Complex, XXL, Lyrical Lemonade, and Genuis, just to name a few of the huge "blogs" you see daily and dream of being featured on. How do you do it? In this article, we break down how to get on these large platforms, which media platforms result in actual growth, and rather it's worth it at the end of the day to invest in them.
First, we must identify what these platforms are even defined as. It's easy to say a "blog", but the definition of a blog is "a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style." Most of the popular names you see have a blog included on their site, but the music blogs' quality and impact are going downhill in the era of social media. The reasoning behind this is easy we live in a quick and easy world of consumption. Everything we do has to be quick and easy. Educational blogs like this one are the only blogs still thriving because learning will never go out of style. Music reviews on the other hand have now found a way to be consumed more quickly. With podcasts and social media, there is really no need for music blogs. So when searching for "music review blogs" maybe reconsider what you really want.
The Big Ones
Let's talk about the heavy hitters. Complex, Lyrical Lemonade, Elevator Mag, Genius, The Fader. These platforms no doubt will give you some major buzz. What you don't know about these particular platforms is they don't care about your money. They care about your clout, your talent, and WHO you know. If you couldn't offer any of these platforms a dollar amount, they will still reject you. In order to get on music platforms like this, you will have to have a couple of things.
Quality Music
The keyword here is quality. Stay true to yourself in what your music sounds like, just make sure you get quality engineering, quality cover art, and a quality music video if you choose.
Good Following
Make sure you already have a following of your music and make sure you have proof of it. You also want to make sure your following is genuine. If you have 100K followers but only 2 likes and 3 spam comments under your post, everyone will know it's fake. 5K followers and 20-50 comments look better. These platforms are looking for artists who have already done the work and are ready to take it to the next level.
Connections
Having a good mix of connections or a good network is a HUGE necessity for getting on music platforms. You may think you need to know someone who works there or know a huge rapper or executive. Start small, research the smaller artists that these platforms have covered, and reach out to ask them how they got on. A great resource is Linkedin to find current and former employees on each platform. Start small, even an intern can lead you to the right person. 8/10 if these people within your network like the song, they will push it along for FREE to the right person. No need to harass these heavy hitters in the industry. Grow a network, send your music, and let the music speak for itself.
EPK
An electronic press kit is essential for pitching to blogs. It's essential for pitching yourself to anything really. Include everything about yourself as an artist in your EPK and highlight the song you are pitching within your EPK. This could make or break your pitch. It's also convenient to have. It's a quick read for writers because we don't really care to read your super-long emails. It also helps the writer get an idea of the song and you as an artist before listening
The Small but Mighty Ones
Now that we got the mainstream blogs out of the way, let's talk about those smaller yet mighty blogs. Blogs that get thousands of traction daily. The music platforms will bring you only 5 fans, but they will be 5 diehard fans. There are so many of these, way too many to list here. There are resources you can use to find these blogs. One is Submithub. This is not a sponsored ad, but Submithub has been a great resource for many artists that want to get on smaller blogs. It's easy to navigate and affordable. You can do the research yourself and reach out to these blogs as they will be way easier to get in touch with. If you want to delegate this, check out our services to see where we can help!
Local Music Blogs
Hometown blogs are always heavy hitters, especially when you are just starting out. Having your city's approval is always a huge boost. You don't need it, but it surely can help. A good rule of thumb is that it's stronger to have 10 die-hard fans rather than 1,000 "streams". Gaining those 10 fans from your hometown can be easy. First, try and look at the other artists in your city and see what blogs they have been on. A quick google search can always work as well "city+music blog". Another sure way to get blog information, along with any other networking info is to attend local shows and talk to folks. You can also look into shows coming to town and see what blogs cover them. Once you get your foot in the door, the opportunities in your city begin to come to you!
The Bottom Line
Being featured on blogs may feel impossible to you, but it is actually extremely easy to obtain. It just takes a bit of research and networking. Some artists invest in public relations managers to do the outreach themselves. Whatever you choose, know that blogs can help you gain not only traction for your music but just like this blog here, can help with your SEO and get you seen organically on google more. Good Luck and see you at the top!
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