Why Performers Need to Keep These 7 Platforms Updated

Back when I used to go to a recording studio to record my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, I learned that one of the biggest compliments that I get about the show is the guests reacting with, “Wow, that’s a great question,” or, as some have said on or off the air, “You ask really good questions!”

While I’m happy to presently have the next few guests booked, I have gone on record before as saying that I’m not a big fan of stockpiling so many episodes in advance that “this will be out in a few months” is the timeline given after the conclusion of the interview recording.

But where do I get these people from, not to mention those that have been on the 371 episodes to-date in the show’s now more than seven-year history?

The sources vary, but for purposes of this week’s blog, it’s more important to share with you what I – and other show hosts, producers, guest bookers, etc. – look for once a guest is found, so that you can best position yourself and not miss out on an opportunity to get interviewed on TV, radio, or a podcast.

Keep in mind that these are destinations where I go to look at performers like you, but whoever is booking you will still ask for additional information in the lead-up to your interview on their show.

(In no particular order)

Website – This is always going to be the place where I start first.  My interest here is the bio (and, if there is one, the News section) as well as somewhere I can see all the music that the artist has released.  In non-pandemic times, I'm also looking at the listing of live shows (preferably upcoming and already completed).  And yes, of course, I expect to see icons for all the platforms below so that it’s easy for me to link over to each one.

Facebook – I’ll spare you by not repeating this for all the others too, but, I want to see that you’re posting regularly.  If the last time you put something up was four months ago, I’m going to assume that you’ve stopped doing music for some reason.  Equally important, though, is the About section/tab.  Unfortunately, Facebook has recently pared that way back, but that’s all the more reason why you should make sure that the fields that they do still have on there are all filled out and that your links work and are up to date.  And please don’t have a Facebook link on your website that goes to your personal timeline.

Twitter – I should’ve said this above, but yes, in addition to are you putting up content regularly, of course I’m looking to see what kind of following you have.  Twitter, believe it or not, is one place I know I can count on to see where a guest is located as well as find a good link (i.e., to their website, or a Linktree that will give me lots of options).  I’m not a fan of Twitter accounts that are just linked to your Facebook and/or Instagram and thus have tweets that look messy.

Instagram – You’d be surprised how much I can get from Instagram posts that guests don’t have in the bio or news section that’s on their website or music page on Facebook.  It’s the deep captions that really provide some interesting talking points.  So, when you post an image and just write one sentence (“Really grateful for this opportunity today”) you could be short-changing yourself.  There are even some performers who play multiple instruments that I only find that out because of pictures on their Instagram.  I also like when artists post their end-of-year Spotify graphic that shows the data for their music on that platform for the year that’s winding down.

YouTube – There is more here than you think.  I look at how recently the artist has uploaded a video, whether they’re putting out fully produced music videos (as opposed to lyric videos and/or live performance videos only), and, of course, the quality of what they’re putting out.  If I see they’re with Vevo, that gets my attention too.  Plus, I look at the number of subscribers as well as the views that the videos have gotten (including the total views for all videos on the channel, which is in the About section/tab).  I also look at the About section/tab for any helpful information that might not have been on any of the above sources.

Spotify – I look at the monthly listeners total, how the songs themselves are doing (number of streams), and even the artist bio.  Plus, this is a good place for me to see the artist’s discography.  You’d be surprised how many artists have what I would consider an incomplete profile on Spotify, which is alarming given how many performers are sending people there to pre-save or to stream or follow, etc.

iTunes – I have this on my laptop, even though I’m not an Apple user.  It helps me see release dates for singles, EPs, and albums.  As a result, this (gulp) shines a bright light on huge gaps of time between releases.

Granted, I have been complimented on how thorough I am in preparing for the “Now Hear This Entertainment” interviews each week, but you’ve now gotten a glimpse at seven sources that I – and many others like me – are using to research performers like you.  As mentioned earlier, I’m also asking for assets to be sent to me in advance (including talking points, by the way, so I know what you want me to consider asking you about).

How confident are you in the presence that you have in the seven online destinations talked about above?  If you’re a little unsure, rally around this post to do an audit of what you have – or don’t have – on each of those.

What questions about what I wrote did this conjure up for you now?  Tweet them to me via @NHT_tweets or post them on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Alternatively, write them out in an email to me.  And if you want personalized help, take advantage of my 15-plus years working with music artists by booking a private, one-on-one video consultation with me so we can keep you moving forward in your entertainment career.