In practically every aspect of the music industry, men dominate women and non-men. According to USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, women and non-men make up 21% of Billboard’s Top 100 artists, 12.7% of songwriters, and only 2.8% of producers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women and non-men comprise about 61% of PR specialists–though A&R, business development, and executive positions remain predominantly male.
PR, or Public Relations, is a genre of communication that focuses on promotion, generating media attention, and getting exposure for clients. Specifically, music PR works to get exposure for an artist they represent through interviews, album reviews, press releases, tour announcements, radio airplay, journalism coverage, and everything in between. Despite what it sounds like, PR is a very taxing job that requires constant creativity, strong communication skills, and innovation.
As an independent publication, working with music publicists is vital to the success of Musaholic Magazine. Most single and album reviews come from music publicists that reach out to us and let us hear the music firsthand. These are also the people that get us our review tickets and photo passes. Without them, not only would Musaholic Magazine struggle to exist, but the entire music industry would be in total shambles.
March was National Women’s History Month and served as a time to honor the achievements and contributions that women of all backgrounds have made throughout the United States, past and present. As the month came to an end, I wanted to highlight some of the amazing history-makers that we work with on a consistent basis. Here is a list of some of our favorite music publicists:
Becky Kovach – Big Picture Media
Big Picture Media (BPM) is a favorite media team of ours. They have offices in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for us to connect with them and work with each other.
Becky Kovach is, and always will be, a super important part of my personal growth as a music journalist and concert photographer. She works with iconic pop-punk band Taking Back Sunday–a band that I grew up listening to–and approved me for their annual holiday show at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. This was my third ever photo pass, and I just remember leaving that venue with the biggest smile on my face. Because of Becky’s decision to approve me, I knew that working in the music industry was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Becky is the senior executive publicist at Big Picture Media, a boutique entertainment PR firm. As of February 2024, Becky has been with BPM for 10 years! She’s been very fortunate to not run into any complications as a woman working in the music industry, and worked with some of the most incredible clients. Of course–there’s always that odd security guard who will question her pass at a venue or why she’s in a green room (and I’m pretty sure every single woman in this industry can relate to this).
While going to shows is a big part of being a music publicist, her day-to-day job includes sending hundreds of emails, writing press releases, creating press packs, coordinating interviews, and researching publications to make sure we’re pitching the right artists to the right people. “It’s a role that requires organization and detail-oriented thinking and planning,” Becky says. “Truthfully I feel like a lot of people don’t actually know what a publicist does! There’s a scene in the Netflix show ‘Master Of None’ where the main character is dating a music publicist and someone asks him what she does–his response is something along the lines of: ‘I don’t know but we go to a lot of free concerts!’”
Becky adores helping tell her clients’ stories. “They put so much work into their art and our job as publicists is finding the right audience for it,” she says. “There’s nothing better than securing a piece that helps our artists feel seen and understood.”
BPM has been working with To Write Love on Her Arms practically since the organization began and Becky got to work with them directly for several years. To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and thoughts of suicide, while also investing in treatment and recovery. “Mental Health is so important and getting to help spread their message is a time in my career that I’ll always appreciate,” Becky says.
Excitedly, Becky has gotten to work with so many artists that she grew up listening to and were a huge part in why she wanted to work in the music industry in the first place. Some bands Becky has worked with are Bayside, Simple Plan, The Early November, Cartel, Motion City Soundtrack, and so many more. Becky is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with so many artists who have been influential in her personal life.
When asked about advice for other women who want to work in the music industry, Becky says to get as much experience as possible and build your network! “Interning is a great way to get your foot in the door, as well as familiarize yourself with how to write press releases, draft pitches, and what target publications look like in different genres.”
“PR is also very much about your relationships with writers/photographers–building trust and respect with the people you work with. So just be nice!” Becky finishes.
Becky can be found on Twitter and Instagram @beckystrz. Big Picture Media can be found on Facebook and Instagram as @bigpicturemedia and on Twitter as @bigpicturenyc.
