Summer in the US is almost here, and touring musicians are preparing to tour. Tour press is an element that has changed significantly.
This excerpt from Ariel’s latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Music Publicity, will refresh your knowledge of tour press for those of you looking to garner some publicity on the road.
Seeking Publicity Placements
These last few years saw the demise of many newspaper stands and publications that shuttered. Because of this, seeking placements may look very different than it used to.
Acquire Tour Press Lists
If you are lucky enough to be touring this summer, acquire a press list from every club you’re performing at. As soon as you book a gig, ask the promoter for the club’s press list. Before performing, there should be publicity surrounding the event 6-8 weeks before each show. Having a press list will reduce the amount of work you have to do significantly. A press list will save you from having to conduct all the research before each show.
If there are a significant number of publications in any given market, ask your club owner, booker, or promoter who they think will most likely cover you. They are the best people to ask about this because they know the local writers and tastemakers who regularly come to their venue. If the venue has an in-house publicist or marketing team ask to connect with them. An in-house team could be a great help to you because they’ll be familiar with the media.
Bandsintown
If you don’t already have an account, now is definitely the time to go on Bandsintown. This free site tracks concerts and shows and shares these dates with fans. You can manually or automatically add all your shows onto your account for fans to easily find. All your fans and followers on Bandsintown will stay up to date on new events, announcements, and new music releases.
Build your following on Bandsintown by sharing your events landing page on social media and in newsletters (if you have one). Be sure to post your livestreams on there as fans can also tune into those concerts through the site. If you have a specific audience in mind, you can geo-target your fans so they can get a notification when you play in their area.
Tour Press Results
You’re not likely to see any results the first few times you play a market. If you’re new to tour press and worried about not having gotten coverage the first time around, keep sending information. Every time you play in that same area, reach out to those same publicists you did last time. The more a writer sees you over time, the more likely they are to write about you. It may take a few tours through each market, but I feel confident knowing I’ve yet to meet a writer who ignores several pitches sent from the same band repeatedly.
Tour press campaigns should be planned 4-6 weeks before each show. You’ll need to alert calendar editors and local press with plenty of advance notice.
Want more amazing tips and tricks on summer touring post-pandemic? Purchase The Ultimate Guide to Music Publicity today for only $7.
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