As your music career grows, you’re almost inevitably going to end up adding workers to your organization like a rapper adds bodyguards to his entourage. Young artists cut their teeth doing their own music distribution and promotion, but at some point, they’re almost always going to want to hand those tasks off to someone else.

That’s where a music publicist comes in, and whether you’re looking for new ideas on how to sell music on iTunes, or planning to move more towards physical albums, their specialty is increasing your distribution and sales.

Is it time to consider hiring a music publicist?

When A Band Becomes An Organization:

Hiring A Publicist

First of all, before looking to hire a publicist, it’s still a good idea to try and do everything you can to distribute your own music. If you’re just looking into how to sell music on iTunes or any other online platforms, for example, a quality music-submission service can keep your online offerings up-to-date for only a few dollars a month.

Compared to the price of a publicist, such services are a real deal. Even a small-time local promoter will probably run you a few hundred dollars a month, and prices can easily run up into multiple thousands per month for a high-powered publicist.

However, it may still be time to consider hiring a publicist if:

·Your music sales have flattened, and nothing you do online seems to be working to increase your fan base.

·You have trouble finding gigs in cities at anything but the cheapest venues.

·You’re unable to convince the major publications and websites to review your work.

·You’re doing something really cool like a major tour and you want additional PR.

·You have a particularly compelling human interest story which would bring fans in, if only more people heard it.

After all, a good music publicist brings contacts to the table, one of the most valuable commodities in the music business. The right publicist will have ways to reach your audience that are beyond your means, and that is ultimately the best reason to hire one!