What does a Fresh on the Net Reviews Writer need, want and look for and how can artists help us write about them?
Neil March gets into the anatomy of what the mods and reviewers of FOTN require.
REVIEWERS ARE RESEARCHERS TOO
When I first took on the amazing privilege of being a moderator and reviews writer for Fresh on the Net, our founder and music legend Tom Robinson gave me some clear and careful advice. Writing up the ‘Fresh Faves’ reviews was about more than just expressing an opinion about the tracks. It was just as important to take the time to research the background and history of each band or artist and highlight their story and key achievements as part of each review.
So we are, in that sense, researchers as well as being reviews writers. Fortunately, we live in an era where there has never been more nor quicker access to information even about the lesser known artists. If we are able to access their Linktree (if they have one), that invariably provides all or most of the links we need to build that brief but important pen picture of the people we are writing about. It also enables us to provide our leader and editor Del with all the social media links for the article so that he isn’t always having to dig that information out himself.
ARTISTS CAN HELP THEMSELVES AND US
This is where artists can not only help us out but, more importantly, can help themselves. Since Soundcloud is, and always has been, the vehicle through which submissions to the Fresh on the Net inbox are made, it stands to reason that it is also the first place we look for the links that help us inform our readers about the artists they have voted for. Soundcloud makes it very easy to add up to 10 links to a page. So it is somewhat frustrating when we click onto the artist’s page only to discover there is not a single link we can use.
Having links on your Soundcloud page is obviously logical and important when people might be looking you up and considering writing about you or offering some form of support – a gig, a radio play etc. Not just us Fresh on the Net moderators. We are going to review your track regardless because our readers have voted you into the faves. But what if someone else has heard your music and decided to look you up? Shouldn’t you be making it easy for them to find you and find out more about your history?
My advice to any aspiring band or artist would always be to set up a Linktree account. It provides a highly convenient central point for everything a journalist, blogger or some other interested party needs – streaming and download links, ticket links for upcoming live shows, website, social media links, videos, artwork, reviews, interviews etc. Put the Linktree in your social media profiles and then the favourite cliché of ‘link in bio’ does apply.
It also means us reviewers now have everything we need in one accessible place. From there, we can find out what your big achievements have been, any festivals you have played, what national radio support you have had, whether you have been touring and so on. Bear in mind that this kind of information is also what national radio programmers and music industry executives are looking for when weighing up whether to take a chance on supporting you. So it’s simple. Make it as easy as possible for them to find it.
SELF-IMPOSING STANDARDS
So what about us reviews writers? How do we make sure we are able to provide the best information we can about the artists? Time is limited and the longer we have to spend searching for information online, the more sketchy the data we have to rely on. Nevertheless, we still have to try. There is nothing more soul-destroying than having to give up and accept we are simply not going to find much of interest to share with our readers about someone they have voted for. But it happens.
Nevertheless, giving up is not an option. And perhaps, in a slightly perverse way, there is a certain thrill and subsequent sense of satisfaction in chasing the links down and being able to uncover the information. Not only does this enable us to share our findings with the readers. It also enables us to provide every artist or band that makes the faves with a review of some substance that they can go on using as part of their own important PR and promotion efforts. It always makes us smile when we see quotes from Fresh on the Net faves reviews on the web and social media pages of artists we have written about (albeit it is quite irritating when reviews are wrongly attributed to Tom Robinson when the actual name of the author is clearly displayed at the top of the article!). Trust me when I tell you that Tom also really does not want reviews he had no part in writing, and which do not reflect his distinctive style, being attributed to him! So credit the actual author when you are posting about it on your socials etc.
PAY ATTENTION …. WHATEVER YOUR ROLE
That brings me to another point; one that should be heeded by artists and reviews writers alike. Quite simply ‘Pay Attention’. If you receive a notification that you have been tagged on Instagram or some other platform, don’t simply ignore it. Look and see what it is. Because rest assured, if someone has bothered to play your track on a radio show, write a glowing review etc. and you cannot even be bothered to hit the ‘like’ button, they probably won’t bother again.
Never make the mistake of thinking you are too big to acknowledge support from a grassroots radio show, blog, journal etc. because you are only interested in the big ones. You are potentially snubbing people who have loyal, engaged followings that you could be reaching out to if you made the smallest of efforts. And even if they don’t have much of a following, it costs nothing to thank someone or ‘like’ their post when they are trying to support you. Being nakedly entitled and up your own backside is never a good look!
The same ‘Pay Attention’ advice applies to us writers too. I have often had to correct small errors in reviews I have written and which have been published because I overlooked or misunderstood information about the artist(s). We all make mistakes but it is nevertheless better to be as vigilant as possible about getting individuals’ roles right, citing information about their activities correctly and providing up to date biographical data.
It cuts both ways though. I have known artists to moan about information I have shared because they had failed to update their own pages. We can only go by what their own biographies and histories tell us. We are not mind readers! We are all working, in one sense or another, in a fluid, volatile industry where change is constant. So whatever your role, try to ensure the information you have published about yourself is up-to-date and accurate.
