Our latest Rising Star is Good Soldier's global promotions manager Ben Reynard. Read his industry story so far...
Why did you choose a career in the music industry?
“It was my passion as a teenager, I was in a band setting up tours and self-releasing music, we even got the BBC Introducing Record Of The Week! It was the only thing I seemed to excel at, which is when I decided to get into the industry side of things. Getting to work in music is a dream, there’s never a moment where I wish I was doing something else.”
Has it turned out as you expected?
“I’d say it’s been better! The highlights so far have to be working on Jubël’s No.1 airplay record, Dancing In The Moonlight (feat. Neimy), and the No.1 album from Jack Savoretti, Singing To Strangers. The next step is a No.1 single... I feel blessed to be working with and learning from some of the best people in the industry, initially at Hesso Media and now at Good Soldier. I’ve also stepped into management, working with new pop artist Kid Rain. We’ve just added over a million views, 220,000 likes and 22,000 followers on TikTok in a couple of weeks, which is exciting.”
What’s the key to good promo?
“The artist proposition and the record itself have to be top notch with a great story. Then, know your angle. When plugging to radio producers or DSP editors, what could be a positive point for one person could be a negative for another, so tailoring your pitch to suit who you’re speaking to could be the difference between securing something and not. Beyond that, straight-up hustle. We really fought for Dancing In The Moonlight and were always looking for an opportunity to change someone’s mind on the record. The streaming, OCC and Shazam data helped us get it over the line at radio, it’s hard to argue with the numbers!”
Promo is a straight-up hustle
Ben Reynard
How have you coped with 2020?
“Obviously, 2020 has been a challenging year, but I’m ever the optimist and when the UK was on lockdown I saw it as an opportunity to get out of London and base myself in Croatia to work from there. Getting to strategise radio and DSP campaigns in a new location definitely inspired me and helped me to stay motivated, positive and deliver for our records. With radio consumption up this year, I think it’s made it an exciting time for promotions people and has reinforced the importance of radio in the industry.”
Can the music business survive another lockdown?
“I really feel for everyone in the live side of the business and I’m hopeful that gigs will be back as strong as ever in 2021. But of course we will survive another lockdown, music is a fundamental part of people’s lives and there will always be a demand for it.”
BEN'S RECOMMENDED TRACK:
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