Top Tips On Approaching Music Blogs

By: Aled Thomas, Beast PR

For over twenty-five years, Aled Thomas has held a variety of roles in the Welsh music industry; from working as a DJ/MC and events promoter, to performing on stage as lead singer/guitarist for several South Wales acts. He has stacked records in a record shop, edited his own music blog, and mentored countless bands and artists.

Now serving time as Beast PR’s senior publicist and band manager, he wanted to share some of his top tips when approaching music blogs to help make sure you and your submission stand out from the rest.

• Begin by building a list of music blogs based on the specific genre of music you play. You’ll need to do some digging online to find contact details for staff writers and editors whose musical preferences align with the music you make.
• Research and follow each blog’s submission guidelines! Remember that it's always better to concentrate on engaging with a handful of specific outlets than sporadically sending an impersonal email to hundreds.
• When assembling your press kit make sure you include a well-written biography, a press release containing information about the release you’re promoting, links to your social media accounts, and an effective way for recipients to download your music in WAV/MP3 format.
• Use free cloud storage services like Dropbox or WeTransfer to send your music, or if you have a small budget, try a paid promo sharing service like Haulix.
• Another important thing to have in your EPK are press photos. These will help you stand out and support your release visually. Make sure your press photos are the best you can provide – hi-res, ideally in portrait and landscape – as some of the blogs and sites you’ll be approaching will probably receive hundreds of competing emails a week.
• If possible, it's worth purchasing a “.com” or “.co.uk” email address to help legitimise your efforts. Always send personalised correspondence from this email as you will have a better chance of breaking through a blog’s inbox, and not triggering email spam filters.
• Assign a member of your band to look after emails and be its main point of contact.
• Create a good looking and simple email template that’s easy for people who might be restricted on time to navigate. The more professional you are when presenting yourself, the more chance you will have of getting people’s attention. So, refine that email pitch to show them you have put in the work.
• Don’t be afraid to be personal wherever possible. Address recipients by their first names. This will help you establish a connection and is so much more effective that starting an email with, “Hey, I love your blog and you should cover us and our music!” Editors and writers are very astute and quick to see through people who clearly haven't done their research! Be concise and to the point, and most of all be patient.
• Maybe consider using a reputable music submission platform like SubmitHub or Musosoup. These platforms can help you secure additional coverage for your release while you wait for the results of your own “organic” efforts to be published.

"Editors and writers are very astute and quick to see through people who clearly haven't done their research!"

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