Music Publicist? What for?
By Michael Hernandez | November 17, 2021
I’m very often asked by my co-workers about what I'm going to school for. I’ve come to find that most people including my parents have no idea as to what exactly my career choice means. So here is the simplicity of it.
The music industry consists of many talented individuals who are trying to find their sound and path to success all while trying to stand out among their peers. It is a competitive field that requires strategic arrangements that revolves around tactics in marketing, promotion, and public relations. A music publicist is someone with the necessary set of skills needed to give their artist a push towards the right direction. Essentially, a music publicist will run the press and media side of marketing campaigns. They will have contacts and relationships with press outlets. A good music publicist is versatile in online promotion,tour/event promotion, consulting, radio promotion, and international promotion. They are someone who handles the media and public relations aspect on behalf of a musical entity. A music publicist is responsible for ensuring that their artist is seen and heard by the media. They are the frontline guards of their clients’ personal and brand image. Music publicists are generally marketing experts and can assist with developing a voice and an image of their clients’ brand. They are the brand protectors. Most artists will confabulate with their publicist before engaging in any type of communication with the public or media. The music publicist usually collaborates with the artist’s booking agent, manager, and lawyer to ensure that the artist's image is always favorable and maintained. A good publicist will let their client know when their image is in need of work. They know what the media and public like and will help the artist advance their career.
A publicist performs various tasks with many boxes to check off. Their job description extends beyond just making their client look good as many people tend to think. The nice part of PR is that every business needs a PR specialist. There is always someone who is in need of these services.
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Author’s Bio: Michael Hernandez is a senior at California State University Northridge majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Pop Culture. Since childhood, he has had hopes and dreams of working within the entertainment industry in both film and music. He currently aspires to be a music publicist and hopes to start his own record label one day. He is currently interning for a new talent agency and doing PR for The Independent 88.5.