We live in an age of abundance that is increasingly tipping over into overload. More and more music is being released, making it impossible to keep up with everything. The flood of content often leads to sensationalism. My argument is that this is entirely the wrong approach for promoting towards music journalism publications.
I would like to take a closer look at promotion through the eyes of a recipient, and with a good dose of bias. But also with 15 years of experience in this role under my belt.
At Negative White, we receive well over 200 promotional emails every week, ranging from new songs, EPs, and albums to news and product launches. And that’s only a fraction of what’s buzzing around the web. The top priority for me—especially given that this is voluntary work—is efficiency: quickly grasping what it’s all about. Quickly recognising whether it’s relevant.
So, here I will dissect a promotional email and highlight the essential points from my perspective. Learn about the best practices for the email subject lines, content, electronic press kits, and summary formats. And why you should curate your recipients.