What is a press release for music? It's an official statement distributed to the media to announce newsworthy music-related events. The purpose of a music press release is to capture the attention of music journalists, bloggers, and influencers and to get media coverage around a new album, artist signing, or concert tour.
Crafting a music press release follows a similar structure to crafting a standard one, with a few additional considerations to bear in mind.
We’ll walk you through the steps for how to write a press release for music and point you to some music press release examples.
Looking to create a music press release?
Use Prowly's AI press release generator or templates that you can use for free to easily create your own in a format that journalists expect to receive.
Prowly also lets you find relevant journalists and send out your press release to them directly from the platform.
When to write a music press release
Before writing a single word, you should check if a new music press release is warranted.
You should write a press release for music when:
- You're announcing a new album release: Whenever an artist or band releases a new album, a press release should be crafted and distributed to generate excitement and inform fans and the media about the new music.
- You're promoting a concert or music festival: Before a concert or music festival, a good press release can generate publicity, attract the audience, and provide necessary details like date, location, and line-up.
- You want to introduce a new artist or band: A press release can help launch new artists into the music scene, providing essential information about them and their music.
- You need to highlight a big achievement or milestone: Whether an artist wins an award, reaches a sales milestone, or celebrates an anniversary, a press release can share these achievements with the public.
- You want to share updates about a music project or collaboration: If an artist is involved in a unique project or collaboration, a press release can effectively keep fans and media in the loop.
However, while all of these events give you the go-ahead to write a press release, the key will be to give the announcement an angle that makes it more than a statement of details. It needs to tell a story.
So, identify what the story is first. For example, it can be about how a personal event inspired the album or the challenges the musician had to overcome to record the album.
How to write a music press release
Music press release format
As we mentioned, don’t worry that a music industry press release radically differs from what you’re used to.
However, when creating a music press release, it is important to include additional elements specific to the music industry. These may include details about the artist or band, the genre or style of music, notable collaborations, release dates, and any unique aspects of the music production process. To learn more about how to do a press release for music, refer to the best practices we list below:
Step #1 — Include the common elements expected in a press release:
- Headline
- Subheader
- Announcement date and place
- 2-3 body paragraphs, with the most important details in the first paragraph
- A quote from the music artist or record label spokesperson (Keep the language informal and natural, so the journalist can include it in an article without sounding like they lifted it right out of a press release).
→ Read a thorough explanation of each component in our post: How to Write a Press Release (With Tips From PR Pros).
Step #2 — Weave in elements that uniquely make it an album press release or musician press release:
- Brief band or artist history
- Release date for album or ticket sales
- Excerpts from past reviews that lend credibility
- Band or artist photo and logo
- All social media platform handles
Craft a compelling narrative, delving into the lives of the artists. After all, music is an art form that calls for creativity and emotional expression. By infusing your writing with these elements, you'll captivate readers and earn the appreciation of journalists who cover such topics. Embrace individuality and make your story a unique and engaging experience.
Protip: Don’t include attachments. Instead, add links to the artist’s music on streaming platforms. If the artist’s music isn't publicly available, attach links to a private SoundCloud or YouTube channel.
Questions to answer in a music press release
To pique the interest of journalists and music fans alike, it's important to consider a few key questions before putting pen to paper.
- What makes this particular release stand out?
- What inspired the artist to create this music?
- What can listeners expect in terms of sound and themes?
Answering these questions can help ensure that your music artist's press release is informative and engaging, sparking the curiosity of potential listeners and ensuring that your message is heard loud and clear.
Create a music press release with AI
AI-powered tools for PR can help you create high-quality press release drafts, provide advanced editing suggestions, and even recommend who to send your press release to.
While it's worth knowing how to create an effective press release from scratch, using tools can help speed up the process and ensure you've ticked all the boxes when it comes to the format and content that journalists expect to receive.
Read more: Mastering AI Press Releases: Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Sending + Practical Examples
Here’s how to create (and send) a music press release using a tool like Prowly’s AI-powered Press Release Generator.
Step 1: Enter basic details about your music press release
- Start the process by entering the type of your press release.
- Once you select the type, Prowly's AI will ask you to pick your target audience. There are predefined options, such as industry players, customers, or local communities, but you can also add your own.
- Choose the language of your press release draft.
Step 2: Enter key messages about your music press release
Here, you'll want to be as specific as possible and ensure that whatever you choose is the most relevant information.
