How to get press coverage for your music: who to pitch, what to send and when
Pitch a short list of writers who already cover artists like you, send one link to a short press kit, and email four to six weeks before release. Here is the sequence, what to send, and what you can pay for.
Want this done for you? See our YouTube music video promotion service. Related reading: How to write a music press release · EPK for musicians · How much does music PR cost? Or browse all music guides.
Key takeaways
- Music PR starts with a list: local press and blogs that have already covered artists like you. The Musicians' Union calls local newspapers and magazines the best place to start.
- Send one public link to a kit with music, two or three credited photos, a bio and a one-page release. For digital outlets, email at least four to six weeks before release.
- Personalise every email: in Muck Rack's 2026 survey, 88% of journalists immediately disregard pitches that miss their beat.
- A sponsored feature is not earned coverage. It is labelled as paid, and it is a way to have a story published on a date you choose.
The short answer
To get press coverage for your music, pitch a short list of writers who cover artists like you, with one link to a press kit and a hook that is news: a release date, a story or a show. The Musicians' Union advises sending to digital publications at least four to six weeks before release and following up once or twice.
No one can promise that a writer will cover you. If you want a published story on a date you choose, our music marketing includes a labelled editorial feature with your own digital cover, from $249.
Who to pitch, and what to send
The MU's guidance, with advice from working publicists, starts by researching artists similar to you in sound and in stage of career, and noting which outlets covered them. Add local newspapers and magazines, which the MU says are the best place to start, and genre blogs. Most outlets review albums and far fewer take singles or EPs, so read each one's submission page first.
Then build one kit and share it as a single public link that needs no sign-in:
- Music: a streaming link in the email itself.
- Photos: two or three high-resolution press shots with a credit.
- Bio: Apple Music for Artists says to write it in the third person, in a long and a short version. Our EPK template covers the rest.
- Release: one page, built with our music press release template or the steps in how to write a music press release.
- Contact: one named person who answers.
How to pitch, and when
Personalise each email. A publicist quoted by the MU says 20 considered emails beat 100 copy-and-paste ones, and the first goal is simply to get the writer to listen. Muck Rack's 2026 survey of 897 journalists backs that up: 88% immediately disregard pitches that miss their coverage, 71% those that feel overly promotional, and 69% prefer pitches under 200 words.
The MU's lead times: digital publications at least four to six weeks before release, newspapers about six weeks, monthly print magazines three to four months. Follow up one or two weeks later, and once more a week after that. Then move on: 46% of the journalists surveyed delete pitches sent repeatedly without a response.
Listings are free and easy. The MU says print listings need details about four weeks ahead, and they help writers learn your name.
What you can pay for
You can hire a publicist, who pitches for you. The MU's guide to hiring a music PR quotes one UK publicist whose prices start at £1,000 and says she knows of no industry standard. Our guide to music PR costs covers typical budgets.
A sponsored feature is different, and it must be labelled. The FTC's native advertising guide says paid content that looks like a publisher's own articles needs a clear disclosure. Ours is marked as sponsored. We do not pitch outside journalists, radio or playlists.
Avoid anyone who promises streams or playlist adds. Spotify says paid third-party services that guarantee streams are not legitimate, and that any service claiming to sell playlist placement breaks its terms. Press does not buy streams either.
How the options compare
How the options compare:
| Do it yourself | Music publicist | Blue Leopard Media | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Your time | One UK publicist quoted by the MU starts at £1,000 | A YouTube campaign plus one feature from $249; a feature alone from $249 |
| What is guaranteed | Nothing | Their work, not coverage | A minimum number of Google Ads views, and a feature live within 24 hours of your approval |
| Time to go live | Email four to six weeks before release; replies not assured | Needs lead time: the MU says to give a publicist time | Campaign starts once Google approves your video |
| What you get | Pitches under your own name | Pitching from their contacts | A sponsored feature with your digital cover, plus a YouTube campaign |
| Best for | Artists with time and a clear local or genre audience | Earned coverage by independent writers | A published, labelled story and real YouTube views around a release |
Send us your release date and video link, and we will plan your campaign and feature around it.
Sources
- Musicians' Union: How to boost your chances of getting your music reviewed (11 June 2025)
- Musicians' Union: Getting press and making the most of your press kit (updated 1 February 2024)
- Musicians' Union: When to hire a music PR company (updated 1 February 2024)
- Muck Rack: The State of Journalism 2026 (897 journalists, surveyed 30 Jan to 2 Mar 2026)
- Apple Music for Artists: Why an electronic press kit matters
- FTC: Native advertising, a guide for businesses
- Spotify for Artists: Artificial streaming and paid third-party services that guarantee streams
- Blue Leopard Media: Free music press release template
Frequently asked.
What is music PR?
The MU describes it as promotion that generates public attention for an artist's music or brand. A publicist's job is to bring you to the attention of relevant broadcasters and journalists.
How far ahead should I pitch my music to blogs?
The MU says at least four to six weeks before release for digital publications, about six weeks for newspapers and three to four months for monthly print magazines.
Can I get music press coverage for free?
Yes. Local newspapers, genre blogs and event listings cost nothing. The MU says doing your own PR is possible but takes a methodical, sustained effort.
Does a sponsored feature count as press coverage?
It is a published article about you, but it is paid for and labelled as sponsored, so it is not a review or earned coverage. Use it as something to link from your press kit.
Do I need a publicist?
Not always. The MU's article says doing your own PR is possible and can pay off, but few musicians will have time to match a full-time publicist's campaign.
Keep reading.
How to write a music press release: what goes in it, with a sample for a single
A music press release is one page: the artist, title and date up top, a one-sentence lead, the story behind the song, a quote and a contact. With examples.
Read the guide MusicEPK for musicians: what goes in an electronic press kit, and who reads it
What to put in a musician's EPK: bio lengths, photos, tracks, video and contacts, what each reader looks for first, and how to fill an empty press section.
Read the guide MusicHow much does music PR cost? What a publicist charges, and what you get
Music PR costs about $500 to $1,500 a month for a small first package and $2,500 or more for a full indie campaign. What it buys, and what no one can promise.
Read the guideA release planned around your date.
A YouTube campaign with guaranteed Google Ads views plus an editorial feature with your own digital cover, from $249 per release. The feature is sponsored and labelled.