Photographer Guide

⭐ REQUESTING SHOWS
- Please go to MSMTeam.org to request all shows.
- If you are interested in covering a show, please search the Airtable sheet with the magnifying glass icon. Also, please note the additional tab of Recent Denials. If we are denied a tour, we can’t request it again (for a while). Additionally, we can't always do the same artist's tours back-to-back, even if it's a different tour. It is EXTREMELY important to request ALL shows through the form.
- Please keep in mind that we do not request shows that are happening in less than a week.
- Adding a show to the sheet doesn’t mean it’s officially assigned to you yet. You’ll usually be notified if you can’t have it for any reason, or you’ll need to manually check the sheet later for an update.
- Shows are assigned based on a number of factors, including seniority, wishlists, and activity. Please keep in mind that the more often that you are publishing articles and participating in the team chat, the better chance you have of your show requests that you want being assigned to you.
- Mel can help with trying to find press contacts once in a while, but finding the contact is ultimately the photographer's responsibility. ALSO, MEL OR ASHLEY WILL SEND ALL PRESS REQUESTS (AND COPY YOU ON THE EMAIL.) No one else may send their own requests without permission.
- Lastly, if you have already requested a show under a different publication, you may not request that same show under MSM.⭐ GUIDELINES
- If you get an approval, either forward it to Mel or message her ASAP letting her know. Alternatively, you can post in the team chat something like, "Approved for ___!"
- Photographers cover mostly original music events. Please note that we do not cover comedy shows or tribute bands.
- Please note that we usually cover each major band on the lineup, if at all possible. Exceptions include if the first opener is a local opener or if you get in late due to box office issues. One reason for this is that sometimes the publicist represents multiple bands on the tour.
- Shows that are massive artists, arenas, or stadiums can only be done by Senior Photographers. This is something assigned over time after seeing enough of your photos and written work.
- For shows in amphitheaters, arenas, or stadiums that are FOH (soundboard), you must have a minimum of a 300mm lens or be able to rent one.
- Almost all festivals (and some shows) require [Preview Coverage] before we apply. Please be comfortable with writing that additional article if you are going to request a festival.
- If you are on assignment for MSM, you are not permitted to take any video from the pit without explicit written permission from the PR/TM that approved you. Additionally, you are not permitted to take any video on your camera from anywhere in the venue without prior permission. You are there on a photo pass, not video, and this will get us blacklisted.
- Please do not photograph your photo pass and post it on social media. Doing so could lead to us being blacklisted by publicists.
- We do not do shows without photos (for example, if they offer a review ticket only.) Even if they offer photos from the tour or house photographer, we do not do this. Also, we don't do shows without reviews, either. Even if it's not for PR, we do a review with every show, every time.
- After the article is live, you must do at least one COLLABORATION post with the MSM account on Instagram. When we request photo passes, we’re promising publicists that we’ll include social media promotion as part of our coverage. This benefits everyone on the team. Collab posts help boost both your visibility and MSM’s, which leads to more access, more recognition, and more opportunities for us all. It’s about working together to grow. So, going forward, collab posts are required for all show coverage. If you have any tech issues or questions about how it works, the Admin Team is always happy to help.⭐ FINDING PRESS CONTACTS
- You can often just search in Google using the terms "press contact" and the artist name (and UK, if applicable). If it doesn't work, sometimes you get enough info to Google that instead.
- Check the artist's official website and Facebook page. For smaller artists, those can often be found there.
- Again, for smaller artists, if you go to their Instagram profile on your phone, there may be an email button at the top.⭐ If you aren't sure, leave it blank and myself or Ashley will work on it. If we can't find it, we'll let you know so you can continue to hunt. 🙂

⭐ Please have your article ready within 48-72 hours of the event for shows, or 7 days for festivals. 72 hours should be the MAX, not the standard. If you know in advance that you can't do it within 72 hours, please do not request the show. If something unexpected arises afterward, please communicate that to your Editor as far in advance as possible. ⭐

• Show Review Tips
• Preview Coverage

Preview Coverage

Most festivals (and some shows) require Preview Coverage to be published prior to even applying for them. We have to list the published link with the application.Preview Coverage is an article hyping up the event to make people want to attend. They basically get free publicity regardless of whether or not they approve us, and they also get to see how well you write.Include:
- Dates and Location(s)
- The artist lineup
- Details about a few of the artists (such as “___ recently released his debut album, ____, so we can expect to hear some of that at the festival”, etc.
- Photos from last year’s event, which are usually listed on the festival website with the Press Application (typically Help or Contact, and then Press)Examples:
- Freaky Deaky: https://www.musicscenemedia.com/freaky-deaky-2023-preview/
- Jingle Ball: https://www.musicscenemedia.com/iheartradios-jingle-ball-announces-nicki-minaj-olivia-rodrigo-and-sza-as-part-of-lineup/
- Kodak Black Day Festival: https://www.musicscenemedia.com/kodak-black-day-festival-is-set-to-be-a-day-to-remember-in-west-palm-beach/

