Like any industry, music has its own set of trade publications and websites that are pored over by executives and staff in the labels, publishers and collecting societies. Meanwhile, there’s also a thriving technology industry media covering startups of all kinds, music/tech included.
Getting featured by key media, from news stories and founder profiles to bigger features about the technology or trend that you’re working within, can be really useful in building your credibility with the music industry – or simply putting you on the radar of the innovation teams working within labels.
In this video, Stuart Dredge, editor at Music Ally, gives a journalist’s perspective on what makes a startup interesting.
“One of the things that pricks up my ears is the new. So are they using any technology in an interesting way, are they doing something new, or are they tackling an existing problem in a new way?” he says.
Does a startup need a PR agency? A great agency or independent PR can be invaluable, but that doesn’t mean startups can’t also contact journalists directly.
“Never be scared to approach a journalist, never think – ‘Oh I should have a PR agency behind me or I should have a big story to tell. Some of the best stories we’ve written for Music Ally have been when I met someone at a conference. They weren’t ready to talk then, but they had a vision, they were doing something cool, we talked to them months down the line, and we wrote a piece,” he says.
“Even if you haven’t got a press strategy yet, when you meet journalists, say hello! We don’t bite and actually we’re as enthusiastic as the industry is now to meet you and hear what you’re doing.”
You can watch the full Media video above. It’s part of a series of The Music & Tech Springboard videos created by the BPI and Music Ally, with other episodes listed below. Note: this project has been a few months in the making, and the interviews were conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic. Some references (for example to meeting people / going to conferences) may jar, but we’re looking forward to a time when they’re relevant again!
Introduction
BPI CEO Geoff Taylor and Music Ally CEO Paul Brindley introduce the Springboard series and offer some tips for startups.
Labels
Universal Music’s Glenn Cooper, Sony Music’s Victoria Cruz, PIAS’ Adrian Pope, and Warner Music’s Scott Cohen offer startups advice from their label perspectives.
Legal
Law firm Reed Smith partners Gregor Pryor and Sophie Goossens talk through some of the legal issues that music startups can face – and how to tackle them.
Licensing
PPL’s chief licensing officer Jez Bell and PRS for Music head of online Nick Edwards explain the help available for startups seeking music licensing deals.
Advisors
Eleven Advisory managing director Cliff Fluet and independent consultant Becky Brook offer lessons learned from their work connecting startups and music rightsholders.
Accelerators and Incubators
Abbey Road managing director Isabel Garvey and Marathon Artists chairman Paul-René Albertini explain how music/tech accelerators and incubators work, and what they look for in startups.
Startups
Startups explain what they’ve learned from working with the music industry, including Jaak’s Vaughn McKenzie-Landell, MelodyVR’s Jo McNally, Landmrk’s Tom Nield, and ClicknClear’s Chantal Epp.
Also, if you’re a music-related tech startup that’s less than five years old or with fewer than 20 employees, we want to help you with practical steps. As such we are offering you the following:
– A heavily discounted BPI membership – giving you access to startups access to all of BPI’s resources – from market intelligence, to free training courses and free access to networking events. Click here to find out more.
– A six-month free subscription to Music Ally’s business information service, including a daily news bulletin and regular research reports. Request your free subscription here!
Want to know more about the Music & Tech Springboard Programme? Contact the BPI here.
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