Obscure Sound
Indie Music PR, Run Personally by Obscure Sound's Founder
20 years of editorial relationships, put to work for your release. Personal outreach, real results, live updates, and a money-back guarantee if we fall short.
Press placements achieved for clients — see average campaign examples
Recent Highlight
Big Takeover — Top 10 Records of 2025 — Client Kinsale's debut EP landed on Big Takeover's year-end best-of list, alongside an Earmilk feature in the same campaign.
What Clients Say
"I have worked with Mike on several campaigns and can definitely say he's a gem to have in the arsenal. He is genuine in his passion for nurturing music culture — and incredibly organized, which is beyond helpful in a medium that has so many moving parts. I appreciated how responsive he is. I highly recommend trusting your work and campaigns with Mike and the Obscure Sound team."
"I've worked with Mike at Obscure Sound once as a full fledged PR agent and several times through a 3rd party service. I've only had professional, top notch exchanges with him. After the campaigns were complete he kept his promise and offered consultation as a follow up. It felt like a risk at first, but it was the experience in the music business I hoped for. I got great results from his pitches as well."
"Mike continuously went above and beyond in an efficiently organized manner throughout the campaign. I definitely recommend working with Obscure Sound!"
"Definitely worth the investment! I'm happy I was lucky enough to work with Mike. Give him a shot and you won't regret it!"
"Mike was very transparent about his PR process and was quick to answer any question I had. As someone promoting a brand new music project with a very small fanbase, I was happy with the amount of Spotify playlist adds and blog write-ups I was able to get as a result of this campaign."
"It was a pleasure working with Mike — great communication, genuinely helpful advice, and I was really happy with the results!"
PR Packages
All campaigns include fully personalized outreach, a shared Google Drive tracker updated in real-time, and a money-back guarantee if minimum results aren't achieved.
Single Campaign
Single-Centric
$530 one single
Outreach for one single, either standalone or part of an album. Coverage will largely be publications focusing on the single. Also includes playlisting outreach.
- Personalized pitching to press contacts
- Live Google Drive tracker
- Playlist curator outreach included
- Single-focused editorial coverage
- Guarantee: 5+ features or 50% refund
Album Campaign
Album-Only
$630 one album
Outreach for one album. Coverage will largely be publications providing in-depth coverage of the album as a whole. Also includes playlisting for one chosen album track.
- Personalized pitching to press contacts
- Live Google Drive tracker
- In-depth album coverage focus
- Playlist outreach for one album track
- Guarantee: 5+ features or 50% refund
Full Campaign
Full PR
$850 two releases
Outreach for two releases — either a single + album, or two singles. Focus on both publications and playlists. Essentially a combination of the Single-Centric and Album-Only campaigns.
- Everything across both campaign types
- Two releases (single + album, or two singles)
- Live Google Drive tracker
- Comprehensive press & playlist outreach
- Guarantee: 10+ features or 50% refund
Add-On
Additional Single Outreach — $325
You can add more track-focused outreach to any of the above campaigns for $325 per additional single, if interested in a more comprehensive, long-running campaign.
Client Outcomes
Press coverage is the floor, not the ceiling. A selection of what campaigns have led to.
Record Deal
The Great Depression
Following their campaign, secured a publishing and distribution deal with Supraphon Records — the oldest and largest label in Prague.
TV Commercial
The Derevolutions
Landed a national ESPN commercial following their campaign — ESPN purchased the rights to one of their tracks, reaching millions of viewers. Read more →
Netflix Placement
Memoryy
Shortly after their campaign, landed a commission writing the new theme song for Chelsea Handler's Netflix show.
Streaming Growth
Fringe Frontier
Grew from a few hundred monthly listeners to 10k monthly listeners and 30k streams within six months of their campaign commencing.
NME Print
Seven clients in NME's print magazine
Mewn, Michael Rault, Daisy Victoria, Canopies, Shmohawk, High Magic, and The Yetis have all appeared in NME print features.
Spotify Editorial
Fresh Finds & top editorial playlists
Dash Hammerstein, Bathe, Love Crumbs, and others have landed on Spotify's Fresh Finds and additional top editorial playlists following campaigns.
Why Blog Coverage Matters More Than Ever in 2026
Streams fade. A well-placed review from a respected outlet lasts forever.
Marketing assets you'll use for years
Press features generate quotables, headlines, and review excerpts that become the backbone of your marketing — shareable social content, advertising copy, EPK material, and label outreach. A single well-placed review gives you third-party validation that no amount of self-promotion can replicate.