Taylor Palmby – Atom Splitter PR
Unofficially, we call Atom Splitter PR (ASPR) our “heavy metal PR contacts” since they work primarily with rock, metal, and heavier bands in the scene. ASPR has clients both old and new, from 80s rocker Alice Cooper to iconic guitarist Laura Cox.
My first experience with ASPR was back in January when I connected with Taylor Palmby to cover the Metalcore Dropouts Semester 2 Tour after one of my editors, Sarah Rosin, could no longer do it. Taylor approved us within 3 days and as soon as I saw that smiley face at the end of her message, I knew she would be someone I’d look forward to working with in the future.
Taylor is a 28-year-old New York City gal who has a huge passion for music. She’s been working in the music industry for about 5 and a half years and started by working at HeartSupport, a mental health nonprofit organization dedicated to using music to inspire people to open up about their mental health. Taylor has worked a variety of different jobs but she is currently with HeartSupport and does tour press for Atom Splitter–which has been a dream!
Like Becky, Taylor has been extremely lucky with her experience in the music industry. The team at HeartSupport is very small and for a long time, Taylor was the only woman on the team. “That was odd at times,” Taylor says, “But the men who work at HeartSupport are the kindest, most encouraging, inspiring people I know. They do a really great job of making sure I am respected by all the artists we work with.”
Taylor is very proud of the HeartSupport YouTube channel where the team analyzes lyrics and discusses how they can be used to improve an individual's mental health. They recently analyzed every Slipknot music video, and every week over 200 people open up about their mental health on their channel. Check it out here.
Working at Atom Splitter as a woman has been a different journey. In a 2018 study by Pauwke Berkers and Julian Schaap, it’s reported that with a sample of more than 350,000 metal musicians, 97% of them are men and only 3% are non-men.
Taylor works closely with Amy Sciarretto, the founder and principal of ASPR. “Amy is a trailblazer and I always feel so inspired by her,” Taylor says. “My inspiration has always been my love for the scene. Music has always been medicine for me, and the bands I work with now, are some of the same bands that helped me get through really hard times. Growing up I always felt like a misfit, but I never felt that way in the hardcore scene. I always wanted to use music to help others in the same way it helped me.”
According to Taylor, a big misconception about being a music publicist is that they have an unlimited number of tickets to give out, “I wish it was, but when I can’t accommodate a ticket request I’m not trying to be mean, I just really don’t have many tickets to give.”
When asked about what she finds most rewarding, Taylor told me, “EVERYTHING!!!” Working in the scene has been the biggest gift to her inner child and she gets to work with bands she’s listened to for her whole life and help new bands bring their music to the masses. Additionally, the people Taylor gets to work with are incredible. “I think there’s something really special about the hardcore scene in particular, most people who love this type of music have struggled with their mental health, and that often makes them incredibly empathetic and kind. I’ve met some of my best friends in this industry.”
Taylor also understands the importance of relationships in a field like PR. “Focus on building relationships, ask people to coffee, be nice to people, reach out to people who have jobs you are interested in. Don’t be shy!!!”
You can connect with Taylor on her personal Instagram @taylorpalmby and check out more about HeartSupport here!
Eter Matsiashvili – Cosa Nostra PR
To put it in simple terms, Eter Matsiashvili is one of the most important players to Musaholic Magazine. Eter first joined the Cosa Nostra PR team as an intern in June of 2019, and worked her way up to becoming their Tour & Emerging Talent Publicist in August of 2021.
Eter works alongside many other women from different parts of the world who share her love and passion for music. “You need to have a real love for the music when you’re a part of a band’s team and I think a lot of people can forget that,” Eter tells me.
When she was in middle school, Eter remembers thinking about how she wished her favorite bands had more exposure opportunities, “Another year without a tour? Bummer. Only selling merch with their band logo? I guess it’ll do for now. Why isn’t (insert YouTuber name here) talking about them yet? Maybe some interviews will come out soon…I always wanted my favorite bands to become more popular and I was constantly thinking of ways to spread the word about them. Twitter and Tumblr were my personal favorites. By the time I had gotten to high school, people were always saying to me, ‘you’re going to a concert again tonight?’”
