Writing a Press Release

MSITRun a Record Label

Music Business DiplomaWeek 6

Creativity Professionalism (etiquette, spelling, grammar) One Page Only Be polite. An arrogant or confrontational tone is a

big turn-off. Be interesting and succinct. If you're not good

with words, hire someone who is. Include a URL for the band's website, MySpace

page, or other online profile. Be persistent and follow up. Positive Harrasment

Some Key Things to Consider

Picture at top (logo?) Contact details ‘ Do You Even Liftable’ content! Have a high res image ready to send or attach

as well. Needs to be NEWSWORTHY A good press release answers these five

questions, who, what, where, when, why, how. Written in 3rd person Make sure the whole presser is centered!

What To Include

Picture/Image of business

INSERT IN CAPITALS: CATCHY SHORT TITLE THAT CAN BE LIFTED TO USE AS A HEADLINE (WITH LONGER, KEYWORD RICH VERSION OF TITLE FOR ONLINE SUBMISSION)

Brisbane, QLD (1.1.2013) – BOLDED summary of what the story is about, the who, when, why, where and what written in third person and again "liftable" to copy and paste into a news article or read out in a bulletin or talk break.

3 succinct points that quickly tell journalists and producers what they need to know about your story. 

A quote from a main player that sums up how everyone feels, why it's exciting or what the main message is you are trying to get across.

OTHER INFORMATION: This is where you can put a short "ad" for your business or yourself - talk about why you are the right person to be commenting on this story and why you are the expert

######## or -ENDS- to indicate that nothing below this line should be made public

Contact Details for further information. Name, Email, Address, Phone.

The Basic Layout

Embellishment and stories which sound far-fetched. This can damage your

credibility.

Hype!!! The exclamation point (!) is your enemy. Credibility can be damaged if you use lots of hype

Avoid clichés, redundancy, and flowery language

Avoid the passive voice. Always use Active Voice.

Do not use logos or trademarks names unless you have permission to do so.

Include little bits of paper (song lists, confetti, fortune-cookie fortunes) that fall out, get lost, and annoy people.

Send music to labels or DJs who have nothing to do with the style of music you make. It's a waste of their time and yours.

Things to Avoid!!!!!!!

Who are we sending this press release to?

Radio? Street Press? Online Blogs?

Start building up an online database of contacts!

Who To Send To?

Personalize the email, never bulk send Make sure you BCC, never show other people’s

emails! Be short and sweet Ask for less, hopefully you’ll get more Find the deadline days, NEVER send a Presser

on deadline day! Ask for advertising rates

How To Send A Press Release