ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

My name is Brenda Juliet, I'm 28 years old and a Freelance Music Publicist

So what do you actually do?

As a Music Publicist, my role is primarily looking after an artist's reputation in the media via online and print publications. I secure coverage for new releases, put artists forward for media opportunities and brand campaigns, as well as sharing their upcoming releases with journalists.

What has your career path been?

Haha, it's been interesting. I studied PR at uni back in 2010 while I was also blogging on the side. I didn't get the chance to do a placement during my time studying so when I left, it took a lot of grafting.

I was in retail for a little while, gave birth to my daughter and fought my way into PR as I had no experience on my CV. Over time, I naturally built relationships through my blogging days and carried them through with me over time.

I landed a role at a B2B Tech agency called Nelson Bostock Unlimited. I had a great time there and learnt a lot of the smaller disciplines I carry now when working.

After a year and a half, I moved to a Music PR agency. After a few very short months there, I felt really uninspired to work my way up and took a leap of faith to go freelance!

What is the best part of your job?

Definitely the artists that I work with. I don't like to look at my role as a publicist as just my job so I feel it's super important to build relationships with them and the team.

What inspired you to do your job?

I started off as a music blogger for an outlet called Link Up TV, so I've always loved the idea of helping artists get to the next level of their career.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Network, network, network! Definitely be open to meeting and connecting with new people.

Final words?

As glamorous as the role looks, it is definitely a tough one! But if you have a genuine passion for music and seeing artists develop in their career, the tasks involved in role will come extremely naturally to you.

Check out Brenda’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

No day is ever the same in PR! But I wouldn't have it any other way.

In the morning, I'd do coverage checks to see if any coverage has gone live overnight, if there has been a recent release, then flag to the client and the team. Most days are spent looking at relevant publications I can pitch my artists for; whether it be short read features, long read profile opportunities or interview features.

Aside from this, there are a lot of calls involved which is all part of the consultancy side of PR. I'd schedule in regular catchups with clients and their teams - depending on the length of the campaign, these would either be weekly or biweekly. I love these as we get a chance to exchange and share ideas, any feedback from both sides, next steps for the campaign and just have a general chit chat too.

Other days consist of the really intricate admin sides of the role not many get to see, so the prepping of mailing lists, drafting press releases, creative brainstorms, writing pitching and of course - reports! Fridays tend to be my busiest day, especially as they are traditionally both release days and reporting days, so it's always a busy period for me before seeing myself into the weekend!

In addition to this part of my role, I also take a lot of new business calls and create supporting creative decks to share with potential clients. These help to see whether I'd align with the wider campaign strategy or simply to provide an insight of what a campaign would consist of - these are always tailored to the artist and their vision.

I love shoot days! Seeing an artist being styled and getting into the swing of being in front of the camera is very fun, but also breaks the ice a little and get's them out of their shell a little bit. Most of the time there is always great food and drink on set too, so that's a plus. I've had a few favourite shoot days including Prettyboy DO's and Gabzy's, but my favourite one is definitely NSG's.