As she became more involved in the behind-the-scenes industry, Eter gained a better understanding of the way things operated and she thought about how she could fit into a role behind the screens. “Lil ol’ me didn’t have much knowledge about these things but I really did love the idea of PR and marketing…I’m 100% a part of the fan-to-music industry pipeline,” Eter says. (Me too, Eter. Me too.)
Eter loves to see fans’ reactions live. Live shows and pop-up events have always meant a lot and she recalls feeling a fuzzy feeling in her stomach when she sees fans singing along in big crowds. She loves following along with her clients on social media and reading comments or seeing a Tweet about how someone is excited for their magazine featuring her client to come in.
Maybe one of the most important things Eter stresses is being able to see the joy that her work brings to her clients and their fans. Eter feels a sense of pride when she sees someone care so much about a project that she believes deserves that very recognition. It’s a big part about why she does what she does.
Return to Dust, an up-and-coming heavy rock band, works heavily with Eter and Cosa Nostra PR. In fact, she connected us with them for Musaholic Magazine Issue 5 and gave me the opportunity to do my first ever cover story and music interview! I learned a lot about the band and even a bit about their appreciation for Eter. “Our publicist brought [us] a Return to Dust cake with our logo on the top. It was such a sweet moment,” Matty told me.
“[They are] the most deserving guys with such powerful messaging in their music. The band and the rest of their team are such lovely human beings and it speaks volumes,” Eter says. “I think rock music needs them, just as much as they need rock music. And I’ve never seen that with any other band before. Their upcoming debut record is set for release on May 3rd and they’re already performing at Welcome to Rockville & Sonic Temple in the same month. I’m so proud of them and everything they continue to accomplish and I’m so grateful to be along for the ride.”
Eter has also worked with Wind Walkers, another band she connected Musaholic Magazine with. Together, we were able to give the guys their first ever cover! She can’t wait to see them perform live again and desperately hopes that someone takes them on tour soon because they deserve it. Of Virtue, the cover of our latest issue, was a whirlwind of a campaign. She joined their team just two weeks before their album release and while it was chaotic, Eter says she would do it all over again. “Their manager is one of the best in the industry,” she says. “Brandi, of course, is also a plus.”
At the end of the day, Eter is proud of every single project she’s ever worked on and is so appreciative of the opportunity to work with so many talented people on a daily basis. “To everyone who I’ve had the chance to work with–thanks for letting me be a part of the team!” Eter finishes.
When asked about advice for women who want to work in the music industry, Eter stresses the importance of networking. “Do your best to go to live shows as often as you can and get to know your local music scene. That means the people going to shows, the employment at the venues, everyone,” Eter tells me. “By doing that, people will get to know you and be able to put a face to your name. You never know who will have the chance to vouch for you about a potential opportunity.”
Eter finishes our interview with some very valuable insight. “If someone is being a jerk to you, chances are that they’re a jerk to everyone and it has nothing to do with you. Small people like to make others feel small so that they can make themselves feel better. Don’t reciprocate, just try your best to move on. Your work will speak louder for you than any words can.”
Thank you to Eter for your contributions and continued support of Musaholic Magazine. We owe so much to the opportunities you’ve presented us over these past few months.
Eter can be found on Instagram @eeteerr and on LinkedIn under Eter Matsiashvili.
Nicole Rich – Big Loud Rock
Nicole has been the Director of Promotion & Publicity at Big Loud Rock for the last 8 months and has been studying in the field since 2014, where she went to school for Public Relations. Nicole has worked with lots of women across her fields and can confidently say that she feels comfortable as a woman in the music industry.
She’s always dreamed about working in the music industry and was lucky enough to solidify her place in it at an early age by running a Justin Beiber fan page on Twitter back in 2009 that grew to have over 26,000 followers. This accomplishment meant to not only employers, but Nicole as well, that she could absolutely do this for a job. And that’s exactly what she did.
“There’s a big misconception that media coverage is hard to get these days compared to back in the day. The media has evolved–whether it’s social media pages, websites and blogs, or podcasts and playlists,” Nicole says. “There’s always ways to get exposure for new music.”
