Music Journalism - Everything You Need To Know!

If you have a journalism degree, and you’d like to venture into the music industry, then becoming a music journalist is just the right option for you. 

Wait a second. What is music journalism? Music journalism is a kind of journalism that deals with the reportage of different types of news regarding the music industry, be it streaming statistics, news of singers, performers and emerging artists, and so on. A lot of people work as freelancers when it comes to music journalism because not a lot of media houses engage with music journalism as a separate beat. After all, it comes under the broad spectrum of ‘entertainment news.’

However, if you’d like to narrow down and focus on just music journalism it is probably best if you start as an independent blogger and freelancer. A significant portion of music journalism consists of interviews with performers and business leaders. Reviews, industry investigative reporting, opinion columns, and special features are examples of pretty standard work. 

But be aware that this gets competitive. To stand out and mark your presence, you should master your craft and develop a signature writing style or reportage style that represents you. It is always an advantage if you have a degree in journalism or if you have interned at a media house before because that helps develop your skills and learn from experience. 

However, if you are just starting, these are the basic things you should know and build on, as you work on your skills. 

Communication Skills

This doesn’t just limit to effective communication between you and your interviewees or your clients. It means unambiguously communicating that information. 

Another aspect that you should be aware of is cross-channel communication. This means that you need to learn to communicate through not just one format. If you have great writing skills, you need to be able to learn how to talk on a podcast, if you know that, then try to face the camera. It is always safe to have at least a beginner’s knowledge of all three formats of media communication - print, radio, and broadcast. 

Think about the interviews you will need to conduct in the profession. You need to develop effective communication skills to explain to them the news angle you will be looking for, and be confident enough to conduct an in-person interview. Once you try, you never know, you might just love doing what you do and may want to become an anchor! 

A lot of people who venture into the journalism field, often end up leaning on photojournalism. If that is something you’d like, then you could venture into freelance music events photography. When you are freelancing it is important to develop a website for that specifically. Your blog's company and individuality will also be shaped by your photography aesthetic. 

Research

Imagine you go to interview Taylor Swift and you don’t know her recent release or you haven't even listened to her songs (which is impossible). She and you, both will be awkward and embarrassed. So it’s important to always do your research not only before interviews but before writing your reviews, and opinion pieces. As a music journalist, doing research and collecting pertinent data will be a significant component of your daily tasks. You might need to look for review possibilities by keeping up with the most recent album releases and carnival headliners' speculations. 

Also, a major factor here with your research is to ensure that whatever information you are giving out is true to your knowledge and ALWAYS fact-checked. In case you are not sure about something but you know that people would want to read about it or know it, instead of sensationalizing the news, try to use words like ‘allegedly,’ that will maintain the sincerity of your articles. Make sure that you cite your secondary sources if you are taking information from other articles or news pieces. That way you won’t be accused of plagiarism. Building a network to get your news, having contacts, and always having an ear for local news are very important but not at the cost of misinformation or false data. 

Flexibility 

Music journalism is not a proper 9-to-5 job. It is pretty spontaneous and you should always aim to be the first one to break the news. You may get just the right news but when you’ll be going to bed. You have to be up and about to follow that lead. Since most of the time, you will be freelancing, you will be responsible for finding leads and always looking for good stories about different people in the music industry to tell, be it their new release, something to do with an awards party, or anything else. 

However, it is not always glitz and glamour. You will find more information to give when you will be focusing on trends and stats. For example, the news about streaming services and how much revenue the streaming industry alone is recurring. And not all of this will happen to your set schedule. So it is advisable to not have a schedule. You truly never know when you will get that big news you need to make it big in the industry. Follow anything and everything as long as you fact-check stuff. You definitely can’t be laid back in this profession if you consider music journalism as a full-time job. 

Networking

What is the point of having a journalism degree, if you have absolutely no contacts to help you get a lead for any music story? You can’t sit at home and expect an event manager of a fest to call you and invite you to cover their fest on your blog. You need to develop your network. Do you have friends who are into music making? Get their professional email IDs and save their contacts. They may connect you with more people in the industry. Have a friend who has interned at a record label company? Make that acquaintance. Yes, being social is work. But this will help you, in the long run, to stay relevant in the profession. Speaking of this, read our article in Landing a job in the music industry in 2023

Great Social Media Presence

Yes, being active on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and others is extremely significant specifically because you not only get leads there, but also it will help you promote your blogging or reportage. People will start recognizing you as an authentic source of music news. Be an active user in TikTok too. Post your news, follow up stories, and so on. 

These are just pointers for beginners in the industry. Once you try your hand for a year, you will know and hone many more skills that shall make you more authentic and efficient. 

We at GreaseRelease, have a bunch of curators on our network who are looking for new & exciting music to push on their massive playlists. If you make music and want to reach a wider audience, check out our submission platform and get a chance to reach millions of listeners! Submit your tracks now! 

 

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