Sat. Jan 25th, 2025

Renowned For Sound

For the latest music reviews and interviews

– Renowned For Sound Roles & Tips

Below is a guide on the various roles and responsibilities/tips that apply to each role on Renowned For Sound.

Music Reviewer

  • Covering a minimum of 1 album release per week (if there are enough to cover). This may change if there are may major titles being releases in the week or if we are down a writer.
  • Ensuring the style and voice of the reviews written are consistent with the websites and its other content.
  • To keep a regular watch on the review schedule for potential changes and so you are aware in any given week what title you are looking after.
  • To be open to all genres and be proactive in letting Brendon know what titles you would like to cover each week and as they appear to avoid gaps needing to be filled by way of assigning out to the team.
  • Know the website in terms of prior coverage of an artist you are writing a new review for. Give the website a search to see our previous articles as a way to help you know the act and know what we have previously said about them (in cases where we have, you would refrain from saying things like “this is the first time I’ve listened to X”, for example. As you are writing in the voice of the website, we need to consider previous coverage.
  • Add your review, the title and any other items added and mandatory in the future to the review along with specific tags (refraining from general tags like ‘music’, ‘pop’, ‘UK’ etc and include more specific ones such as the artist and acts that feature on the record. This ensures our related posts show the most appropriate suggestions.
  • Most releases come out on the Friday and so we have until the end of Tuesday to have these in. When they are in, I need to dress them up with images, proof read them and add anything that may be missing such as tags etc etc. I then schedule them to go live either straight away or over the next two days and send the PR the link. If there is a time when a deadline is not able to be met, Brendon needs to know. PR’s often chase Brendon, asking “have you decided to cover x” or “when is x going to be on the site” so its important I know where something is at so I can set realistic expectations as this makes for a better relationship with the PR.
  • Please note that all items on Renowned For Sound are for the purpose on publishing on Renowned For Sound only. Reviews or articles should not be seen on third party websites however, we want you to be proud of your work so adding snippet posts to platforms like Instagram and Facebook are encourages as it allows you to promote your work on social media.

Live Reviewer

  • Take a pic of the outside of the venue showing the name of the band on stage and send this in to Brendon for posting on socials. Please send this to Brendon via Whatsapp BEFORE the show starts so that it can be posted as early as possible.
  • Preparation is key: Arrive in good time for the headline acts and check website/socials for stage times where we have not been provided with these by the PR as band/venue socials often have these. We will usually only be there to review the headline act however do feel free to add anything you like about support acts if you wish, providing the main part of the review is focused on the act we are there to cover for the PR or label that has provided the access and who is representing.
  • We add set lists to the footer of all reviews. Setlist.fm is a great place to see setlists prior to a show. Grab the most recent one on the bands current tour as it will likely be the same and add to your phone and make notes against songs, for example, during the show. Remember that sets can change form time to time for a band on tour so do not take the setlist you grab from Setlist.fm as gospel. If you don’t know a song is being performed for sure, make a note. Noting lyrics can also help after the show when you google them. PR’s can sometimes provide a set however not always and we don’t want to rely on them to do so as they can take a while at times to provide this.
  • Be thorough in your review. Readers like to hear about a show that really does sound like the person was at the show. Think about the band, the venue, the crowd and atmosphere. Where there song highlights. Did something happen on stage or in the crowd or was there some sort of band and fan interactions. These types of things as well as mention of a handful of songs that were played. This all makes for a goof review.
  • We aim to publish all reviews the following day unless the show is a very small one or a showcase. These are 48 hours. The reason most reviews are published the next day is due to the touring schedule. If the band has a show the next night, our review of their last show will become old news very quickly.
  • When attending a show, remember that you are there representing Renowned For Sound. Please act professional at all times.
  • Be open to covering live shows, even if an act is unfamiliar to you. Discovering new music is great. It also has its benefits to the work we do with PR’s and labels. PR’s at times at like “you do these things for me and I’ll say yes to the next thing you ask for”. So saying you can cover something you are unfamiliar with rather than just saying no to everything, may mean that the tickets you ask me to try to sort for you, I can’t get as its the same PR I have to ask. Its sometimes the nature of the beast.
  • Please note that all items on Renowned For Sound are for the purpose on publishing on Renowned For Sound only. Reviews or articles should not be seen on third party websites however, we want you to be proud of your work so adding snippet posts to platforms like Instagram and Facebook are encourages as it allows you to promote your work on social media.
  • Tickets to shows are subject to change. When we request tickets to a show there is no guarantee that we will receive these, or that we will receive two passes though two passes are always requested as standard. There are times where we will only find out of accreditation to a show and how many tickets we have been given on the day of the show as the PR for the show is given a set allocation from label or management for press. It is therefore important to be flexible and open to these things as well as to be open to covering with a single pass. We should not be cancelling our requests for tickets based on things such as single passes only being given as this is simply the nature of reviewing.

