The CMJ panelists gave a lot of great advice today for those starting their careers in the music industry. Festival attendants were able to hear from many different label executives, entrepreneurs and media specialists about what is going on in the music industry and how artists or music promoters can have a better understanding of how everything works.

Over the course of the CMJ Music Marathon, there will be various topics being discussed that will help many music and publicity goal-oriented people take their next step toward making a difference in the industry. This afternoon, we heard from three publicists, including Chris Taillie, who has worked with artists like First Aid Kit, Real Estate and Nick Lowe, in a talk about “Creating The Perfect Publicity Campaign For All Levels.” He gave helpful insights to those who are independent artists, who promote their own music, saying it is not necessary to have a major publicity company to promote your music. Social media has changed how the industry works that anyone can be heard by thousands and even millions of people all over the world, just by uploading and building a fan base through various social media avenues.

There was also other discussions on how to best utilize major publicity companies like Rolling Stone, NPR and Pitchfork. One good advice they gave regarding sending your campaign to these companies is to first try to build a relationship with them. If you’re sending an email to someone in NPR, don’t just pitch a project that you want them to be a part of. Rather, in your first email, introduce yourself with no intentions of trying to get them to do something for you. Also, you can even grab their attention in an email by thanking them for something wonderful they have done with music.

Not only is the CMJ informative, it is also a great networking experience. A round-table talk happened today as well, where festival attendants were able to network with various music promoters like Andre Torres- the Founder, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Wax Poetics magazine, Jayce Varde – PledgeMusic’s Head of US Operations, Hannah Carlen – Music Director for radio, and many more. Throughout this time, festival attendants had an opportunity to ask questions and exchange information.

Read mxdwn’s coverage of CMJ 2014 Day One Part One
Read mxdwn’s coverage of CMJ 2014 Day One Part Two