Indie Music Publicity - 4 Vital Tips to Getting Your Own Effective Music PR

Ever wonder why it's so difficult to advance your career to the next level? Why some artists are getting media coverage, radio play, digital plays, and gaining Facebook fans, drastically increasing their fan base day by day, and selling records and digital downloads like they're going out of style with the ultimate result being... serious expansion of your fan base, creating awareness for your project, selling CDs and digital downloads, and gaining the attention of the record labels and professional artist management companies?

So What's the Answer? Well it's really a no-brainer...

The Answer Is -- "MUSIC PUBLICITY"!!

Pretty much nothing happens without it - no matter what level of the music business you have obtained. Every artist must have it.

Understanding the "guidelines to publicity in the music business" can be a difficult task for the independent artist. A well connected music publicist or indie music publicist creating a buzz, a story, a history... getting your record reviewed, writing and distributing press releases, and feature articles and interviews will increase your chances of getting noticed. Simplified; a good media relations expert generating the music publicity awareness you need to get noticed among the massive sea of artists all striving for the same end goal. It can be very difficult to do your own independent music PR as a relatively unknown indie artist. This is how the help of an effective music publicist can help. A good indie music publicist, that has built all the relationships for you can greatly expedite the process and increase results if you have the budget and can afford the fees of a music PR professional. If you can't, there are ways to do your own music publicity.

1. Do Your Due Diligence -

Do the necessary online research to uncover the media portals that may be appropriate for you to submit to on your own.

2. Follow The Media Outlets Submission Guidelines -

Make sure to follow their submission guidelines closely. Nothing aggravates a music journalist more than being bombarded with inappropriate submissions.

3. Do Not Follow Up -

Once you have submitted your CD for review, feature, or interview - Be Patient. These portals receive 100's of submissions weekly. It may take months before you are considered. (This is where a veteran music publicist can help - their relationship can supersede the process.) Don't follow up - If the music journalist wants to do the review he or she will let you know.

4. Simplify and Expedite the Process for Faster Results -

Cut down on all that research and media outlet documentation - It can take you months to put together and continually update your music media database. Purchase a comprehensive indie music publicity resource guide (very inexpensive) that has the database already laid out for you and formatted for immediate use. There are a few out there but hands down the most effective DIY Music Publicity resource is the Indie Bible. It is updated monthly and contains the most comprehensive lists of music media outlets that will review your CD and provide radio play.

All and all - getting effective media coverage for your project is not an easy task to do on your own. I recommend if you have any budget at all for music promotion and music marketing that you consider hiring a good indie music publicity company. If they are a reliable PR firm, they will get the job done faster and far more effectively - and ultimately get the results you are looking for.

©2011 Ken Cavalier All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Ken Cavalier is an Indie Music Publicist, Music Marketing Consultant, and founder of Allure Media Entertainment Group, Inc. (New York - Philadelphia) a fast growing music publicity and indie music marketing company. As a former artist, his passion for helping indie musicians realize their career goals has enabled him to launch and manage extremely successful indie music publicity campaigns for hundreds of independent artists over the years. He is a voting member of many distinguished music industry organizations including The National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (™The Grammy Association).

For more details and information on his company and his services visit:
http://www.indiemusicconsultant.com/musicpublicity.html

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Music Publicity Campaign - What to Expect From Your Music Publicist

A traditional Indie Music Publicity Campaign, if done correctly, can do a lot to boost your career and new record release. Some of the initiatives your indie music publicist may employ on your behalf include but are not necessarily limited to CD submissions to their media relationships soliciting reviews, features, and interviews. A good music publicity company will also write and distribute press releases announcing the new CD release with some details about it. The publicist will then distribute the music press release to various media outlets for publication. In some situations, if the artist is looking for national exposure your publicist may recommend distributing the press release via a national wire distribution service. This can generate national awareness for your project if the press release is properly targeted to the correct music journalists and media outlets.

Depending upon the level of service you choose to engage with your music publicist, he or she may also personally represent you to the media - Scheduling and organizing media appearances, interviews and so on. This is usually not part of a standard music publicity campaign, but can be a part of it if your particular publicist engages in this element of music promotion.

PR tour support is another way that your publicist can help promote your career. If the publicity firm does tour pr support this can be helpful but is generally a separate part of most publicity campaigns. Usually this may be reserved for higher profile, better known artists. Essentially your music publicist will engage in advance tour support which can consist of a variety of things from writing and distributing press releases in the venue related city in which you will be performing in, to outreach advertising placement, all the way up to physically advancing the show with an in-person visit to the city and venue.

Overall, your publicist's job is to gain meaningful media coverage and represent you to the media in the promotion of you as an artist and your record releases. Again, an effective music publicity firm can do wonders for your career if everything is done strategically and carefully. Hiring a good publicist can be tricky. Your best bet is to thoroughly interview them up-front making certain that all of your questions and concerns are adequately addressed. A publicist fees can vary depending on the level by which they represent you and the cost of a standard campaign is usually paid upfront or in two payments. A publicist who basically signs on for the long haul and represents you in all cases is usually put on a monthly retainer.

Just make sure to do your due-diligence when hiring a publicist then sit back - create the music, and hopefully watch your career skyrocket.

©2011 Ken Cavalier All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Ken Cavalier is a music publicist and music marketing professional. He is the founder of the Allure Media Entertainment Group, Inc, a fast growing entertainment public relations firm with offices in New York and Philadelphia. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy (grammy.com) among other distinguished music industry organizations. His passion for helping independent artists achieve their career goals is the driving force in his life. His PR firm is available to discuss various music publicity campaigns with artists in need of this valuable music promotion service. For more details on his services and to contact Ken directly visit http://www.musicpublicist.net/

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