Image via musicgateway.com
As musicians, we do our absolute best to perfect our music. It's our life; it's everything to us. But unfortunately, talent isn't enough. We need our music to be heard in order to make a living.
One of the main takeaways I got from my very first PR class in college was the emphasis my professor put on how much your press is not in your hands. At the end of the day, no matter how much accurate information you give a journalist, no matter how much effort you put into your album, what goes out to the public is in the hands of the writer.
While DIY marketing is hugely impactful, press is necessary to boost your following. However, press doesn't always go as planned. Maybe you lock in a premiere of your new single with a great blog, but it doesn't go live until midnight EST on a Friday night when no one is on the web. Or maybe you send the blogger several high-resolution photos, yet he or she takes a crummy photo from your Instagram and blows it up. And the hardest of all, you get a bad review.
You can never control what you're going to get, but you can control how you react. Here are five reactions you should not have when your press goes south.
1. Panic
We get it. When that big feature piece you’ve been anxiously waiting to read comes out with a negative angle or misquotes, the most natural reaction is to panic. But, again, the thing about press is that it’s ultimately not in your hands. The only thing you can do is make sure that what you give journalists in the first place is 100 percent accurate and thorough – that way, they have no room to make a mistake.
Opinion pieces, however, you can't control, so simply ask yourself what you can do to fix the situation. Was it a misquote? If it's an online article, kindly contact the journalist, tell them you're grateful for their review, but simply let them know that they misquoted you and that you would appreciate them correcting it. Journalists don't like being wrong just as much as you don't like getting inaccurate press, so don't be afraid to tell them. If it's a print issue, there's pretty much no way to change the publication, but you can let the author know for future reference.
[How to Handle Being Misrepresented or Misquoted]
2. Publicly bash
This is never, ever a good idea. Do not publicly bash a journalist or publication – it will only haunt you in the end. It's understandable to feel the need to correct a publication if it's a huge misquote of information, but remember that the people you bash today will be the ones who can potentially ruin your career tomorrow. The damages could include anything from gossiping about you to their high-up network or even blacklisting you from publications they write for or are connected with.
If you're upset and something needs to be publicly addressed, handle it with grace. For example, when James Blake announced a weekend DJ tour in April, everyone was under the impression that Frank Ocean would be performing with him, and the blogosphere went wild with headlines exclaiming that the two were going on tour together. In reality, Ocean was simply joining Blake on the brief road trip to create content for his publication, BoysDontCry Magazine. But rather than bash the blogs for creating false rumors – which he easily could have done – Blake simply took to Facebook to politely correct them (and a rep for Ocean reached out directly to the publications as well), and the journalists immediately amended their articles.
3. Burn bridges
Publicly bashing is a surefire way to burn bridges, but it can also be done at a smaller, more contained level. If a reviewer doesn't write positive words about your music, it's never a good idea to email them and hurl insults or accuse them of not recognizing good music. Some writers will actually take screenshots of emails like that and post it on their social media channels (an equally unprofessional move). Not only does this burn your bridge with them (that you thought was private), but it makes you look like a jerk to their following. If something goes wrong, you can let the journalist know that you think they were mistaken, but you have to do it in a kind manner.
In the end, not all journalists are created equal; some are friendly and negotiable, others are pompous and rude. If you experience the latter, go with the flow and remain professional. Do not ever let someone egg you on or antognize you, resulting in you saying something you will regret. Every bridge you burn is an opportunity lost to help grow your music. If you haven't accepted that not everyone is going to like your music, then you better get to work on that. U2 sells out arenas over the world, but not everyone likes their music. They get bad reviews. Roll with the punches and be grateful to have press. Don't let your insecurities get the best of you – keep every bridge open and clear, because someone who doesn’t like your music now could be the one who opens a huge door for you in the future.
4. Lie
If a journalist writes up something about you that's negative but also true, don't cower away from the truth by publicly lying. If you know that the story is false, then it's understandable that you'd want to publicly dispute the claims. But if the author is telling the truth, trying to play cover-up will only put your career further at risk.
No one wants his or her career shut down, but sometimes that's the consequence of poor judgment. EDM rising star Ten Walls recently made homophobic comments on his Facebook and his career was shut down overnight. As horrible as what he said was, he did apologize on his Facebook and stepped out of the spotlight (as if he had a choice). Will the industry ever forgive him? It's unlikely. However, if you've done something not so smart, be honest and ask for forgiveness. It may set you back, but you'll have a much better shot at getting back into the industry after the dust settles.
5. Whine
This is arguably the worst way to go about receiving bad press. Of course you're going to be upset – you put your heart and soul into that album, but then someone didn't like it – and not just anyone, someone important with a big following who you admire. It's going to sting, and you're going to want to complain, but resist. See it as an opportunity to grow and critique yourself. Don't let a bad review or an inaccurate publication ruin your dreams. It's not the end, though it can feel like it. Just remember, getting press means your music is being heard. If no one writes about you, it's likely that you're not getting plays. If your press isn't going well, you're still being heard. Work on making what they hear sound better. You have their attention, so focus inward on what you can do to grow.
[How to Make a Bad Review Work for You]
As we mentioned above, no matter how talented you are or how many fans you have all over the world, you can't please everyone. Independent artists depend on press to help launch their music to new listeners, and unfortunately, not everyone is going to like your music, nor is everyone going to represent you accurately. Have a plan ready for when your band gets a bad review or negative misquote. You're going to get great press along the way that will help grow your audience, but you'll always have to sort through the weeds. Stay confident, stay professional, and stay focused!
Sam Friedman is an electronic music producer and singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. His music blends experimental ambience with indie-driven dance music. In addition to pursuing his own music, he is a New Music Editor for Unrecorded and is passionate about music journalism. Check out his music and follow him on Twitter @nerveleak.
