Tour Publicist Jobs

About This Music Career

The trained publicist who goes on tour with a recording act or artist is the Tour Publicist. He or she is responsible for making sure the fans and media know a group or artist is coming to town as part of a concert tour. Some Tour Publicists arrange media interviews with TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines before the group arrives. It is also common for the Tour Publicist to set up press parties and conferences. However, the Tour Publicist's main responsibility comes on the road, where they attend all interviews, photo shoots, concerts, parties, and press conferences with the act – the same goes for any TV or radio appearances. Before these appearances, the Tour Publicist usually spends time with the show's Producer, Talent Coordinator, or Host to go over what the act will be talking about during the interview.

At concerts, the Tour Publicist is responsible for issuing press passes to Disc Jockeys, Music Editors, Photographers, etc., while also handing out any necessary backstage passes. Before an interview or photo shoot takes place, the Tour Publicist must approve. They also set aside specific time slots before and after the show for any additional interviews. The Tour Publicist works closely with any sponsoring radio or television stations, making sure the employees of the station are happy. This involves arranging exclusive interviews or autograph sessions, or presenting records, T-shirts, etc.

The Tour Publicist can be employed by a record company or publicity firm, but whatever the case, he or she usually calls his or her office at least once a day. On the other hand, an independent Tour Publicist is responsible directly to the act and the act's management team.

Tour Publicists do not engage in a nine to five job, and work for the duration of the tour. Usually, while the act is still sleeping in the morning, the Tour Publicist has already been up for a few hours making calls and discussing arrangements for the day ahead of them. No matter how early the Tour Publicist begins, he or she might still be up until 2:00AM or 3:00AM at a party thrown in the act's honor. Thus, the Tour Publicist must have a lot of stamina, and must thoroughly enjoy the job to survive on the road.

Salaries
A Tour Publicist usually earns more than a home-based Publicist because of the long periods of travel and long hours. If the Tour Publicist works for a record company or publicity firm, they usually receive a weekly salary plus a daily or weekly stipend to cover personal expenses – any travel expenses are paid by the act or the act's management.

Independent Tour Publicists usually receive a weekly or monthly fee plus all expenses including food, phone, lodging and other amenities. Any expenses that are work-related like printing, mailings, long-distance phone calls, etc. are paid for by the group or record company.

Salaries for Tour Publicists depend on the employer, the act, and the amount of experience the Tour Publicist has. Tour Publicists who are just beginning usually makes no less than $500 per week plus expenses, while an average salary for a Tour Publicist working for an established music group is between $40,000 and $85,000 or more per year plus expenses. There are even Tour Publicists who are very much in demand and can earn $2,000 and up per week for certain tours.

Employment
As tour expenses continue to increase, many acts do not even go on tour, reducing the opportunities for Tour Publicists. Of those acts who do go on tour, some cannot afford the services of Tour Publicists. Thus, it is possible to find a position as a Tour Publicist, but it is very difficult.

Advancement
From Tour Publicist, one can expect to advance to the position of Tour Coordinator or Tour Manager. He or she also has the option of becoming an independent Tour Publicist if they have worked for a major record company or has experience working with a publicity firm.

Education and Training
Some training as a home-based publicist is usually required of Tour Publicists. It is also useful for an individual to have a college degree in communications, journalism, English, public relations or music merchandising. One might also find seminars on music-oriented publicity to be helpful.

Experience, Skills, and Personality

A love for and ability to travel is required of the Tour Publicist, as they will be on the road for long stretches at a time. Tour Publicists can expect to work under much more pressure than home-based publicists because road tours sometimes create a lot of stress for certain people. For example, near the end of a tour, it is common for entourage members to just want the tour to end and it is the Tour Publicist that must make sure that this type of attitude is not displayed to the media or the fans.

Last, but not least, the Tour Publicist must maintain a list of national media contacts to call upon while his or her client is on tour.

Unions and Associations
The best known association is the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), which has local chapters in major U.S. cities.

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