Should I hire a publicist for my release?
A lot of people go and hire a publicist and think that’s going to sell out the record, and it doesn’t work, because you can’t hire a publicist and expect it to sell out.
A publicist’s job is to pitch your music to Beat magazine and places like it, and for some reason that’s still the marketing blueprint, because it used to work, but it doesn’t anymore.
When I work on national tours with huge artists that magazines want to write about, I’ve got someone doing PR for them, but the grassroots PR machine isn’t there anymore.
PR, publicity and radio are all channels within marketing, in the same way paid ads, radio ads, TV ads, interviews and posters are. There are specialists across all of those channels, and my job is above them, telling each of them what to do and making them all talk to each other.
Marketing sits above PR, so if I think it needs PR, I’m going to tell you, and if it doesn’t need digital marketing, I’m going to tell you that too.
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More questions
What is a pre-save campaign, and is it worth it?
When should a show announce, and how long should the presale run?
My show sold well and then stopped. Why?
How do I sell tickets to people who aren’t my friends and family?
We’ve never spent money on digital marketing. Why would we, when people find us anyway?
We can’t spend $300 on every show. Does each show need its own ad money?
If I had $10k for a release, how should I spend it?
Should I build a mailing list or run ads?
How much should I spend on ads for a 300-capacity show?
Should a venue market itself all year, or only for its shows?
How do I get people to buy festival tickets early?
What photos and videos does a festival need for its marketing?
Do I need a manager as an independent artist?
How should I roll out an album with a few singles?
Should musicians be on TikTok, and what should I post?
How do I build a brand as a musician?
Why do so few of my followers see my posts?
Do I need a newsletter if I have Instagram?
