A music publicist handles public and media relations for musicians, working closely with managers, booking agents, and entertainment lawyers. They arrange interviews, release statements, and supervise marketing material. They also decide whether media interviews will benefit the musician’s image and sales. The rise of social media has impacted the role of publicists, with some musicians communicating directly with fans and the media.
Also known as a “spokesperson” or “representative,” a music publicist is a communications professional who handles public and media relations on behalf of a musician or music group. A music publicist usually works closely with a musician’s manager, booking agent, and entertainment lawyers, although some musicians may employ a general manager who fulfills all of these roles at the same time. The main role of a music publicist is to ensure that the overall image the client wants to project is maintained at all times. To further this objective, the publicist will perform tasks such as arranging and supervising interviews, releasing statements to the media, and supervising marketing and communication material that is distributed to the public on behalf of the client.
A music publicist is often the first point of contact for members of the media seeking an interview with a musician. When advertisers are approached by a member of the media for a customer interview, they first consider the medium itself, be it a website, national newspaper, TV show or radio show. The publicist will weigh different factors to determine whether or not the interview will have a positive effect on the musician’s image and sales. Some of these factors include: how many people the media outlet reaches, what its target audience is, and whether the musician is likely to get good press or bad press. The music publicist will also consider factors unrelated to the medium itself, such as whether or not the musician has an upcoming album or tour that could benefit from the interview publicity.
Music publicists often prepare carefully worded statements on behalf of their clients about aspects of their private lives that have become public knowledge, such as a divorce or the birth of a baby. Advertisers can also speak on behalf of their clients when publications and entertainment programs call the advertiser with a specific question. It is up to the music publicist to decide whether or not to make a statement or simply respond with “no comment”. A music publicist also handles requests from charities and other organizations to determine which causes are best suited for the musician to represent.
The age of the Internet and social media has largely impacted the nature of a publicist’s role. Musicians and groups are allowed to communicate with fans and the media more directly and without the intermediary of publicists, writing blog articles, participating in online chats, Twitter and creating YouTube videos. While some musicians still consult their publicists before any form of communication with the public, others take to the Internet on impulse, making statements they may later regret and which require their publicists to implement damage control in public relations.
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