PR and Publicity Basics for Musicians

What Publicists Do

A music publicist's job is to get your music in front of journalists, bloggers, playlist curators, and tastemakers. They maintain media relationships, pitch your releases strategically, and handle crisis communications. A good publicist costs $1,000–$5,000 per month or takes a project-based fee of $500–$3,000 per release.

You'll likely see results only if you commit to at least 2–3 months. Publicists earn their fee by leveraging connections that take years to build—relationships with music editors at major publications, hip indie blogs, and influential podcasters.

DIY PR Tactics

You don't need a publicist to start. Build momentum yourself:

• Reach out directly to music bloggers and journalists whose work you admire
• Use SubmitHub to find curators and pitch your music at scale
• Press releases on services like PRLog or eEasyPress (cheap and still indexed by Google News)
• Guest articles on music blogs establish authority and get backlinks
• Podcast appearances give you airtime to your target audience

DIY PR works best for niche audiences and early-stage careers. You'll spend 10+ hours pitching to get what a publicist might close in a few emails, but you'll learn the landscape and build your own relationships.

Building a Media List

Create a spreadsheet of 50–100 blogs, podcasters, and publications your audience already reads:

• Domain name
• Editor/curator contact email
• Last covered music in your genre (date and title)
• Notes on their audience fit

Start with music blogs (Pitchfork, Stereogum, The Needle Drop, Resident Advisor), music journalists on Twitter/X, and genre-specific outlets (e.g., EDM blogs for dance, Exclaim for Canadian rock).

Check Muck Rack or Cision if your budget allows—they aggregate media contacts and track which journalists cover your genre.

When to Hire a Publicist

Hire a publicist when:

• You have budget for a campaign ($2k–$10k minimum)
• You're ready to compete for coverage with other releases in your genre
• You need mainstream press (major publications, TV/radio placements)
• You lack relationships in music media

Skip it if you're still building your fanbase or experimenting with music. Focus on DIY PR and TikTok/YouTube first.