a result, getting featured on platforms sometimes requires one to go the extra mile. Figuring out creative ways to bring something of value to the platforms, can be a key strategy. It can take time, experimentation, and creativity to achieve this, so be patient with yourself and try to enjoy the exploration of the process. With the right intention, a respectful approach, and some resilience- you will certainly be able to start landing media placements over time.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 