Music University: Managing the Media

Tomorrow  night I'll be part of the Des Moines Music Coalition's Music University: Managing the Media panel at the House of Bricks. Also on the panel with me will be Michael Swanger of Cityview and Marg Hogan of Pitchfork. 

It will include tips on how to stand out from the crowd to attract attention from journalists, along with discussion of press kits and other tips.

I'm sure I'll go over some of this tomorrow, but I thought I'd throw out a few tips now (it's partially just notes for myself).

The type of show matters: I'm far more likely to write about a band if they are playing a CD release show, charity event, or other activity that has a cool angle. It gives the story a nice peg. If it's you play the corner bar every Friday night, it's not quite as interesting to write about.

Advance notice helps: Today we are mapping out the budget for our Nov. 25 issue. To be on my radar for that, an email about five weeks before your show is a good thing. Not that you should give up hope if you didn't get word to me far enough in advance. A band could still end up in our Top Shows section, Music News or this blog. Sometimes interviews fall through and I'm scrambling for a last minute replacement, so don't give up hope.

Be careful with photos: If I'm writing about your band, I'm going to want a high resolution photo, but if you're just inquiring about an interview and included a 10mb pic, you've probably filled up my account and made it impossible to send emails. That may make a reporter remember your band's name, but not in a good way. A Sonicbids account with high res photos there is a good idea.

One album will do it: Sometimes I get bands sending me 3+ copies of the same album. Save the other two to sell at shows. They just end up piled on my desk for too long. I'll usually just rip your album and listen to it on my iPod anyway, so a site where I can download some MP3s works just as well.

Ending up on the cover of Juice: Juice has been around for nearly five years, and I believe we're getting ready to put our 10th band on the cover. Your best bet is playing GDP, Little BIG Fest or headlining 80/35. CD release show? Not as likely.