Nicole feels most rewarded when she gets opportunities to make her clients succeed, from earning coverage spots or simply gaining new fans.
OSTON is one of the first artists that Nicole had ever worked with as an independent publicist. “Running around Lollapalooza with her after she got added to perform at the last minute and set up as much press as we could on-site will always be something I remember,” Nicole tells me.
When it comes to advice for other women who want to work in the music industry Nicole says, “Don’t be afraid to be loud and assertive–there’s a fine line between being pushy and getting shit done, and you want to be mindful about your approach towards others.”
Ava Tunnicliffe – Tallulah PR
Ava Tunnicliffe of Tallulah PR resides in New York City. Despite her location, Ava has a strong presence around the world and has clients from multiple continents and time zones, showcasing the significance of her work.
While Ava founded Tallulah PR in 2017, she’s worked in the music industry over a decade, and started her career working at a major record label. “It was definitely quite the challenge as a fresh out of college 21-year-old woman,” she says. Ava notes that major record labels were (and still are) heavily male-dominated and while things seem to be improving, it made her job a bit of a struggle. “It was always disheartening to me to see so few women in positions of power in the music business and it made it very hard for me to see how I would move up the ranks when there were very few women to look up to in those roles–through no fault of their own, may I add.”
Ava is referring to the glass ceiling, a metaphor that highlights the invisible barrier that prevents marginalized people from being promoted to higher positions in a company or industry. These barriers are rooted in systemic misogyny and racism–which is why when women like Ava ‘break’ the glass ceiling, it is such a monumental and inspiring event.
Ava has always been incredibly passionate about helping women break into the music industry, whether they’re artists or working on the business side of things. “There’s still a lot of work to be done in all facets of the industry, but it has been great to see more women move into positions of power,” she says. “I’m always willing to chat to women trying to break into the music industry and offer any tips I’ve learned over the last decade in the industry. I do whatever I can to pay it forward!”
Following that, Ava tells me, “I think some people think PR is easy and that it’s just about pitching into a void and hoping for the best. While a lot of my job is sending emails, the parts of my job I love most are helping artists to find their voice and brand identity and building genuine relationships with my media contacts.”
One of the biggest challenges Ava faces as a publicist is adapting to the ever-changing media industry. The role of a publicist has changed so much over the last decade and it requires a lot of thinking outside the box these days (which Ava says can be super fun!)
She loves helping artists develop their stories and then sharing those stories around the world. Ava considers herself lucky because she gets to work with so many amazing and inspiring artists who have important messages to share with the world.
Ava worked with Finneas from 2018–2020 and loved being a part of his meteoric rise. She also had the chance to work with bloghouse legend Uffie on her return to music which was exceptionally exciting since Ava has been a big fan of hers growing up.
“Honestly, I strive to only work on projects that make me proud. I love all of the artists on my current roster equally,” Ava says.
To women who want to work in the music industry, Ava says to connect with other women who are also trying to break into the music industry or with women who you admire in the music industry. “It’s so important to have a supportive network. While it can be hard, it’s important to keep learning, growing, and to not get discouraged by setbacks,” Ava says. “Be confident in your abilities and don’t be afraid to speak up!”
Tallulah PR can be found on Instagram and Twitter under @tallulahpr_ and Ava’s personal socials can be found under @ava_tallulah!
Sarah Facciolo – Facci PR
I got to speak directly with Sarah on a Zoom call and I can confidently say, without a doubt, that she is a trailblazer and an inspiration.
Sarah has worked in the music industry for nearly 16 years, starting as an intern at Columbia Records. She had the opportunity to work with music PR veteran Benny Tarantini (also known as Adele’s publicist!) and it was an eye-opening experience that solidified Sarah’s desire to work in the music industry. Sarah then graduated with a degree in Public Relations from Hofstra University and moved to New York.
