As a musician, artist, or band, you want to generate trdiaction and buzz, especially around your new music releases, performances, and tours. This is especially important if you’re a DIY band, an artist without a manager or label, or anytime your budget is tight.
One of the best ways to do that is to write and distribute a press release.
Table of Contents
- What is a Music Press Release?
- Why Should Musicians Issue Press Releases?
- When Would You Want to Issue a Press Release for Your Music?
- Newsworthy Events an Artist can announce with a Press Release
- Press Release Template & How to Write your Press Release
- Music Press Release Examples
- Distributing Your Press Release
- What Are You Announcing? Examples and Templates by Type of Press Release
- Press Release Examples Across Several Industries
What is a Music Press Release?
A music press release is a short document that outlines the key information a reporter needs to know to cover a newsworthy event about your music or band.
It can be digital or printed and should be sent to reporters, media personalities, influencers, bloggers, and others who cover news about your music genre.
You should be aware of two things
- The industry doesn’t differentiate between the term “music press release” and any other type of press release. To them, it’s all news.
- You may have heard a press release described as a news release or a media release. Though technically, there are differences, for practical purposes, they’re the same thing. I suggest you call yours a press release.
Why Should Musicians Issue Press Releases?
Simply stated, a press release, when it gets picked up and run in the media, can generate huge attention, awareness, deals, listens, and sales for musicians. They’re easy to write (or we can write one for you), and inexpensive to distribute. Frankly, music press releases are a must-use promotional tool in any musician’s or band’s toolbox.
When Would You Want to Issue a Press Release for Your Music?
The most important thing to remember about press releases is the purpose of a press release is to communicate news to the media so they will hopefully write a story about you.
Press releases are perfect for issuing whenever you have something newsworthy to report. Just be careful, though, that you don’t send out a press release unless you’ve got something newsworthy – doing so wastes the journalists’ time and causes them to ignore your real news when it comes out. Just because you haven’t sent out a press release in awhile is not a sufficient reason to send out another one.
Here are some newsworthy events a typical band or artist may want to send out a press release to announce:
- Release of a new album or single
- Announcing a new tour
- Release of a new website
- Significant sales achievement (gold album, 1 million Spotify downloads, etc.)
- Personnel changes (new manager, new lead singer, etc.)
- Receipt of awards (CMA award, etc.)
- Band name or genre change
- Specific concert dates and times sent to the media covering the local market where you will be performing
- Etc.
Press Release Examples – Music
I bet you would like to see some examples of press releases from people in the music industry. Great, here are a few:
- Music press release announcing the digital release of a new single
- Press release announcing musician adding to the band for a Broadway musical
- Music press release announcing the formation of a new music website
- Concert venue press release announcing music concert date
- Example press release announcing album release and concert tour
- University media release announcing the release of an album recorded by and featuring their student groups
- Example music press release for the 25th anniversary of the release of a best-selling album
- Music label press release announcing the signing of a new band
- Press release announcing newly release of newly remastered/remixed album and box set
- Press release announcing the band’s name change
- Music press release announcing a performance of a newly-commissioned piece
- Music management company press release announcing the signing of a new artist
- Press release announcing 100,000 downloads on Spotify
Press Release Template
Ready to write your own press release to promote your music? Excellent, here’s a free template download that will help you get started:
Free Press Release Template Download
How to Format Your Press Release
The template link above gives you a great, free press release template in Microsoft Word format.
Your press release should contain:
- A release date – the earliest date this information can be released to the public, oftentimes “For Immediate Release”
- A headline
- A dateline (when and where the story originated)
- The body of the press release
- Complete media contact information
- And three hash marks at the bottom (# # #) that state, in journalistic terms, ‘THE END.’
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide to writing a press release, including:
- Formatting your press release
- How to write a great headline for your release
- How to craft the body of your press release
- How to appropriately add quotes to your press release
- How to close your release for maximum effect
- How to avoid SEO penalties and other issues with your media release
- Specific examples of do’s and don’ts to help you create a powerful, successful press release
Still nervous about your ability to write a great press release? Let us write it for you!
Distributing Your Press Release
OK, now you’ve created your press release, how do you get it into the hands of the media?
You can literally spend days gathering the contact information of every reporter, influencer, blogger, and media personality that reports on your type of music and may be willing to change your life by writing a story about your music and band.
And, that list will probably be about 60% accurate. And it will change next week.
Then you’ve got to figure out how to physically send it out to all of them. (That’s no small feat either, trust me, that’s what we do for a living!)
Or, you could just let us do it for you.
eReleases.com is the #1 distributor of press releases for small businesses. Why? Because we:
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Have over 1.7 million journalists and social media influencers in our database
Organized by coverage areas, topics, and other key factors. We will hand-select those journalists from that list who are most likely to engage with your release and write about you!
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Distribute your release through PR Newswire
The oldest, and best, nationwide press release newswire. We are the only full-exposure partner of PR Newswire, meaning that we are the only company who can get your release delivered to PR Newswire’s complete nationwide network of reporters.
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Send your press release to the Cision Influencer list
We email the personal email boxes for a hand-curated list of reporters and influencers who respect and trust our reputation, so are more likely to open and read your release.
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Send you proof of distribution, with links you can test yourself
This report shows you exactly where your press release was distributed, including links, so you can see online sites that published your stories!
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Give you direct access to our editors, not salespeople
When you work with us, you’ll work directly with our journalism-trained editors, not a salesperson. Our editors’ mission is to help you get great results from your press release.
Want to get amazing results from your press release?
Get real ROI on your press release, plus save 30% on your first order.
Don’t Forget That You Need To Distribute Your Press Release to the Right People
Even the best press release is useless unless the right people receive it! That’s our specialty – custom distributing press releases to the reporters, editors, bloggers, and influencers most likely to pick up and publish your press release, or even better, to write their own story about you. Learn more about our press release distribution services here.
Want more example press releases? I’m happy to help…
What Are You Announcing? Examples and Templates by Type of Press Release
- Launching a New Product
- Launching a Product Improvement
- An Event
- A Grand Opening
- Achievement of a Major Milestone
- Receipt of an Award or Recognition
- A New Hire or Promotion
- Dealing with a Crisis
- A Partnership With Another Organization
- An Acquisition or Merger
- Social Cause Activities
- Release of a New Book
- Political Campaign Activities
- Music-Related Announcement
- School/University Announcements
- Media, Network, and Local Station Announcements
- Nonprofit Announcements
- Announce an Art Exhibition
- Press Release for A Movie
Press Release Examples Across Several Industries
Finally, here are some tips and training to help you write an amazing press release:
Additional Press Release Resources
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Directory of Examples & Templates
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What is a Press Release?
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Click for Press Release Template & Format (including a blank press release example)
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Click to Learn How to Format a Press Release (+ Free Template and 80+ Examples)
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Click to Learn How to Write a Press Release
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Click to Learn How to Submit a Press Release
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To Write a Press Release Yourself or Not?
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80+ Example Press Releases
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Of course, you could always have us write and distribute your release — starting at a special combination price for new customers. Click here – Press Release Writing
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