Artist Managers: How musicians are using social media to build their brands
Andrew Green
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Andrew Green talks to the artist managers who are harnessing the power of social media to help their musicians build their brand – and their audience too
An intriguing column in the September issue of BBC Music from Richard Morrison, chief music critic of The Times, was headlined ‘Harnessing social media’s power is crucial for classical music’s survival.’ Citing the example of the huge social media following for organist Anna Lapwood, Morrison suggests more classical musicians should be breaking through to the kind of online profile that truly engages with the general public and potential new audiences.
Morrison bewails the fact that social media tools aren’t exploited ‘to anything like the extent to which they are being utilised in other branches of show business, politics or retail.’ And calls on ‘performers, conductors, composers, critics, agents, academics or simply music lovers’ to ensure that classical music is part of the ‘national conversation.’ Otherwise, he reckons, ‘the artform we love will simply fade into irredeemable irrelevance.’
“If you want to maintain your relevance in the years to come, you should start investing in your social and digital media presence now”
So… artist managers (‘agents’) are cited as having a responsibility here. What then do those in PR/marketing positions within artist managements have to offer by way of response? Lauren O’Brien, digital communications officer at the HarrisonParrott office must feel Morrison is preaching to the converted. Social media, she says, ‘is an essential tool to shed light on music and musicians that a new audience may have never heard of before. You only have to scroll through TikTok or Instagram to be inundated with classical music. There’s a definite rise in the appetite for exposure to it.
‘Social media is a priority communication channel at HarrisonParrott. We encourage our artists to engage with it. We have an in-house social media management service to support artists in managing their accounts and creating appropriate content for their audiences, for sharing across all the major social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube Shorts.’ HarrisonParrott’s associated brands—the Birdsong publishing wing and the Polyarts speciality which works in the gaps between classical and commercial music—are also highly active in social media territory.
©Marc Gascoigne
Over at the Intermusica artist management office, communications and marketing director Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan (pictured above) outlines a similar dedication to social media. ‘We place a great deal of importance in helping our artists to build their own audiences strategically… and in a way that protects their reputation. Our general premise is that if you want to maintain your relevance in the years to come, you should start investing in your social and digital media presence now.’
Last year saw Intermusica launch its Amplify initiative, offering a range of digital services for artists on the company’s roster. ‘These include social media strategy and support,’ Boyd-Vaughan explains. ‘Through these services, we’ve been able to help our artists better understand the social media landscape and find opportunities to cut through the noise and attract new and diverse audiences.’
“Social media is an essential tool to shed light on music and musicians that a new audience may have never heard of before”
Appropriate, winning content for social media posts? O’Brien and Boyd-Vaughan are of one mind when it comes to emphasising that it needs to convey authenticity rather than a false superficiality. As another artist manager puts it to me, ‘Personally, I love it when artists post stuff which shows they’re otherwise just normal human beings… reporting their visits to an art gallery, a morning run or time with friends and family. That feels more authentic than obsessing with one’s positioning on social media.’
Equally, the same manager stresses that it has to be the individual artist’s choice whether to explore social media’s potential… and if so, in what precise manner. ‘Yes, social media offers opportunities to reach new audiences and I’m sure someone like Leonard Bernstein would have maximised its potential had this facility been around in his lifetime, but it’s not for everybody. We can advise and encourage, but ultimately our job as managers is to support artists in what they decide to do and help them play to their strengths.’
Boyd-Vaughan spells out that there are ‘plenty of exceptional musicians operating at the highest levels who have no social media presence whatsoever. I’m certain they’ll continue to bring in bookings on their reputation and artistry alone. But for those emerging into the professional world or looking to shift up a gear, investing in one’s personal brand can certainly support this.’
Boyd-Vaughan stresses the need for artists and managers to constantly re-assess trends in the social media world and exercise ‘an unbridled creativity and willingness to experiment.’ Finding space in musicians’ busy careers is nonetheless an issue, he says. ‘Professional musicians are talent-rich yet time-poor. The idea of having to spend time thinking about what to post on Instagram when you’re focussed on preparing for a concerto at the Concertgebouw is just not possible for most. This is why many musicians operating at the highest levels will work with external PR and marketing agencies to help manage their socials… but that can come with a hefty price-tag. For those who aren’t ready to make that level of financial commitment, we recommend using scheduling tools such as Hootsuite, Sendible, Loomly or Later, which allow you to set up posts in advance to send automatically at times when you know you’ll be especially busy.’
All the above views things from the perspective of individual artists’ social media presence… but how can artist managements present themselves in order to play their part in ensuring classical music doesn’t ‘fade into irredeemable irrelevance’? At HarrisonParrott, Lauren O’Brien insists, there’s plenty of awareness of this dimension. ‘For example, on our TikTok channel we have a series which explores what it’s like to visit your first opera… which we hope may encourage some to go and see an opera for the first time. I think you have to focus on what you can do to help spread the love for classical music on social media without getting weighed down about the idea of its survival. Authenticity is what people want from social media.’
Boyd-Vaughan points out that ‘… at Intermusica we recognised early on the added value that an artist management, with its own strong social media presence, can provide to artists. Our audiences are wider than purely our business customer base and we tailor our own content to include artists’ fans and general classical music audiences.’
All in all, adds O’Brien, artist managers provide just one element in the wider music industry effort. ‘If you do what you can with authentic content, you’ll be making a small but significant difference to the perception of classical music online.’