Here are three key messages that you can include in your music press release:
- New Release Details: Clearly state the album/EP/single title, release date, and streaming platforms.
- Artist and Music Highlights: Provide a brief artist bio, unique selling points, and a description of the music's genre, sound, and themes.
- Upcoming Events and Call to Action: Announce any tours, events, and new merchandise, while encouraging social media engagement and streaming/purchasing the music.
Step 3: Answer the follow-up questions
Once you’ve entered the basic information about your music press release, Prowly’s AI will ask you more in-depth questions designed to mirror a natural conversation with the journalists you’re targeting.
You’ll receive ten questions tailored specifically to the content you shared earlier. This will complete your press release draft and reduce the need to answer many follow-up questions from the person you're pitching to.
Step 4: Customize and edit the press release draft
Whether you've generated a press release draft or written it yourself, you can adjust header font styles, fine-tune the content just like you would in a regular text editor, adjust your press release length, and cater it into a format you're happy with.
An AI Assistant trained in PR writing best practices reviews the draft and suggests improvements based on 11 key criteria, indicating exactly where to edit.
Step 5: Get contact recommendations for your music press release
Prowly’s AI will start suggesting music journalists you can pitch to based on the keywords found in your press release.
As long as you have contact information for the people you want to pitch to, you can always do deeper work and find out about their music interests, what they've written about before, or what they're hooked on at the moment.
Examples of music press releases
Looking for a press release example for music or a press release template for a music artist? Here are some recent examples we found online that we like:
Music event press release example
Music album press release example
Music artist press release example
Music single press release example
Music festival press release example
Music tour press release example
Sample album press release example
Starting with a new music press release example should get the ideas flowing. But, of course, when budget allows, there are music press release companies you can turn to for full-service press release writing as well (although we think you can achieve the same great press release easily with Prowly’s press release creator tool).
P. S. If you need a press release for an artist or art exhibition, here's a step-by-step guide.
Music press release template
No need to wonder how to write a music press release template when you're using Prowly — it's got you covered!
You can get your hands on a music press release sample, but you can speed up the writing process even more with a music press release template free in Prowly.
It has multiple press release templates you can use. The templates include all the important elements that will get your story noticed by journalists and result in media coverage.
How to distribute a music press release
Once you've crafted your press release, the next step is to get it out there and ensure the media picks it up. There are several ways to do it, but some ways greatly improve your odds of securing media coverage.
Pitching your music press release
Pitching relevant media contacts by email is the most effective method for sending out a press release.
While the approach might take a bit more time, it increases the chances of getting awesome press coverage in publications that matter to your industry.
Let’s look at a PR software tool like Prowly. Prowly's media database offers access to a media database with over a million contacts. On top of that, the software creates smart recommendations based on the content of your press releases. With this advantage, you’ll always pitch relevant journalists that are more likely to be interested in your news story.
Over 5000 journalists are covering music, and that's just in the US! You'll find famous media outlets like Rolling Stone Online, Billboard, and Spin.
Why not take a chance and craft a music press release for your cause?
💡If you're seeking more exposure for your press release, explore these 10 ideas on how to effectively promote a press release.
Utilizing email personalization
Your chances of catching a journalist’s attention increase significantly when you write a custom pitch just for them. A personal pitch addresses their typical beat, past articles, and target audience.
That’s why Prowly offers 1:1 email personalization to address that advantage, allowing you to create campaign media lists and craft individual emails when needed. It helps to personalize every aspect of your pitch, from the greeting to the email content and attachments. This level of personalization enhances press coverage, ensuring your music resonates with the right audience.
Following up
That press release is now out in the world, but you wouldn’t be a PR pro if you weren’t focused on the follow-ups. Be considerate in your follow-ups, though, allowing journalists some time to read your first email and staying out of their inbox after a few follow-up emails go unanswered.
Alternative: Using a wire service
Wire services are another common way of distributing a press release, and compared to pitching, this method can be quicker (though more expensive).
You may even find a special music press release distribution service or free music press release distribution website. However, the quality of media hits from a wire service can be lower. Your best bet will always be to contact your media contacts individually.
Conclusion
You’re all set! You know how to determine if a music press release is right for your announcement, what to include, and how to distribute it.
If you still need more support, you can always access the Prowly free trial for templates, a press release creator, and a media database.
