Touring is a big deal for musicians as it takes significant time, effort, and resources. A successful tour is an important part in advancing a musician’s career as it expands your fanbase, increases your revenue and sets yourself up for continued success. Without effective tour press, even the most talented artists risk performing to smaller audiences than they deserve. Let’s explore a case study on the power of tour press. The recent success of renowned cellist and composer Ian Maksin underscores exactly why hiring a professional publicist for tour press is crucial.
What Is Tour Press?
Tour press is media coverage like interviews, concert previews, and broadcast segments that run in locally focused media outlets in advance of your shows and reaches your target audience. It significantly boosts your visibility, attendance, and reputation in these cities.
We certainly recommend utilizing your social media to promote your tour, but hiring a publicist for tour press outreach as well, is significantly less expensive than marketing your tour dates in each city AND can often produce better, more long-lasting results.
A Case Study on The Power of Tour Press: Ian Maksin
Composer/cellist, Ian Maksin‘s recent winter tour is a textbook example of how effective publicity can translate directly into audience growth and artist recognition. First we ensured we had the needed press materials like captivating photos and video clips, then researched all the appropriate media outlets and contacts for our media target lists. We then serviced a press release to each city detailing the Who, What, and Where of the tour. We followed this up with another press release giving more color and details on the concert repertoire. Throughout this time we sent personal notes and made phone calls to journalists, as well as scheduled the interviews and photo placements for media coverage.
Here are a few standout press moments from the tour press and why they are meaningful:
- Deco Drive (WSVN Fox in South Florida) aired a segment on their popular and reputable entertainment news show spotlighting Ian’s performance and music to a massive regional audience. Not only did this air on TV, but the segment lives online as well.
- WKYC Cleveland (NBC) didn’t just feature Ian once, but twice—airing interview segments on December 20th and again on January 9th—reaching thousands of potential concertgoers in the Cleveland area.
- Ian’s engaging performance and interview segment on WBEZ’s Reset with Sasha Ann Simons, reaching NPR’s discerning listener base, emphasized his global musical message, drawing in an audience that values authentic, meaningful performances. They also shared a clip on their YouTube channel.
- Prestigious print outlets like the Chicago Tribune, and Boston.com included Ian’s performances in their event calendars and featured previews, lending crucial credibility and visibility in each city.
Because of targeted tour press:
- Ian’s concerts experienced a noticeable boost in ticket sales, driven directly by media attention. These press hits also get the attention of event bookers at even larger venues giving him more opportunities to perform and visit these cities again.
- He gained valuable on-camera and radio exposure, strengthening his public image and narrative. He can now share these clips with his existing audience from around the world utilizing the press clips as previews for future shows and albums.
- Strong local press relationships were formed, setting the stage for future tours and media opportunities. Journalist that weren’t able to cover the show this time around, now have familiarity with Maksin increasing odds for coverage next time he’s in town.
Ian Maksin’s tour success case study proves that great music combined with the right timing, a captivating story, and targeted media outreach is the ultimate recipe for growth.
At Breaking Creatives Agency, our mission is to turn your tour into headline-worthy news. Let’s talk about getting your music the spotlight it deserves.
Contact us today and amplify your next tour.