A music PR manager works with artists to create their brand and ensure they have visibility on a variety of platforms.
PR stands for Public Relations and it describes the way in which companies and individuals maintain their relationship with the public.
To find out more, we've spoken to Beth Parnell from Bandwagon Press. Beth has worked across campaigns for a variety of artists including Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim, Grizzly Bear and Justin Timberlake. In 2009, Beth was awarded Best Independent PR Person at the Record of the Day Awards for Music Journalism and PR.
Beth Parnell talks about working in the music PR industry.
I'm Beth Parnell and I am Director of Music PR Company Bandwagon press.
So I look after PR for artists, basically the public perception of them, make sure how they are perceived is how they want to be perceived.
One day I might be in the office writing a press release or sending emails and doing a lot of telephone calls, another day I might be covering a photo shoot, attending meetings, going to a gig, it's a really varied job and every day is different.
I've always loved music and I actually wanted to be a music journalist. I got a position at Sheffield University and studied journalism and from that I decided that actually it was more PR that I wanted to work in.
Definitely English was really useful, being able to write well and being quite creative with that as well is a definite skill of a PR.
In the PR industry you really need to be organised, creative, punctual, personable and you've got to have really good people and time management skills. You've also got to be quite persuasive.
At the end of the day you are looking after an artist and you've got to persuade people to want to write about that artist and why.
If you' re looking to get a career in PR, my main piece of advice would be to get as much experience as you can. It doesn't always mean getting internships or work experience.
There's a lot you can do yourself that from home to try and get that experience, whether it's starting a blog and starting reviewing gigs and it's about getting yourself out there and making as many contacts as you can.
What skills do I need to be a music PR manager?
A passion for music and a solid knowledge of the music industry are essential. In addition, you will benefit from skills such as:
excellent verbal and written communication
organisation and time-management skills
good people skills and networking ability
flexibility and adaptability.
A similar role to what Beth does is a music promotions manager. Music promotions managers publicise recording artists or live music events.
What to expect if you want to be a music promotions manager
- Music promotions manager average salary: £24,000 to £65,000 per year
- Music promotions manager typical working hours: 38 to 40 hours per week. You may work evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
What qualifications do you need to be a music promotions manager?
You could get into this role via a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship, volunteering or applying directly.
Sources: National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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