An Artist’s Guide to Finding a Music Publicist: Tips on Choosing the Right PR Firm

It’s easy to invest in something you can achieve instantaneous results with, but with PR it’s more of a long game that’s equally as important. There are a lot of publicists out there that would be a good t but you want to nd someone who is the perfect t for you.

First, you want to make sure you nd a publicist that you vibe well with. You need to make sure you get along with the person representing your brand. You both need to have a mutual understanding of the objective you are trying to achieve and this will help make a strong PR campaign.

You should also check out the type of clients they work with or have worked with in the past. You want to make sure they have worked with artists in the same genre as your music so they understand the avenues of how to promote it. Also don’t discredit PR rms who have only worked with indie or emerging artists. Check out the success they have had with them, which is the most important part. Keep in mind that it is really difcult to get emerging artists Billboard, MTV, Alternative Press or Rolling Stone features. If the rm advertises that they have connections with these media outlets, don’t expect they can denitely get you placements with them. The fact that they HAVE these connections and they can try is what you should consider

Don’t be afraid to ask for some case studies from the PR rm you are considering hiring. These will show you the objectives of the campaign, what the PR rm worked on and the results they achieved. Remember that PR rms can only control what they are able to do on their end. Checking out case studies is far better than seeing how the artist/ band is doing now. The artist/ band could have slacked off, aren’t consistent in posting on social media or haven’t released anything new in a year. Case studies are truly the best way to determine what the PR rm is capable of doing for you.

A huge part of choosing the right PR rm is guring out what type of budget you have to work with. Most medium sized companies will likely charge around $1,000 to $1500 USD per month for an album campaign and require a 3 month commitment. Some smaller rms just starting out might fall closer to $500 per month, while the much larger rms will be $3,000 per month and up. Promoting a single versus a full album is also a big factor into how much the PR rm will charge. It’s best to reach out directly to the PR rm you are considering hiring to nd out what their rate is.

Consider a PR rm that is in the same life stage as you. If you’re an emerging artist just starting out, you might want a smaller company that’s still building their contacts but is going to be a lot cheaper as a result, and you can grow together. Don’t underestimate how hungry young PR rms are and how hard they’ll work for you. If you’re a few years in, maybe you want a medium size PR rm who works with emerging bands but has had higher tier placements with a bit more experience and stronger connections within the industry. Just remember to not discount smaller rms thinking they aren’t a good t. Smaller rms, about 1-5 people, are more likely to be hands on with your campaign.

Lastly, it’s important to be realistic with your expectations of the results you are hoping for with a PR campaign. Don’t expect your 5,000 followers or monthly listeners to skyrocket into the 100,000’s in a three month period.

The right publicist should be someone who believes wholeheartedly in your music, your message, has worked within your genre and seen success (no matter their level of experience), and will work hard to expose your music to the world.