How to Get Press as an Artist

Arts and music coverage is crowded, and the people deciding what runs are busy. A music writer can receive more new releases in a week than anyone could listen to properly. A critic sees a small fraction of the exhibitions that open.

Getting through is less about luck than preparation. Here is how it works.

What arts and music editors cover

Editors are not looking for talented artists. They assume talent. They are looking for something their readers should know about now.

• Releases and shows with a clear idea. A record, an exhibition or a body of work whose concept can be described in a sentence.
• Moments. A debut, a first solo show, a significant commission, a festival slot, a return after a long gap.
• Context. Work connected to something already being discussed — a place, a community, a cultural shift, a news story.
• People. An unusual route into the work, a surprising collaboration, a practice that is genuinely different.

"New single out Friday" is information. Why it matters, and to whom, is the story.

Earned coverage versus paid features

Artists are offered press in several forms, and they are not interchangeable.

Reviews and criticism are the writer's independent judgement. You cannot pay for them, the verdict is not yours to control, and a review may be critical. That independence is exactly why it counts.

Interviews, premieres and editorial features are also the publication's decision, made because the editors think the story suits their readers.

Agency-placed features and profiles are articles about you, written with your input and placed in publications that accept them. Permanent, searchable and useful for explaining your work — but not criticism, and they should never be quoted as if a critic chose you.

Sponsored content is advertising. Some of it is clearly labelled and perfectly legitimate. If a service guarantees a review, ask exactly what is being bought.

Building a press kit editors will use

An editor interested in your work needs to act quickly. Make that easy.

• A short biography in the third person, factual, with the most relevant information first. Leave out adjectives about your own talent.
• High-resolution images — portraits and documentation of the work — clearly credited and cleared for press use.
• The work itself. A private streaming link for music; images and a works list for an exhibition. No unrequested attachments.
• Key facts. Dates, venue or label, location, collaborators, and one line on what the project is about.
• Contact details for someone who replies the same day.

Musicians usually call this an EPK. Visual artists often keep it on a press page. Either way, keep it current.

Pitching writers and critics

Read before you send. Find the writers who have covered work close to yours in recent months, and note what they wrote about and how.

Pitch early. Exhibitions and releases need lead time, and editorial schedules are planned ahead. A pitch that arrives in the week of the opening is usually too late.

Keep the email short: what the work is, when it happens, the one reason it matters, a link, and an offer of an interview or preview. Follow up once, then move on. Silence is the normal response, not a verdict on the work.

Where artists realistically get published

Start where your work has a natural audience, and build from there.

• Local and regional arts coverage, listings and community radio, which are often more open to emerging artists than national titles.
• Specialist blogs, zines and genre publications that follow your scene closely.
• Creative-practice and profile publications such as Artist Weekly and Famous Times, where a feature explains your work to galleries, venues and clients.
• Music and culture mastheads such as Rolling Stone UK and Rolling Stone Australia, which are editorially selective and cover stories with real cultural weight.

Coverage tends to follow coverage. A modest record of published interviews and features makes an editor at a larger title more comfortable taking a chance.

Digital Networking Agency writes and places features for artists and musicians, and pitches editorial titles where a story fits. We say which route each piece uses before anything is written, and we do not promise reviews. See PR for artists for how we work.

Using coverage once you have it

A published piece does most of its work after the week it runs.

• Put it where decisions are made. Your website, EPK or portfolio, and the applications you send to galleries, venues, festivals, residencies and funders.
• Quote accurately. Pull a line from a review only if it says what you imply, and credit the writer and the publication.
• Label it honestly. Call a profile a profile and an interview an interview. Describing a placed feature as a review is the fastest way to lose the trust it bought you.
• Keep the writer in mind. A short thank-you, and a brief note when your next project is genuinely ready, is welcome. A stream of updates is not.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pay for reviews?

No. A paid review is not criticism, and presenting it as one damages your credibility with exactly the people you want to reach. Paid features are a different product and should be described as such.

Do I need a publicist to get reviewed?

Not necessarily. Plenty of writers accept direct pitches from artists. A publicist helps with relationships, timing and volume, but the work and the story still decide the outcome.

How far ahead should I pitch a release or exhibition?

Several weeks at minimum, and longer for print and larger titles. Plan the press timeline alongside the release or opening date, not after it is fixed.