8 Fail-Proof Tips for Writing an Album Press Release That Music Journalists Won’t Ignore
It can be tough for bands to break through the noise, so here are 8 fail-proof album press release strategies I’ve developed based on my 10+ years in the music industry as a journalist, curator, marketer, and artist manager.
1. Use Vague But Impressive Phrases At Least Once Per Paragraph
Such as: “highly-anticipated”, “innovative songwriting”, “a palette of exquisitely crafted sound”, “garnering buzz in the blogosphere”, and “has already conquered club charts worldwide.”
2. Include Spotify Streaming Stats
Take your age, multiply it by itself, multiply that number by itself, and then multiply that number by itself. This is now your number of streams on Spotify.*
*Note: the higher the number, the less likely it’ll be fact-checked!
3. Acronyms Are Your Friend
Use acronyms like RIYL or LOLWTF followed by a list of 3 bands that are more popular than you.
4. Quotes From Tastemakers
Collect quotes from 5-star reviews of your favorite ramen restaurant on Yelp, and add — (important editorial person), (major music publication) after each one.
5. Awards
Close your eyes, put your finger on a random word, put an Ⓡ symbol next to it and add “award-winning” after it.
6. Define Your Genre
You are 86% more likely to be featured in Pitchfork and Noisey if your genre is a hyphenation of a mythical creature and a type of dwelling; i.e. witch-house, yeti-yurt, or troll-shack.
7. Attention-Grabbing Email Subject Line
Music journalists can get hundreds of press releases a week, so make sure you WRITE YOUR EMAIL SUBJECT LINE IN ALL CAPS AND ADD RE: AT THE BEGINNING
8. Name-Drop
When in doubt, name-drop Kanye West, Kanye West’s producer, Kanye West’s manicurist, Kanye West’s gardener, Kanye West’s middle school janitor, and/or Kanye West’s Kanye West bobblehead.
Hope that helps! Leave a comment to let me know how these strategies worked for you, or if you have any other strategies to add to this list. ❤
