Musicians: are you frustrated with promoters and other key, industry people leaving your emails unanswered? Do you wish to get more bookings and promote your projects but don't know how to network and approach the right people? Oftentimes, promoters are overwhelmed by hundreds of emails a day, making responses difficult, so getting that first moment of contact just right can be daunting for any musician. Adding to that, emails are sometimes drafted poorly; social media presence is either lacking or spammy; and there is no real aim or strategy other than pushing for immediate results-except that isn't how the industry works: We are not in the sales business. We are in the people business. That is the mantra of this book, written by an award-winning jazz publicist and marketing / media director with over ten years of experience behind the scenes. Through interviews with dozens of industry professionals-many with diverse backgrounds and from across the globe-How to Build Relationships in the Music Industry presents valuable insights, do's, don'ts, and anecdotes that will help any musician present their next project in a way that works in the long term. The book will help all musicians understand key characteristics of effective, professional communication in the music business which will ultimately lead to better relationships, more bookings, and a stronger following.
Arlette Hovinga is an award-winning publicist and marketing/media director from The Netherlands. Focusing on release and tour promo, she works all over Europe to represent everything jazz and anything experimental. When not on the road with colleagues, clients, and friends such as Jason Miles (Marcus Miller, Miles Davis), she can be found organizing press tours for festivals such as So What's Next? (NL), Szczecin Jazz Festival (PL), and Sicilia Jazz Festival (IT) or designing marketing campaigns for Samuel Blaser (Wallace Roney, Daniel Humair). She has worked with The Four Tops, The Temptations, Earth Beat Agency, Matt Bianco, and many others and has written for JazzForum Magazine and Jazz in Europe Magazine. With more than ten years of experience in the industry, Arlette wants to build long-term commitments and work toward positive, durable growth for each of her projects. Visit arlettehovinga.com/
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Doing Your Homework Chapter 2: The Industry & The People In It Chapter 3: Emailing & Online Communication Chapter 4: Your Website Chapter 5: Content & Social Media Chapter 6: Newsletters Chapter 7: Crowdfunding Your Project Chapter 8: Offline Etiquette Chapter 9: Releasing Your Music Chapter 10: Touring & Performing Chapter 11: Getting Signed (or not) Appendix: Samples 1. Gig pitch email 2. Press pitch email 3. EPK 4. Press release 5. Tour callsheet 6. Standard license agreement Bibliography
