Getting coverage of one’s music on music blogs and websites is an important part of reaching new fans and keeping older fans excited. Unfortunately there’s not a master list of who to contact to get your music featured because every musician needs to focus on writers who will appreciate what they do. Here are a few tips for identifying the right music bloggers for outreach and making initial contact with a long term perspective.
I was included in a recent Musician’s Blogging Summit, a roundup of advice for musicians in response to the question, “What are the secrets of entertaining blogging that gets attention?”
Though that’s a question worth considering, I’ve actually been getting more questions about identifying blogs that accept music submissions for possible review. But music blogs are so genre and niche specific that you can’t just make up a top list like Music Biz Blogs though The Hype Machine’s Index of Music Blogs is a good starting point. Below are some quick tips for finding and contacting music bloggers.
5 Tips for Identifying & Connecting With Music Bloggers
1) Identify writers not blogs. Writers at blogs with multiple authors tend to have specialties. Target your outreach accordingly. Ask permission to send key news such as releases or tours.
2) Search Google for coverage of bands similar to yours, not famous bands but bands at or a few levels above your visibility. Target blogs and writers that cover those bands favorably.
3) Check the sidebars of relevant blogs for lists of related blogs. Sometimes a blogger that seems uninterested will open up when you appear on a blog or other site they follow.
4) When you send intro or update emails include links to other media coverage, especially newsier items, and to online resources for quick reference. Make it easy to find pics and related content for use as needed by bloggers.
5) Please don’t send giant attachment files. Provide a link that does not expire to a downloadable file that doesn’t require one to wait for a free download.
Developing relationships with writers is an ongoing process. Focus on building for the long term rather than basing success or failure on the amount of coverage for an isolated event.
Via Hypebot