Social Media Coordinator

This role is all about managing the social media landscape of Renowned For Sound and involves:

  • Posting daily content on both Facebook and Instagram accounts but keeping in mind the spacing out of posts so that these platform do not assume we are spam or robots.
  • Commenting on posts that may draw people over to Renowned For Sound and speaking in the voice that is most representative to Renowned for Sound.
  • Following accounts by artists that we have covered in the past and that we cover going forward.
  • Posting links of positive reviews or articles (excluding negative reviews or guest posts) on artist pages and fan pages.
  • Creating engaging stories such as live events and tagging artists into these stories for them to share.
  • Using the correct and appropriate hashtags and account handles. Including or tagging fan accounts for wider visibility.
  • Finding ways to increase our follower numbers on both platforms keeping in mind the spacing out of posts so that these platform do not assume we are spam or robots.
  • Post ad-hoc posts to the page that do not appear on the website but may be relevant. For example, if a major artist dies, a RIP post is nice for us to add or where we post regular content for an artist or are close with an act, a post to celebrate them on a milestone or an award/achievement mkight be relevant. Also, if we love a new song and want to give it a shout out, these can also be added.
  • Please add music to your posts on Instagram where possible and where appropriate.

Film Reviewer

  • Attending screenings of theatrical releases at venues in West End cinemas or Central London screening rooms.
  • Delivering your review ideally within 24 hours but no later than 48 hours.
  • Be aware of any embargos on films or posting of social media items and relay these to Brendon if mentioned at the screening, along with any other important bits of information he may need to know that will affect the publishing of the review.
  • Take a pic of the outside of the venue showing the name of the film or of the screen showing the film that is about to be played and this in to Brendon or the Social Media Coordinator for posting on socials. Please send this to Brendon via Whatsapp BEFORE the film starts so that it can be posted as early as possible.
  • Be open to the types of films you attend to ensure we make the most of the opportunities we are given.
  • When attending a screening, remember that you are there representing Renowned For Sound. Please act professional at all times.
  • Please note that all items on Renowned For Sound are for the purpose on publishing on Renowned For Sound only. Reviews or articles should not be seen on third party websites however, we want you to be proud of your work so adding snippet posts to platforms like Instagram and Facebook are encourages as it allows you to promote your work on social media.

Interviewer

  • Please note that all items on Renowned For Sound are for the purpose on publishing on Renowned For Sound only. Reviews or articles should not be seen on third party websites however, we want you to be proud of your work so adding snippet posts to platforms like Instagram and Facebook are encourages as it allows you to promote your work on social media.
  • Make sure your equipment is in good working order, with full battery and can record clearly.
  • If recording, please ensure you are in a quiet place with no distraction or background noise. If you are recording a Zoom interview, please ensure your background is either blurred or that your settings ate presentable for the nature of a recording video interview.
  • If recorded for Zoom, please note any areas of concern by marking down the time in the recording and let Brendon know for editing purposes. Please send the recording to Brendon asap so that he can dress the item up and upload to our YouTube channel and publish on the website.
  • Ensure only PG language is used throughout the interview and that it is kept professional.

News Coordinator

  • To post assigned new posts onto Renowned For Sound and provided by Brendon on a daily basis.
  • Follow the format of news posting on the website and edit press release information to ensure things such a contact information of industry representatives such as PR and label contacts.
  • Ensure structure of the piece is presentable when live and that relevant approved images are used in the piece.

 

  • note – the above role descriptions are subject to change

Please note for all roles, I do not pass on your personal emails to any of Renowned For Sound’s contacts. There are times when a PR requests a team members email to pass on info about a show or an album. I do not provide them with this as I am a firm believer in GDPR and it would not be right for me to disclose your email to a business. The other reason is that if I did provide them with your email, the PR would then add you to their press release distribution list (PR’s are all about contact numbers) and from that point you will start to receive the many emails I get for things you are not dealing with. The PR will also start sending you ‘when is this or that going live’ emails. I do not want anyone to be burden by being harassed by a PR or website contact. If someone does get your email from another source and start contacting you, please flag this to me as soon as possible.