Public Relations Counselor

$25,000 to $200,000+

Publicist, P.R. Counselor

Establishes an an artist, company, or musical group's image, writes press releases, assembles press kits and arranges press conferences.

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Music Performing & Writing
The Music Business
Recording & The Record Industry
Music Health
Facility, Arena and Club
Music Industry Merchandising
Music Industry PR & Advertising
Radio & Television
Music Industry Touring
Music Education
Church Music
Symphony, Orchestra, and Opera
Instrument Work & Development
Other Music Jobs

Public Relations (PR) Counselors are responsible for creating an image for a group, artist or business they are representing. This process begins by evaluating the public's perception or image of the client. From this, the PR Counselor might find that the client is well known, but has a poor image among the general public. Or, if the client is just getting started in the business, the Public Relations Counselor must build the client's image literally from scratch.

To develop effective campaigns, the P.R. Counselor must know how to write press releases, assemble press kits, and arrange press conferences; and to be successful with their campaigns, the Counselor must know how to find an interesting angle that the public will buy into. To do this, P.R. Counselors usually spend a lot of time getting to know clients, and uncovering any pertinent information that might them get a good angle. For example, a singer may have had a really tough road to success and a tough childhood, but now is flourishing as a star in the music business. The counselor could capitalize on this fact and work to give the public a better understanding of the singer, which may make the singer appear more "human" and more appealing to the general public.

Successful P.R. Counselors usually have many media contacts to call upon when they need to generate excitement among the press for their clients. Those who work in public relations must be able to work under a lot of pressure because there are constant demands by clients, along with many deadlines that need to be met. Usually, the PR Counselor is responsible to his or her supervisor, but sometimes he or she might be responsible to the client. Or, if the Counselor works in a radio station, then he or she would be responsible to the station General Manager.

Oftentimes, the Public Relations Counselor works behind the scenes, not receiving any recognition for any of their hard work. On the unfortunate flipside, an unsuccessful campaign will often lead to an unhappy client who blames the Public Relations Counselor for their troubles.

Salaries
Depending on the firm or company, geographical location, and type of job held, salaries will vary for the Counselor. All things considered, one can expect to earn anywhere from $35,000 to $200,000 plus per year. The Counselor can also expect to earn 10% to 15% of all income from the new clients they bring to the firm.

A Public Relations Counselor or Director at a radio station might make between $25,000 and $50,000 plus at a larger station; and a Public Relations Counselor or Director working at a concert hall or auditorium can expect to earn the same.

Employment
Those who are looking for employment as a PR Counselor will be faced with fair employment prospects. Jobs may be available at public relations firms that specialize in music, or even at firms that only have one or two clients in the music industry. There might also be opportunities available with radio stations, night clubs, concert halls, arenas, music stores, and record labels.

Advancement
Individuals who begin working in public relations firms will eventually begin to earn more experience, and with that, they may be assigned more responsibility, higher profile projects, or more challenging clients. Others find advancement by going out on their own, while others find similar positions in larger or more prestigious P.R. firms.

Education and Training
Due to competition, formal education and a college degree is preferable to land a job as a Counselor. Communications, public relations, journalism, English, advertising, marketing, or music merchandising are the areas where efforts should be focused. There are very useful seminars given across the country by colleges, universities, and the Public Relations Society of America.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
A good P.R. Counselor should have excellent writing skills, and must be creative enough to come up with a special campaign. To do this, the PR Counselor must have a good knowledge of the music business , and he or she must understand the complexities of the industry in order to be effective in his or her client's campaign.

Unions and Associations
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is an association for the PR Counselor. This association is run by those involved in public relations, and works to keep ethics in public relations high. Also, the association prints a magazine and hosts seminars throughout the year. For those Public Relations Counselors who deal with theatrical productions, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM) is also an option.

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