Why hire a publicist?
by Gail Wein
President, Classical Music Communications, Inc.
Why publicize your CD or concert?
A publicity campaign can reap rewards, such as generating reviews from which you can pull quotes for acclaim.
A publicity campaign puts your name and your product in front of taste-makers multiple times over the course of a campaign. Even the journalists who do not cover your album have now seen your name, and are now more familiar with you and your work, paving the way for your next concert or recording
A publicity campaign takes time, and following up with individual media contacts is most time consuming of all. In order to stay on top of a journalist who shows interest but doesn’t follow through, a publicist will often follow up multiple times over weeks or months if necessary.
Even though there are now many sources for music online – from Spotify and Pandora to YouTube and Facebook, broadcast radio is still the most effective medium for bringing recorded music to ears. There are hundreds of radio stations airing classical music across the United States, serving millions of listeners. Just the two major classical radio stations in New York and Los Angeles themselves reach nearly one million listeners each week.
Why hire Classical Music Communications?
Gail Wein has a unique perspective in the music industry: A view from the other side. As a former classical music critic for The Washington Post, radio host and producer for NPR national programs, and writer of liner notes for CDs including a triple-Grammy winner, she thoroughly understands the inner workings of media and the personalities who make editorial decisions.
Gail Wein knows how to catch the attention of journalists, because as a journalist herself, she has been the recipient of these emails, press releases and phone calls from publicists.
Gail Wein knows what a music director’s desk at a radio station looks like, because she was that music director. She knows how to prevent your package from being buried in a pile of mail.
CMC creates a professional press kit: everything a journalist may need to prepare for an interview or write a review, all in one place: Bio, hi-res downloadable photos, video, acclaim, press clips and digital album materials.
The team at CMC is constantly monitoring and studying industry trends to create the most compelling and eye-catching materials.
CMC prepares a professional looking physical package for mailings, with cogent, attractive materials that show off the best and most interesting aspects of your recording, answering the question for the journalist, “Why should I care?”.
While an individual artist could look up media contacts and reach out to press on their own, CMC has a list of over 500 contacts across North America who cover music in print, online journals, blogs and radio stations. And Gail Wein has a personal relationship with many of these.
CMC understands our media contacts’ personal and professional preferences. For example, CMC knows who to mail a physical CD to, and who prefers digital material; and which publications and individuals are interested in specific aspects of a project such as new music, early music, piano, etc.
Content creation: CMC conducts an “Insider Interview” with each client, revealing much more information and more personality than a bio could relay.
How does publicity work?
Even before the official publicity campaign begins, CMC will have spent considerable time with your materials, determining compelling pitches and identifying aspects of your promo materials that could be improved.
Once the campaign has begun, CMC gathers your promo materials (rewriting if necessary), and creates a professional press kit and webpage on ClassicalMusicCommunications.com.
After identifying potential markets and hooks, CMC writes and transmits the press release.
For CD publicity: The press release is augmented by physical CD mailings to key outlets, accompanied by a custom-designed one-sheet for the album.
For concert publicity: CMC submits performance information to national and regional concert calendars; pitches concert reviews to critics in the region; and pitches preview articles and interviews to relevant media outlets.
Over the course of the publicity campaign, CMC follows up with key contacts, continually refreshing and refining hooks.
CMC coordinates all press relations, including setting up interviews, providing press materials, and coordinating promotion with the record label and/or concert presenter.
In the process of arranging an interview, CMC prepares the journalist by providing bio, photos and other material, and suggested interview questions if needed.
CMC will prepare the artist for excellent interviews if desired, to assist in achieving the most articulate expression of thoughts and ideas. Preparation includes guidance on talking points, and practice sessions in advance of the interview.