GUEST MODERATORS AND REVIEWS WRITERS
We understand that not everyone who shares our passion for grassroots music has the time available to become a Fresh on the Net moderator and, likewise, we can only accommodate a limited number of people at any one time being on the team. But Del is always on the lookout for guest moderators and guest writers. As a guest moderator, you would just be agreeing to participate for one or more week(s) in listening to the 170 – 200 tracks that come into our in-box and picking your favourites so that you contribute to the moderators’ vote that week and influence which tracks make it onto the Listening Post. Quite a few of our current team first dipped their toes in the water by being guest mods.
As a guest writer, you would agree to write the reviews of the ten winning tracks at the Listening Post that become our ‘fresh faves’. You would need to follow some of the advice reflected by this article. In other words, you would have to do some background research about each of the ten bands or artists and include a summary of the key information in your review as well as talking about the tracks. We do have a firm rule that, if our readers have voted a track into the faves, we would never be critical. Fresh on the Net is about positively supporting grassroots music and the reviews should echo that ethos.
So, if you are interested in being a guest mod or reviewer, drop Del a message and let him know.
IN CONCLUSION
So to summarise briefly – if you are an artist, ensure your links are on your Soundcloud page and our advice would be to use Linktree to put all the links in one convenient place that can be clicked onto via your profiles (i.e. ‘link in bio’!). Keep the information about your activities and achievements up to date and remember you may not know who is checking you out and what opportunities you may miss out on by making it too hard for them to access the key information. Always acknowledge your notifications and show people who are supporting you that you appreciate their efforts. And it should go without saying but try not to behave like an entitled so and so whose head is where your buttocks should be!
If you are a reviews writer, do the research that enables you to talk about more than just the track you are reviewing but also informs readers about the story and history behind the artist(s). Try to pay attention to detail so that you are not having to correct errors post-publication. And be positive. We are all in this crazy industry together. There are enough sharks, snakes and spin doctors out there without us squabbling amongst ourselves! Last but not least, if you want to get involved, get in touch.
Useful tools:
Linktree
All your social media, email, website music in one place.
Songlink
This is a tool that can put all the links of your tracks into one place.
Songlink
Thanks for writing this Neil. As you know we have a specific layout for the faves – we provide all the links for artists to connect to their fans and they have to hold up their end of the bargain. On another note, I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been sent a track and it’s got no info – no tags, no label and Shazam turns up nothing and you have initials for the name in the email and “My new single” as the message… Meanwhile I’m putting together the show and I send off a request for more info by the time I get a reply that week’s show is completed. Some bloggers and DJs will just let it fester and won’t give it a second glance because of time constraints but they don’t help themselves – check everything that’s required!
Ah thanks Del and thanks for asking me to write the article. I share your frustrations and, like you, I wonder how many times artists may not even know they have missed out on opportunities because people ran out of patience and/or time trying to track down the information and links they needed.
Hi Neil,
As a new member of the moderator team, I immediately came across these same issues while trying—both as a fan and a moderator—to find out more about the artists who’ve impressed me. Your article clearly outlines the challenges not only we face, but also those faced across the wider music community, and most importantly, by potential fans who want and need to connect in a genuine way with the artists and their art.
This gives artists the perfect opportunity to showcase not only their talent but also to document their journey, inspirations, and background in their own unique voice. I really hope everyone submitting takes the time to read and absorb this going forward.
Bravo!
— Alan
Ah thanks so much Alan. I hope people do read it and, if people feel I have got anything wrong, I am happy to listen to their views and ideas too.
Great article Neil! Sound advice as usual.
…..except as you know, personally I really don’t like linktrees – especially if there are loads of links. I much prefer simply a link to a well designed website that can provide information in an instantly digestible form, is a one stop shop for all things and can include all important links. But most importantly, the artist owns it …..and can create a community around it 🙂
Ah thanks Sue. Yes, I know you are not a fan of Linktree but it is a godsend for us reviewers when we need all the links to be in one place. Certainly, however they choose to do it, artists need to make their information and music easy to find. 🙂
Great advice for independent artists and us writers/reviewers too, Neil. We are undoubtedly singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to the basics of grassroots marketing. Taking up Sue’s point, while I find Linktrees useful myself I also see great merit in acts having their own website… and keeping it up to date. That also applies to social media – why have a page if you rarely/never update it. I’d recommend establishing a simple routine – call it a weekly links health check.
An interesting read Neil! Let’s hope the artists take note.
Ah thanks Tony and Sharon. I agree that it is sensible to have a Linktree for ease of all links being in one accessible place but also to keep websites up to date and populated with key events, stories, links and information. 🙂
Neil,
Thank you so much for this article/write up.I will definitely save it to my Folder too.’Mosaics’
‘I Don’t Need To Know Everything
If I Can Access The People Who Do’
Thank you❤️
Ah thanks Viki. I’m so pleased it was useful and I agree, you can’t know everything. We all need to lean on one another sometimes. 🙂
Neil,
I love researching and finding the clues but hopefully my ‘Shirley Holmes’ Days are going to be behind me soon…
Or I would need to start charging for my work.🤔😉😁
Yours,
‘Shirley Holmes’
Fair & informative as always.
Ah thanks so much Stephen. 🙂
Thanks Neil. Really very helpful to read and I didn’t thing to consider using linktree as a way of listing other press achievements and opportunities I have been given so far. Great advice thanks
Ah thanks Andrew. I’m really pleased that it proved useful. 🙂