It builds a permanent record
A social post or playlist addition often disappears within a week. A review on Big Takeover or Earmilk lives indefinitely — findable by labels, bookers, journalists, and fans for years after publication.
EPK and industry credibility
Press clippings are still the first thing labels, managers, and booking agents look for. Coverage from recognized outlets signals that others have validated your work.
Spotify algorithm signals
Blog coverage drives streams and saves, which feed Spotify's editorial algorithm. Multiple clients have landed on Fresh Finds and other editorial playlists during or shortly after campaigns.
Inbound links build authority
Every feature from a credible publication is a high-authority inbound link to your profiles and website — the backbone of long-term SEO and discoverability.
International reach
Obscure Sound's contact list spans publications across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond — giving your release genuine global exposure rather than a single market.
Spotify's "About the Song" pulls from blogs
Spotify surfaces editorial context directly in the Now Playing view by pulling from third-party sources like music blogs. The more you're written about, the richer your presence inside the app itself.
Search engines cite editorial sources
Google increasingly generates artist summaries by pulling from trusted blogs and magazines. The more you're written about by credible outlets, the more visible you become in search results.
How It Works
Every campaign is run personally by Mike — no handoffs, no junior staff.
01 — Reach Out
Email [email protected] with your release, a brief description, and your target date. I typically respond within 24 hours. Campaigns are subject to availability.
02 — Share Your Materials
Once confirmed, you'll provide streaming links, a bio, press photo, and any relevant release context. The more story there is to tell, the stronger the pitches.
03 — Outreach Begins
Personalized pitches go out to relevant publications and playlist curators. A shared Google Drive tracker gives you a live view of every outlet contacted and every response received.
04 — Coverage Rolls In
Features typically begin upon a track's release, assuming sufficient lead time, and continue rolling in over a four-to-eight week window. You'll receive a full recap with all coverage links when the campaign wraps.
What to Prepare
- ✓ Streaming or download link (Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.)
- ✓ Artist bio (short and long form if available)
- ✓ High-resolution press photo
- ✓ Release date and any relevant backstory
- ✓ Any prior press or notable context
Payment
Payment accepted via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or credit card upon campaign confirmation. No payment is required before that point.
The Obscure Sound Guarantee
Every PR campaign comes with a results guarantee. If a Single-Centric or Album-Only campaign doesn't achieve at least 5 features or write-ups, you receive a 50% refund. For Full PR campaigns, the threshold is 10 features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does a music PR campaign involve?
A campaign involves personalized outreach to a curated list of music blogs, publications, and playlist curators relevant to your genre and sound. Every pitch is written specifically for your release — not a template blast. You get access to a live Google Drive tracker showing every outlet contacted and every response received. Features typically begin upon a track's release, assuming sufficient lead time, and continue rolling in over a four-to-eight week window.
What genres do you work with?
I work with a variety of genres, across indie rock, indie pop, dream-pop, folk, singer-songwriter, electronic, ambient, hip-hop, and adjacent genres. As the founder and editor of Obscure Sound for 20 years, I've cultivated contacts specifically across the independent and alternative music space. If you're unsure whether your genre is a fit, just reach out — I'm happy to give an honest assessment before any commitment is made.
Do you guarantee results?
Yes. Single-Centric and Album-Only campaigns guarantee a minimum of 5 features or write-ups; if that threshold isn't reached, you receive a 50% refund. Full PR campaigns guarantee 10 or more features under the same terms.
How far in advance should I reach out before my release date?
Ideally, at least four weeks prior to a single release, and at least seven to eight weeks prior to an album release. This gives enough runway to confirm the campaign, collect your materials, and begin outreach with time for publications to respond and post ahead of or around your release. If your timeline is tighter, don't hesitate to reach out anyway — I'll give you an honest read on what's feasible.
Will my music actually be heard by real editors, or is this automated?
Every campaign is run personally by me. I listen to every release, write every pitch myself, and follow up directly with editors I have existing relationships with.
What does blog press actually do for my music career?
Press features generate quotable reviews for EPKs and social media, create permanent findable records of your work, drive Spotify streams and saves that feed the editorial algorithm, and build the blogosphere momentum that labels and tier-one outlets look for before taking a chance on an emerging artist.
When is the right time to start doing music PR?
When you have a release you believe in and basic materials ready: a streaming link, a press photo, and a short bio. You don't need a large following or prior press. Starting PR earlier in your career means accumulating momentum over time, making each subsequent campaign more effective.
How do I get started?
Email [email protected] with your release, a brief description, and your target date. I typically respond within 24 hours. Campaigns are subject to availability.