Show Review Tips

1. Intro the show
1. Where, who, venue
2. If the headliner has released something recently, mention it
3. this process can be started days before the show and definitely helps!
2. Each band:
1. take quick notes on your phone during the show and/or maybe a voice memo during your drive home
2. Try a give a quick 2 sentence summary - When they formed, last time they were in your city, genre, fun fact, etc.
3. Mention 2 - 3 songs you liked
3. Performance:
1. How it made you feel
2. Venue staff into it? Other photographers into it?
3. Lots of adjectives - Electrifying, deafening roar of applause, command of crowd, larger than life, etc
4. End with a sentence that makes it seem like you are their PR - “Only a matter of time before…..”
4. Try and sell someone on the band. Our "job" is to hype up the artist and tour.
1. Even if you don’t like them, it’s easy to make it seem like their your favorite band
2. Focus on positives, turn negatives into a positive - “The sound system wasn’t working but that didn’t stop them from….”
5. Link upcoming releases or additional tours
6. Have fun with it. Pretend like your audience is a kid. It’s serious but not that serious. Be professional, of course, but don't be afraid to add personality!
7. End with making the reader feel sorry if they missed the show - “If you missed it, you missed one of the best….”
8. Please have at least 350+ words. Short and sweet is fine, but also be sure that it covers the topic in its entirety.
9. Lots of breaks between paragraphs
1. Music video
2. Gallery or single image
3. Song (Spotify embed)
4. Social Media link(s) - especially important for smaller artists
5. Setlist - you can lookup setlists for most tours here

Journalist Guide

Reviews

- You always want to include some background information, but it doesn’t have to be overly detailed.
- Who is the artist?
- Where are they from?
- What genre(s) do they play?
- What are they known for?
- Be sure to include any relevant information regarding the music itself.
- If it's a single, what album or EP will it be on?
- When was it released or when will it be released?
- If it's a whole album or EP, where does it fall in their discography?
- Does it have an overall concep or theme?
- How does it compare or contrast to previous releases?
- If you enjoy the release:
- What about it was done well?
- What sort of vibe or energy does it give off?
- Do you have any favorite lyrics?
- Highlight any instruments or production elements that caught your attention
- If you did not enjoy the release:
- What about it didn’t you like?
- What could have been done better to make it more enjoyable?
- Try to be constructive in your criticism. It’s okay not to like something, but you have to be able to back up why.
- Try not to use the same adjective(s) over and over when describing the release. This can come off as repetitive to the audience. If you need help finding new words, you can always search for synonyms of the word(s) you’ve already used, or ask Connor for advice (see below.)
- The conclusion is where you’ll briefly summarize your review, as well as provide any additional relevant information (upcoming tours, projects, etc.) Also, please add a Spotify embed and a social media link.
- Album & EP titles get “quotation marks” - no italics are needed.
- Punctuation also goes inside any quotation marks (i.e. if a song title is at the end of a sentence, the period still goes inside the quotations)
- Please have at least 350+ words. Short and sweet is fine, but also be sure that it covers the topic in its entirety.

Interviews

FOR VIDEO/AUDIO INTERVIEWS:
Do NOT forget to RECORD the interview! When you set up a Scheduled Meeting with Zoom, it’s under Advanced Options to “automatically record on local computer” and, also, make sure the video is on for Host and ParticipantFOR WRITTEN/EMAIL INTERVIEWS:
We want to be conversational but professional. Write like you’re talking to a fellow music lover, but keep it polished enough for a front-page feature. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.TIPS:
- Always do more research about the artist than you think that you should. It’ll help the interviewee feel more comfortable and also allow you to get better answers.
- You can search for band/artist interviews online for question ideas, but always make sure to have a handful of personalized questions as well! It can also be extremely helpful to look over previous interviews with that specific artist, too, if you can find any. And another thing that I do is read over the past ten or so Instagram posts to see what they’ve been talking about lately.
- Lay the groundwork first before going more in-depth. We always have specific questions that we want to ask, but getting the preliminary questions out of the way is a good way to get the ball rolling. But, at the same time, try and avoid being redundant or too simplistic with the preliminary questions you have, besides basic introductions.
- Let them speak! Even if there is a slight pause (especially over Zoom), let a few seconds flow in between you and them talking to ensure that they have finished their thoughts. You don’t want them to feel as if you are rushing them, or vice versa.
- Always thank them for their time before/after, and it’s recommended to start off with icebreakers that don’t necessarily have to be published in a Q&A (weather, location, similar interests, etc.).When you finish preparing your interview questions (or if you need help with topics), please message Melissa (Head of Interviews) for approval and/or suggestions.

Welcome to MSM!

Please complete ALL of the following:

1. Please fill out the team info form with your information, preferences, and headshot/bio for the website:

• Team Info

2. Please join the team chat on Discord and introduce yourself in the Introductions channel:

• Team Chat

3. Please review the team guide:

• Team Guide