A compelling press release is one of many tools that can promote new music and elevate the conversation around an artist.

But simply sending an announcement does not make something newsworthy.

A good press release gives journalists, radio programmers and other industry contacts the information they need to understand what is happening, why it matters and what they should do next.

Keeping a few basics in mind can help you tell the artist’s story and make the release more useful to the people receiving it.

Why write a press release?

First, a press release lets you tell the story you want to tell about the artist and the music.

Maybe this single represents a new direction. Perhaps an album completes a story that started several years ago. A collaboration, producer, tour or personal experience may give the release additional context.

That information can help a journalist decide whether the story fits their audience, prepare for an interview or understand what to listen for when reviewing the music.

Second, a press release puts the important facts in one organized place.

A writer should not need to search Instagram for the release date, Google the artist’s hometown and email you again for a high-resolution photo.

Make their job easier.

A press release and a media pitch are not the same thing

This distinction is important.

A media pitch is the short message you send to a particular journalist explaining why the story may fit what they cover.

The press release contains the fuller announcement and supporting information.

In other words, the press release says, “Here is the news.”

The pitch says, “Here is why I thought you might care.”

Sending the same generic email to hundreds of unrelated contacts may be faster, but relevance matters more than volume.

Our guide to public relations for musicians goes deeper into finding the right journalists and pitching them effectively.

Who should receive your press release?

The answer depends on your goal.

Are you trying to attract media coverage? Do you want radio programmers to know about a new single? Are you promoting a tour?

Those audiences need different information.

A music journalist may care about the story behind the song and whether the artist is available for an interview.

A radio programmer needs to know where to hear or download the track and whether it fits the station.

A local publication covering a concert needs the date, venue, ticket information and connection to its community.

So build separate contact lists and tailor the outreach to the people receiving it.

Do not make everyone dig through information meant for somebody else.

Start with the actual news

Before writing anything, answer the basic question:

What happened?

Maybe the artist released a single, announced an album, signed with a label, added tour dates or reached another legitimate milestone.

Then ask the harder question:

Why should someone outside the artist’s immediate circle care?

That answer is the beginning of the story.

A press release should not hide the news under several paragraphs of biography or adjectives about how groundbreaking the artist is.

Put the useful information first.

Write a clear headline

The headline should tell the reader what happened.

For example:

Artist Name Announces New Album, Album Title, Out October 9

That may not win an award for creative writing.

It does tell the reader exactly what the release is about.

Avoid stuffing the headline with words such as “revolutionary,” “iconic,” “game-changing” or “highly anticipated” unless you have a very good factual reason for using them.

Information is more useful than hype.

Put the important information near the top

Journalists often scan before they read closely.

So the opening paragraphs should answer the most important questions quickly:

• Who is involved?
• What is being announced?
• When is it happening?
• Why is it noteworthy?
• Where can someone hear, see or learn more?

You can add background and detail after that.

Do not make someone reach paragraph seven to discover when the album comes out.

Use quotes to sound like the artist

An artist quote can add personality and information the factual paragraphs cannot.

Use the quote to explain why the song matters, what inspired the project or how the artist sees this moment in their career.

Do not waste it repeating the headline.

“I’m excited to release my new single on Friday” does not tell the reader much.

A strong quote should sound like something the artist would actually say.

That is especially important now that generic, overly polished copy is so easy to generate.

Give the release some context

A press release does not need the artist’s entire life story.

However, a little context can help someone understand where the news fits.

If this is the first single from an upcoming album, say so.

If the artist is following a successful previous release, explain that briefly.

When the song involves a notable producer, songwriter or musician, identify their connection accurately.

If you need a longer background section, our guide to writing an artist bio can help you build one without turning the press release into a biography.

What should every music press release include?

The exact content depends on the announcement, but most music press releases should make the following easy to find:

• artist name
• release or announcement title
• important date
• the main story or news angle
• a quote from the artist when useful
• a link to hear or preview the music
• relevant website and social links
• cover artwork when appropriate
• high-resolution press photos with photographer credit
• contact information for interviews and follow-up questions

If you need better media images, our guide to creating a strong press photo explains what makes one useful to publications.

Make the assets easy to use

Do not attach 14 giant image files to an unsolicited email.

Instead, provide an easy link to organized media assets when possible.

Label the files clearly.

Include photographer credits with the images rather than making the journalist hunt for them later.

If a writer needs a horizontal image for a website header, it also helps to have more than one photo orientation available.

The goal is simple: remove friction between somebody deciding to cover the story and actually publishing it.

Proofread everything

This deserves its own section because mistakes in big type somehow become invisible after you have stared at them for three hours.

Check:

• artist names
• song and album titles
• release dates
• venue names
• people’s names and job titles
• photo credits
• contact information
• every hyperlink

A typo in the third paragraph is annoying.

The wrong release date is a problem.

Take another pass before hitting send.

What happens after you send it?

Watch for responses and reply quickly.

If a journalist asks for an interview, another photo, a clean version of the song or additional information, they may be working against a deadline.

Also keep track of what happens with your outreach.

Which publications responded? Which links got attention? What kinds of stories resulted in coverage? Did a particular audience respond better than another?

Use that information to improve the next campaign.

Do not judge success only by email open rates. Privacy features and other changes in email technology have made opens a much less reliable measurement than they once were.

Actual replies, link activity and earned coverage tell you considerably more.

Make the press release useful

A press release does not need to be complicated.

Tell people what happened. Explain why it matters. Include the information they need. Let the artist’s personality come through where appropriate.

Then send it to people who actually have a reason to care.

The goal is not simply to distribute a press release.

The goal is to make someone’s job easier when your story is worth telling.