From Startup To Spotlight: How PR Can Transform Your Music Tech Business

We are part of a fast-paced world where hundreds of startups launch and fail on a daily basis. In this ultra-competitive space, how can one get noticed, enough for internal and external stakeholders to sit up and take note? How do you get customers, investors, and potential talent to get attracted to your venture in a classy way that is not over the top and yet gets to the target audience? Public Relations, or PR in short, is that game changer that can catapult your venture to fame and get you to become the talk of the town, so to speak!

With technology becoming a part and parcel of every aspect of life,  especially with the arrival of AI, data analytics, and edge computing, the way industry has transformed its operations, marketing, branding and all aspects has been revolutionary. Much like fintech,   health tech, edtech, and  femtech, musictech is also an emerging segment thanks stands to gain immensely in the new order of things. Leadings music tech startups like  Beatoven.ai, Aiva, Amper Music    have led the    new-age music industry and  enabled several  independent musicians, artists and content creators  to collaborate and create exceptional results. 

The Indian music industry,  valued at around 24 billion Indian rupees at the end of 2023, is   expected to grow to  37 billion rupees by the end of 2026, growing at a whopping CAGR of  14.7 percent.   With a push from the government incentivising this IT revolution in the country, we are slated for higher and more aggressive growth in the musictech sector. 

In the crowded space of music and entertainment,   strategic communication and creativity can help  your brand stand out. More often than not , businesses highlight their product and technology or discuss securing funding, but they  frequently  don't  realize the power of storytelling and how effective it can be to engage audiences and generate brand awareness. Having onboard a PR and communications team that aligns with your brand’s goals and vision can  change the narrative being put out there, thus creating  visibility, at the same time building a reputation in the industry. And it is not just about the brand. While PR plays a vital role in creative brand awareness, brand recall, brand visibility and brand recognition, it         creates  a compelling story around the brand and its founders, establishing them as  thought leaders in the industry. 

Here is how PR can help you up the game:

Brand Awareness: As we know,  technology and AI have   revolutionized  the music industry, thus   making it a highly competitive and crowded space. In such a situation, an effective     Public Relations strategy can work wonders and make your brand stand out in the noise.      Once the  PR team is identified and onboarded, it works in synergy with the founders and marketing teams to create the right story. The agency  starts by  recognizing the  USPs of the business basis which  they create  a compelling story that  resonates with the target audience. Through robust media outreach  and  media presence through articles,  stand-alone stories, press releases and interviews, your PR team helps bring awareness about your business. 

Creating a name in the Industry: By creating a compelling story for your brand  that highlights  its USP,  PR can help  make a name for your brand.  Through regular media pitching and leveraging  PR professionals' relationships with journalists, the  PR team can help  get recognition in the industry .  The PR team can provide  various speaking   opportunities, panel discussions, video interviews, seminars, podcasts and even industry stories where the brand is mentioned alongside  its competitors and other industry players. These PR tactics  help with brand  recognition and   open  doors for partnerships and  new  opportunities. 

Crisis Management: No startup or rather business is immune to crisis. It can happen anytime and it is absolutely  vital  for the brand to be prepared.    Challenges or crises  can be of any type, such as  product malfunction, negative press, social media mishap, negative reactions or trolls for any of your campaigns . It becomes necessary to have a quick fix in these situations. Having a PR team in this situation does wonders as they  play   a vital role in damage control, managing  public perception, and maintaining  the   brand's integrity. PR takes immediate steps and, helps prevent a full- blown crisis, while    retaining  customer trust and loyalty. 

Attracting  Investors: There are currently over 522 music tech startups in India and  i nvestors keep a track of these upcoming startups, analyze their potential and help them with funding for their growth. While  constantly being on the news, or having a high SEO and ranking in Google  is definitely impressive for  investors,  with increasing competition     it is becoming  difficult for   startups  to gain  investor  attention. To break through the clutter and attract investor’s attention, It is imperative that the media gets regular updates on  your brand and write stories about you. Funding news, expansion news, new product development or partnership news is something investors are constantly looking out for. When investors see you or the brand in the news it creates a positive image and increases  chances of getting funded.  All these and more can be achieved  by using the right PR strategy.       Over the last few years, there are several    music tech startups that  have received funding by using the right PR strategy .    

Networking in the music tech community: The music tech industry is a  tight-knit  community. There are several music events, festivals, industry engagements, and forums that are being organized throughout the year.  Having a strong PR team helps you identify the correct  events, collaborations, influencer associations, and partnerships that will prove  fruitful for your brand. PR teams help your brand foster strong relationships with influencers, journalists, renowned music artists and key leaders. These connections can be valuable and can accelerate growth for your business. 

Designing a Smart Campaign: Designing and executing a creative and engaging campaign for your  startup can help you reach  a wider audience. A good PR team, in synergy with marketing teams, can design, launch and execute creative, digital and  offline campaigns. While dishing out a campaign is when your creativity as a team is at its peak and  a good PR team  always thinks  out of the box and makes  unique  campaigns a reality. Music tech startups can create a lot of buzz and entertainment by   collaborating with independent music artists, influencers and bloggers who can help the  campaign reach   a wider audience. 

With a booming  Indian music industry where  new startups mushroom  every other day, having  a good PR team is quintessential. Like every industry, this industry also has its set of challenges like legal issues, heavy competition, market saturation and the need to constantly innovate  to match the pace. Music tech startups are also investing heavily in the R&D to constantly evolve and as a    result, collaborating with the right PR professionals helps turn eyeballs towards your start-up. A good  PR team gives your brand a positive voice and a powerful story based on   extensive research.   So if you are a young music tech startup, trying to find your voice amidst the noise, hire a PR agency and let them tell the world your story, your way!