If you’re looking to get music press coverage of your release, upcoming show or new video over here in the U.K. (where we’re based), the very first thing to note is quite simply: you need to let people know! Why spend all that time, effort and creativity making your record if you aren’t going to allow yourself the best opportunity to have it heard and perhaps written about?
The next question is, how do you do that? This may not be a newsflash, but you aren’t going to hook any music press interest by just sending a message saying “Hi, I’m an artist and I’m releasing a new record.” That’s not enough. So let’s get into it!
Write a biography. Share what made you want to create music in the first place, who your influences are, how you like to record, rehearse, write — anything that you think makes you and your release different and special enough to be taken notice of. Make the press want to know more about you, make it interesting, don’t let them scroll past your hard work. You deserve to give yourself the best chance at some editorial coverage, right?
When your bio is done (we can help if you need us to) and you have your photos, cover artwork and release date set, think about making one or two of the tracks available for listening. Streamed links are good — The Orchard has a handy Press Kit tool in the Marketplace (where you can also find us) which is an easy way to get this organised. Writers really need to have access to the actual music so think about a strong lead track to grab their attention and make them want to hear more.
Now the fun bit — let’s spread the word! Get these bits of information together and over to us (or your PR). If you’re aiming for coverage in print press (magazines and newspapers such as Uncut, Mojo, DJ, NME, The Guardian, Time Out etc.), you’ll need to tell writers your news way in advance of the release date for it to have a chance of being written about in an edition that will coincide. Up to 12 weeks ahead is advisable. For online press targets, you’ll still need to work with a lead of around 4-6 weeks which is long enough for most sites to commission any interviews, features or reviews. If you don’t have this amount of time to wait, some blogs and sites update on a daily basis, so there’s always someone to share your news with.
Remember, to have the best chance to win some column inches, plan as much as you can — preparation is truly key. We wish you all the best from Naked Press!
Naked Press can be found in The Orchard Marketplace. Find out more about them in this introductory blog post or on their one-sheet.
