When Should Musicians Write a Press Release?

There are a number of different reasons why musicians should write a press release. Press releases may sound like something only for big corporations. The truth is that any company or artist who wants to spread the word about all they have to offer could see excellent results with the help of press releases.

What is a press release?

A press release is used to connect with journalists and other media representatives in order to share important information.

Typical reasons why a musician would publish a press release would be:

• Playing at live events such as a concert
• A new single release
• A new album release
• A new award received

and so on.

Press releases can be published on a distribution website. Busy media representatives use them to get ideas for new stories. Anyone searching for music-related content could find your press release and share your information with their audience. This can lead to more traffic, subscribers, sales, and shares. No matter what genre of music you create, you can build your audience with the help of press releases.

Here’s a simple formula for success:

• It needs to be real news

Press releases can help with sales, but they are not ads. Your press release should report something new and noteworthy that journalists will get excited about and be willing to share with their readers.

• The date, city, and state

Inserting the date will show journalists how fresh the news is. The city and state will help you get local media coverage.

• A strong headline

It should grab attention and create some sense of excitement.

• A powerful subheadline

The subheadline supports the headline and summarizes the main point of the press release. Both headline and subhead will be visible in the distribution service interface, so make them interesting enough for journalists to want to read on.

• The first paragraph

In journalism, the formula for writing any news story is known as the 5Ws. It is a checklist to ensure you don’t leave out any important information:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

For a live performance, your main facts would look like this:

1. Who-Rory McKay
2. What-Her new album
3. When-September 1, 2018
4. Where-SoundCloud
5. Why-This talented musician is releasing 12 new songs on this new album. Visit to preview the songs and download exclusive free content

• Your musical biography

Include what instruments you play, what kind of music you write, and a summary of your career so far. Mention awards, previous albums and singles, and where they can buy your music.

• Contact information

This section includes your name or that of a contact person, phone number, email address, and URL where journalists can go to find more information.

• Include media

Images can help you get more media pickups. Send photos of yourself and your cover art, audio files of your songs, and videos of you performing.

• Provide a call to action

Give your readers an action to do in order to help measure the success of your press release. Send them to a special page for a free download of a song, to preview the album, and so on.

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278

Anthony Santiago

Anthony Santiago is Director of Marketing at Newswire. With over a decade of experience in PR, he helps ensure that clients understand the value of brand messaging and reach.