UK music PR companies for independent artists, by genre

Most UK music PR firms are specialists. A firm that runs brilliant metal campaigns will not be the right call for a folk record, and the agency behind a major-label pop album may never take on a self-released single. The fastest way to the right publicist is to start with your genre and work outward. The directory lists 47 UK PR firms; here they are by specialty, with what each one says it does.

Rock and metal

Hold Tight PR in London has worked the rock, prog and metal scenes since 2010, running print and online PR, radio plugging and digital marketing for artists, labels and festivals, with clients including Nuclear Blast, Napalm Records and Relapse Records. Cosa Nostra PR was formed in the UK in 2012 by Michelle Kerr and Kirsten Sprinks and added a US office in 2017, running transatlantic campaigns for heavy music and events. Duff Press has more than 25 years of hard rock and metal campaigns across the UK and Europe and takes inquiries through its contact form.

For extreme and underground metal, Imperative PR has specialized since 2014 in heavy, death, black, thrash and doom metal, rock and dark ambient. Rage PR works with "bands of the LOUD persuasion" from established acts to new talent, with release planning and transparent pricing, and SickSet Media pairs rock and metal PR with Spotify and YouTube marketing.

Indie and alternative

This is the most crowded lane, so look closely at each firm's roster. Brace Yourself PR in London runs radio, print and online campaigns for indie and alternative acts, with a roster that includes Alvvays, Beach Bunny, Bright Eyes and Cigarettes After Sex. Wall of Sound PR, established in 2012, focuses on alternative and underground music, with a roster that runs through Art Brut, The Spook School and releases on Epitaph and Big Scary Monsters. Stereo Sanctity works a roster that spans indie rock, electronic, experimental and heavier acts, from Boy Harsher to Boris and Calexico.

Smaller firms are worth a look too. Someone Great PR runs press and radio campaigns across national, online and regional media and says it works only with artists it believes in, with recent campaigns for Josienne Clarke, Pedro the Lion and Erased Tapes artists. Duncan Jordan PR brings more than 25 years of experience; Duncan Jordan has been Head of Press at Bella Union since 2002 and takes freelance campaigns for independent labels. At the larger end, Toast Press has been based in Brixton since 2005, and its roster runs from Wolf Alice and Florence + The Machine to Billie Eilish and Clairo.

Regional press specialists

National coverage gets the headlines, but regional newspapers and magazines sell tickets. Two firms make that their focus. Chuffmedia in London has specialized in regional and touring press for recording artists since 2006. Sonic PR in the North West of England gives clients a direct line to Scottish and Irish nationals, local newspapers and specialist regional magazines, with a roster that includes IDLES, Blossoms and Orbital. If you are touring, a regional campaign is often the better use of a limited budget than a national one.

Dance and electronic

Electronic music PR in the UK often targets DJs and radio as well as press. Additive Music PR, founded by Greg Sawyer, specializes in dance and electronic music with a focus on house and techno, across singles, albums, events and artist campaigns. MCPR is a full-service electronic music agency founded by Matt Caldwell in 2012 that handles PR alongside artist development, social, A&R, brand partnerships and radio. MIL-MGMT in Manchester runs house and techno campaigns aimed at DJs, radio, playlists and press, and It's a Promo Thing combines dance music PR with radio plugging from bases in London, Barcelona and the Balearic Islands.

Country, Americana and roots

Lime Tree Music PR in London is dedicated to country and Americana, running PR and radio promotion across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, Australia and New Zealand for artists including Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll. G Promo PR has more than 20 years of experience with Americana, blues, country, folk and bluegrass across print, online and radio in the UK, Ireland and parts of Europe, and offers flexible services to suit different budgets.

Classical

Classical PR is its own world, with its own journalists and broadcasters. Rebecca Driver Media Relations, founded in 2010, works with orchestras, labels and artists including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and Decca Classics. Valerie Barber PR, founded in 1989, builds the reputations of conductors, soloists, orchestras, opera companies and festivals. Nicky Thomas Media is a multilingual boutique agency for UK and European classical music and the performing arts, and Samantha Holderness Music PR works in the UK and France for artists such as Víkingur Ólafsson and Alice Sara Ott.

Pop, hip-hop and urban

Liberty Music PR in Brighton, established in 2016, runs digital press, playlisting, radio and brand partnerships with a stated mission of helping independent musicians manage without a label, and takes submissions through a form on its site. Plugged In PR, founded in 2007, runs TV, radio, publicity, social and podcast campaigns for a roster that ranges from YUNGBLUD to Asake. Stoked PR was founded in 2008 by Kate Head, a former Head of Press at Sony, and Run Music, established by Ben Harris in 2006, runs made-to-measure campaigns across online, print and podcasts.

Multi-genre firms and services for independent artists

A few firms cover many genres and are set up for self-releasing artists. Quite Great has run since 1996 with campaigns across rock, indie, classical, jazz and blues, country and folk, dance and world music, including services for unsigned artists. Prescription PR works from London, Cambridge and Manchester across a very wide genre list and also offers website design, photography and biography writing. Plus Music PR in Brighton, started in 2018, positions itself as a cost-effective press and digital marketing option for independent artists. For radio specifically, Pluggin' Baby offers radio plugging packages for guitar-based artists, run by Emma Scott, who has worked in radio since 1988.

How to choose

Ask every firm which outlets and presenters it will actually pitch, and ask to see recent coverage for artists at your level, not just its biggest names. Be wary of anyone who guarantees placements; coverage is an editorial decision that no publicist controls. Match the firm to your genre first, then to your budget and goals, and give them enough lead time: most campaigns need several weeks before release to land properly.

If you are not ready to hire a publicist yet, the same outlets these firms pitch are in the directory. Heard lists 343 PR firms worldwide alongside the blogs, radio stations and curators they work with, so you can run a smaller campaign yourself first.