“I roughed it, you know, I was in an apartment that had no washer and dryer, but I had three internships,” Sarah tells me. She got her first gig at Razor & Tie Records, where she began her career for three years. “It really showed me the basics of PR…I kinda moved up my way through other independent PR companies and that’s when I really started building [my career] every step I went…my goal always was to start my own company and I made this great relationship with a marketing company called Black Box.”
Sarah showed off her talents and accomplishments to Livia Tortella, the founder and CEO of Black Box, and an Atlantic Records executive, and the Black Box Team wanted Sarah on their team. While Sarah got her solo project up and running, she entered a contract with Black Box, and continues to work with them today.
It’s been 5 years since the start of Facci PR and Sarah has, and continues to, work with everybody from big to small and one of her highlights is booking one of her clients, John Oates, on the Masked Singer in 2023.
Sarah also helped indie-rock band *repeat repeat open for The Black Keys and Modest Mouse in 2019. “Seeing a band that’s been working their ass off and then being able to open for The Black Keys is just so cool,” Sarah says. “...It’s always fun to book TV–I’ve done Live With Kelly and Ryan, Rachel Ray, and even Kelly Clarkson.”
In the beginning of her career, Sarah was reminded how male-dominated the music industry is. “My whole goal for my own company is to prove that you can get the same results without signing on with a full-on company…being an independent firm, I can still get the same results for my clients.” Sarah is an entrepreneur and her ultimate goal is to start her own record label one day.
And I just want to say–with the attitude and endurance that Sarah has, she can absolutely do this and I look forward to the day it happens.
“As a woman, you have to hustle and prove yourself,” Sarah adds. “In this industry, no matter your gender, if you’re passionate about the industry, that’s all that really matters.”
The challenges Sarah faces vary from client to client and day to day. She worries about the constant news of layoffs and merging of companies and notes that short-staffing makes her job as a music publicist more difficult. As someone who has been in the music industry for nearly 16 years, Sarah watched as physical prints and magazines dwindled down and were replaced by digital outlets and online spaces.
Sarah primarily stays away from AI, wondering if it’s going to take away the creativity and individuality of music. “There’s always new things. I mean, when Spotify came in, it changed the way streaming was for the whole world. Anyone can put music out; it has its pros and cons. I have mixed feelings about [AI], I still want to learn more about it and see what happens.”
Sarah also taught me that most publicists don’t have the power to get music on Spotify or Apple Music playlists as easily as it’s thought. Some do, but most don’t, and it’s certainly not an easy task.
“Meeting people, all different types of people, from all over the world [has been most rewarding],” Sarah says. She’s worked with clients all the way from Australia and points out how different every artist is. “Maybe they sound like each other but their personalities are their own species. It’s amazing to watch and one of the best thrills of my job is giving them their results and seeing them be appreciative.”
Sarah lives and breathes to help her clients make strides and she didn’t need to tell me this for me to realize. Sarah is an incredibly passionate and inspiring woman and someone who I already look up to. I’m sure some people get involved in the music industry for the money but not Sarah. In fact, I don’t think any of the women on this list are in this industry for the money.
Each woman I covered truly cares about the music and about helping others and at the end of the day, isn’t that what matters the most? I think so.
Wrapping Things Up
I am incredibly grateful that none of the women I spoke to have had any poor experiences working in the music industry. That being said, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. With an industry that is so heavily dominated by men, particularly cisgender men, it’s safe to assume that misogyny is rooted in the system.
Musaholic Magazine is growing everyday and we continue to work with new PR and media companies all the time. I’ve discovered more new artists from random coverage request emails than I can count on one hand, and all of that is thanks to the wonderful ladies that choose to work with us. While I specifically chose a few women that I’ve personally had connections with, the Musaholic Team has worked with countless others like Stephanie, Dayna, and Kalie from Big Picture Media, Michelle, Kirsten, Charley and Becky from Cosa Nostra PR, and Danielle from Stunt Company. The point being–there are A LOT of incredible, talented, and amazing women who help Musaholic Magazine succeed and we are incredibly thankful for all of them.
Without all of the women who help make the music industry thrive and run, we would not be able to do what we do without you. Thank you for keeping the music alive!
