How To Get Local Media Coverage For Your Music|Promolta

Local media offers several avenues, such as newspapers, radio, podcasts and blogs for music marketing and promotion.

Want to know how to get local media coverage for your band?

Follow these four quick ways to get media attention:

1. Have a newsworthy story to get local media coverage

Local reporters are constantly on the lookout for newsworthy stories. “Local musician releases a brand new album”, is not a good enough story for editors. It is important to have a unique or interesting angle to attract local media coverage. Give reporters a story they cannot resist writing.

Below are a few interesting angles you can adopt to sell your story:

Call local media outlets for an exclusive if you are releasing a new music video. Local reporters are always looking for exclusives and would be thrilled to release new content through their channels first.
Reach out to local media outlets when there is a change in the band line-up. Journalists and editors are always on the lookout for controversial content. A break-up story would be an attractive story idea.
Inform the local press when you are performing to raise funds for a cause. Charitable efforts are often covered by the local media.
Send out press releases when you sign a new sponsorship deal, sign an agreement with a major record label or booking agency, win a prestigious award or embark on a tour.

The number of story angles is limitless. The goal is to provide a newsworthy story to attract local media coverage.

2. Write a good press release

Keep your music press release short and concise. You have to convey all the vital information in a clear engaging manner.

Follow the below format when writing a press release:

First paragraph: The introduction of your press release should cover the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? of the music you are promoting. The goal is to provide all the vital information in the first paragraph. If readers choose to skip the rest of the press release, they should still get the gist. Use a few punchy sentences to grab attention.

Second paragraph: Write a brief description of your band and music. Provide a couple of comparisons with other artists to give the reader an insight into your work. Additionally, highlight the newsworthiness of your press release. Use this paragraph to give all the information required to tell your story.

Third paragraph: The closing paragraph should reiterate the newsworthiness of your story. In addition, provide essential contact details. Include links to your website and social media accounts. Also, tell the reader where they can get more information and promotional material.

Use templates to format your press release. Keep it short and to the point.

Below is a press release announcing Coldplay’s new single ‘Hymn For The Weekend’.

3. Email your press release to local media outlets

Send your press release to the right people. Research media outlets to find contact details of music editors, program directors, bloggers or podcast hosts. Address the email to each contact by their name.

Follow the below tips when crafting your email pitch:

Write a strong email subject line to grab attention. Journalists are more likely to open your email if the subject line is interesting or catchy.
Write a brief introductory paragraph followed by a link to your music on BandCamp or SoundCloud. Also include links to your YouTube videos and other social media accounts.
Do not attach the press release to your email. Attachments, especially in the form of PDFs, make it difficult to extract information. It also takes time to download. Therefore, just copy and paste the press release in the body of the email.
Include quality pictures in the email. Send a JPEG image file that is at least 500 KB to print media outlets. In case of online publications, email web-ready images. Additionally, you can provide a link to websites such as Flickr and allow journalists to download original band photos.
Send your email pitch at least 4 weeks in advance if you are promoting a gig or an event.

Include everything that media outlets need in your email. Journalists are not going to chase you for additional information. Therefore, cover all bases before hitting send.

4. Follow up with local media outlets

Follow up with media outlets a couple of weeks after emailing your pitch. Keep an eye on all the publications to see if your story has been featured. You can connect with journalists and program directors on social media to avail response. You need to be persistent and have a positive attitude to get local media coverage.

Local media coverage is great to promote your music in the local scene. However, to get your foot in the door requires spending hours writing a good press release and sending hundreds of emails to journalists and program directors. Follow the above tips to successfully get local media coverage for your music.

Interested in getting your YouTube video discovered by masses of targeted fans? Click this link: www.promolta.com

Manasa Boggaram is a writer and has a strong passion for music, positive news and constructive journalism. When she is not researching story ideas or writing blog posts, she spends her time reading books, discovering new music and eating lots of street food.