Publicist

$25,000 to $150,000+

Press Agent

Promotes a musical group or artist to the general public, creates and maintains a desired image for the musical act.

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A Publicist or Press Agent is responsible for creating ways to make a musical act's name, record, and video better known among the general public. Of course, the better the act and the product are known, the better the chances that more records, DVDs, and concert tickets will sell.

In terms of job skills, the Publicist must know how to write creative press releases, and how to assemble press kits that include biographies, pictures, and reprints of reviews and articles – these are given to music editors, disc jockeys, TV Producers, etc. The Publicist must also know how to put together a press conference, and how to get the major players to attend. Part of the biggest challenge is to get a feature story written on the act, which often times doesn't happen until the act is so well known that publicity self-generates.

Once this happens, the Publicist must find an angle interesting enough to get attention from the press and/or radio and television. A good problem occurs when there is so much interest among the press that the Publicist must be selective and decide which interviews are in the best interest of the client. This is because there are some members of the press that could damage a client's image if they interview the act.

Publicists are all about creating hype by over-selling an act or record. They aim for media saturation by attending a lot of parties, luncheons, and dinners on a client's behalf – they make important contacts while doing so. As a result, the Publicist's social life and business life are frequently rolled into one.

The ability to work under the constant pressure of deadlines is a must for the Publicist. He or she must also be willing to accept the fact that if an act fails, the Publicist will most likely get the blame - while gaining little recognition sometimes if the act is successful.

Salaries
Depending on the type of firm or company for which the Publicist is working, along with the geographical location, the Publicist will earn varying salaries. Some Publicists start out at $25,000 per year, while others at more prestigious firms have a starting salary of $35,000 to $45,000. With more experience, the Publicist gains more recognition in the field, and is looking at possibly making $100,000 to $150,000 or more per year.

Also, attracting new clients gives the Publicist the opportunity to earn 10% to 15% of all monies brought in. Clients directly pay Independent Publicists anything from $850 per month per client to $10,000 plus per week, per client. Again, these fees depend on the status of the musical act or artist being publicized. Commercials, endorsements, TV, and movies give the Publicist an additional opportunity to earn fees.

Employment
Record companies generally have a number of Publicists on staff. Publicists can also find work in firms that specialize in music business publicity or public relations, along with taking on opportunities with radio stations, concert halls, clubs, arenas, and music stores. It is also common for Publicists to work independently, where they gain their own clients and are paid a fee based on each job instead of a salary.

Advancement
Good Publicists are promoted to handle more prestigious clients, more interesting projects, and less tedious work in a firm or record company. These successful Publicists are usually highly sought after by other companies, firms, and clients. As a part of the general public, most don't really know who made a star, group, or artist, but the insiders always know. Competition among Publicists is fierce, so the Publicist must be the best to be successful. Some individuals are even promoted to Directors of Publicity for certain companies.

Education and Training
As is almost always the case, the most qualified individual has the best chance of getting the job. Those with a college degree in communications, journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing, English, or music merchandising are in a great position to obtain the necessary skills to succeed as a music business Publicist.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
Working under pressure is a necessary ability because of the constant stress of deadlines, mixed with the number of clients who regularly change their minds about what image they want to portray. No matter the client or the situation, the Publicist must be creative enough to come up with an angle for each client, while being persuasive enough to sell this angle to the client and other advisers. An angle is also needed to transform news releases about seemingly ordinary subjects into exciting stories the press will want to pick up. While gaining as many contacts as possible is always useful, the Publicist must remain credible, or all contacts will prove useless.

Unions and Associations
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the best known organization, offering seminars, booklets, magazines and other helpful information. The Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM) is available to those in this industry segment.

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