music PR, in six questions.

you made the record. now people have to hear about it. a release reaches them through five kinds of work:

• public relations: reviews, features and interviews.
• radio and playlist promotion.
• social media.
• live shows.
• advertising.

PR is the one where somebody else says it. an ad is you talking. a review is a writer talking. that is what a booker, a label and a new listener look for when they look you up, and it is what a Wikipedia article is built from.

a publicist runs a press campaign for your release. with us that means:

• a media list built for this record: trades, consumer press, radio shows that run interviews, podcasts and the outlets that cover your genre.
• the press release, written and sent.
• the record serviced to the list, as links and as files, and as discs where an outlet asks for one.
• pitching for features, interviews, reviews, premieres, performance slots and year-end roundups.
• interview scheduling and every media inquiry answered.
• tour press in each market around your dates.
• a report every week: who was pitched, who replied, what is scheduled.
• the clippings file at the end: every piece that ran, with its link and date.
• one contact for the whole engagement: Raine, the founder, by text, DM or email.

we run campaigns in jazz, smooth jazz, R&B, adult pop, world music, new age and Americana. the press campaign page lays it out month by month.

start with the size your budget fits.

• nothing to spend: do it yourself. the press release template, the EPK checklist and the press guide are free.
• $500: one announcement. we write the release and send it.
• $1,500: one podcast booking, guaranteed.
• $1,500 to $7,500: the full campaign, 3 months at $500 to $2,500 a month.

what a publicist adds is the list, the pitch and the follow-up, every week. the outlets say how much reaches them: Bandcamp Daily counts about 1,000 pitches a week, and SoulTracks says it covers 2 or 3 submissions a day. both are in the outlets' own rules.

yes, for one announcement. a single does not need three months. it needs the news written once and sent to the outlets that cover your genre: the press release, $500.

the same release then does four more jobs:

• the one-sheet that goes to radio with the record.
• the news post on your site and your socials.
• the email to your list.
• the first draft of your bio.

pitch Spotify's editors yourself. it is free, it goes through Spotify for Artists, and Spotify asks for it at least 7 days before release. the guide has the source.

a monthly fee for a campaign, and a fixed price for a single announcement. ours:

• campaign: $500 to $2,500 a month, 3-month minimum, a monthly retainer. the fee is set by the size of the campaign and given to you in writing before you start.
• single announcement: $500, written and sent.

start a campaign 2 to 3 months before the release date. a single's release is sent close to its release date. what other firms print for their fees is in the cost guide.

• the publicist who runs our press campaigns has announced 143 releases since 2015. see every one.
• every price is on the page. you know the cost before you write to us.
• you see the work every week: who was pitched, who replied, what is scheduled.
• what we control, we guarantee. podcast bookings, the Wikipedia article and the Google knowledge panel: you get them, or you get your money back.
• we never pay an outlet for coverage.
• press, podcasts, your press kit and your name in search, from one firm.
• we are in New York, and a person answers your text.

for a campaign, text us, DM us on Instagram at @rainemusic._, or email johnraine@studioraine.art.