⏰ Tackling Hyper-Productivity (Less Is More)
And: Practical Guide To Press Assets (pt2); Showcases; Radio Interviews; Industry News You Should Care About; NFTs.
Hey YMX family - here we are again with our newsletter. :)
In a culture where content gets consumed at a worryingly fast pace, is it still possible for artists to focus solely on what matters, enhancing quality and authenticity? We think so! PILLARS is here to remind us of that, in the latest instalment of our 3-parts wellbeing guide for music creatives.
Less Is More
🌳 “We live in a time of hyper-productivity. Everything is at our fingertips, at a push of a button, and as a result, our patience and attention spans are shortening. This creates consumer demand and puts further pressure on the hyper-productivity culture. Hyper-productivity is driven by an overcrowded marketplace and exactly this - music fans (ourselves included!) are consuming at such a pace that it’s hard to keep up as an artist. But what happens when that is too much for one person to tackle? If you are independent and don’t have a huge team of people churning out content with you, how can you possibly be expected to keep up? What I do is look at my own habits as a consumer. When I consume art or music, I’m still looking for quality and authenticity. Regardless of what’s being thrown at me, what stands out is still the realness of the piece. So if you only have yourself to rely on to push content out to fans, focus on what you can create to a great standard that is authentically you. I don’t recommend creating a sub-standard cover of your favourite artist, 5 Instagram posts of what you did yesterday, and a year old playlist to present to fans in the space of a week - it’s too taxing on your own mental capacity and doesn’t hold true value. Keep fans engaged, but also take your time and don’t give in to the pressure created by a hyper-productive culture”. - PILLARS
Practical Guide To Compiling a Press Release (applies to EPKs too) - Part 2
💥 We get sent tons of PR assets and there’s always something missing, here’s a few tips on how to approach your promo material:
Formatting Tips
Formatting is essential for a successful EPK. It’s the key to a clear and functional press release. I recommend the following:
2 pages max! Better if in a shared online document, that way if any tweaks are needed along the way, recipients will always have an updated version (for instance a Google Doc)
Use paragraphs, no more than 150 words each.
Make sure you clearly state the release date!
Divide the information in a logical manner (for instance, open with info about the track, then add a personal quote, then finish with a short bio)
Highlight key information in the text in Bold, also using a second colour works well.
Believe it or not, when information is easily detectable, the writer will have a clearer understanding of the subject and, more importantly, will be more comfortable writing the article, resulting in a much more engaging and well-written piece. And that’s exactly what you want from a review of your project!
Don’t forget to include one or two images in the text, to give instant visual feedback when reading the text (yes, you still have to include a link to downloadable press shots).
Make sure the document has all of the info on it, that way the link becomes a complete EPK!
Do I have to do it for every release?
We recommend doing it for every release, keeping everything under the same link.
If you still need help, let us know at hey@weareymx.com
Opportunities and Gigs!
🎸 We have a few gigs coming up, and we are finalising the line-ups for them. If you’d like to perform please email us at hey@weareymx.com with your preferred date.
13th March / 10th April / 8th May - Evening time at The Finsbury
Radio Show
🎙 Every Saturday afternoon we are running our own radio show on Caffe’ Latino Radio, where we interview up-and-coming artists, host solo live sessions, or just chatting over coffee. Our host Giack Bazz is keen to speak to you so get in touch! (hey@weareymx.com)
Industry News You Should Care About
📚 Music NFTs Startup HitPiece Gets Off To a Bad Start With Artists - MusicAlly
NFTs’ shenanigans continue, with the format starting to attract more critics than lovers - will it manage to amplify and enrich the experience between the artist and its fanbase?
💡Music Nft Platform Opulous Says It Will ‘vigorously Defend’ Itself Against Lil Yachty Lawsuit - Music Business Worldwide
More NFTs’ shenanigans…
NFT
A little dive into the NFT’s world: Is the medium sustainable? How can it serve the music industry? And most importantly, is all this just a bubble? Will we look back and think “what were we thinking?” Here’s a reminder: