Music PR Agency

A music PR agency gets musicians, bands and their releases written about in the music and culture publications that fans, promoters, bookers and labels read, so that a search for your name shows credible coverage alongside your streaming profiles. Music PR is the work of finding the story behind the songs, writing it to a publication's standard and placing it around the moments that matter in a release cycle, whether you are an independent artist releasing your first single or an established act announcing a tour.

Why press works for musicians

More music is released than anyone could ever hear. A new listener who finds one of your tracks will often search your name to decide whether you are worth following, and what they find shapes that decision.

Press gives your music context. A feature about where you come from, what a record is about or how it was made turns a stranger into someone who cares about the next release. It also gives you material to use: quotes for your bio and press kit, links for your website and features to share with fans.

The industry checks too. Promoters, festival bookers, managers and labels look at an artist's coverage before replying to an email, and a set of credible features tells them people are paying attention.

What a music PR agency does

• Finds the story. Not "new single out Friday", but the reason the song exists and the person behind it.
• Writes it to the publication's standard. A feature or interview that reads like the music title it appears in.
• Places it. Matching the story to publications your listeners and the industry actually read, and managing the process through to a live link.
• Times it. Lining coverage up with singles, albums, videos and tours, so each stage of a campaign has something new to point to.
• Builds your press kit. Features you can quote and link in your bio and pitches for the rest of your career.

The stories that work in music

The strongest music stories are about people and places, not release dates.

• The record. What it is about, what was happening in your life when you wrote it and what you were trying to do differently.
• The making. Production choices, instruments, collaborators and the studio or bedroom where it came together.
• The scene. The city, community or genre you come from, and what it is like inside it right now.
• The independent route. Running your own label, building a following directly and doing it without a large team behind you.
• Live and touring. What happens on the road, how a show is built and why playing live matters to you.

Reviews are different. At staff-written titles a review is entirely the newsroom's decision, so no honest agency can promise one. What we can do is make sure your story is well told and reaches the right desks.

Where we place musicians

We work across music, culture and entertainment publications whose readers follow new artists — including Music Observer, EARMILK, Clash Magazine, Artist Weekly and LA Weekly.

For the bigger names, such as Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone UK and Rolling Stone Australia, each publication page explains honestly how coverage happens there and what is realistic. We tell you where we are pitching and why before anything is written, and we match the title to your genre and audience.

How to choose a music PR agency

Whether you are looking at music PR firms in London, Los Angeles, New York or Nashville, ask each one the same questions:

• Which publications, specifically? Music titles are often genre-specific, and a vague answer usually means a vague result.
• Who writes the piece? You want writers who understand your genre and can describe your music without clichés.
• Do I approve everything before it goes live? The answer should be yes, every time.
• What are you promising? Be wary of anyone promising reviews or coverage they do not control. Our guide on how to vet a PR agency explains what to check.

If you also work in visual art or other creative fields, our page on PR for artists covers that side, and our guide on building a personal brand with press covers the longer view.

What music PR costs

It depends on the publications, how many features you need and how long the campaign runs around your release. We quote each musician individually rather than selling a fixed package. For a full picture of how agencies charge, see how much a PR agency costs.

How it works

Share your music, your story and your release plans. We develop the angle, write the piece to the publication's standard, and manage the placement. You review and revise until it is right, and nothing publishes without your approval.

Frequently asked questions

What is music PR?

It is the work of getting musicians and their releases covered in the publications fans and the industry read: finding the story, writing features and interviews, and placing them around singles, albums and tours.

Do independent musicians need a PR agency?

Not always, but it helps once you have music out and a story to tell. Coverage gives new listeners context, gives bookers and labels something to check, and gives you quotes and links for your press kit.

When should musicians start PR before a release?

Well before release day. Coverage takes weeks rather than days to go live, so the story and the first features should be in progress while the record is still being mastered.