From Honky-Tonk to Headlines: How PR Shapes Country Music Careers
Published on April 14, 2025, at 9:10 p.m.
by Gracie Powell.
Not all public relations work is created equal — especially when it comes to entertainment PR. While consumer PR focuses on creating positive impressions to drive sales, entertainment PR focuses on creating positive impressions of individuals and managing those individuals’ images.
Pierce PR works mostly with B2B companies, but seasonally each year, the Nashville Film Festival is one of its largest clients. Account Manager Jordan Holt said working on promotion for the festival is a sort of “creative break.” She said the entertainment industry allows for more out-of-the-box strategies. For example, music PR requires much more than everyday media releases. It involves building an individual’s brand and managing their image throughout their career.
Why music PR matters
According to AMW Group, “The power of music PR lies in its ability to enhance visibility and build a reputable image through sustained engagement with music journalists, major labels, and digital media outlets.” Public relations is crucial for any musician but especially for those still trying to get their name out there.
Olivia Hanceri is the founder of Oh Creative, a female-run and full-service PR firm located in Nashville, Tennessee, or better known as Music City. Oh Creative is primarily a touring artist firm. The agency has represented country artists from Tracy Lawrence to Tucker Wetmore, and Anne Wilson to Tanner Adell, since 2019. Hanceri said music PR is not just about selling albums and concert tickets, it’s about the artist’s “360 brand.”
Building the artist’s brand through authenticity
According to Hanceri, Oh Creative’s first step in developing an artist’s brand is the artist knowing themself. From hearing their story and what they hope to accomplish, publicists can help to connect audiences to the artist through their authentic personality.
As Saving Country Music noted, authenticity is a huge part of fans’ connection to the artist: “Unlike rock and pop, country fans don’t necessarily want their favorite artists to be larger than life.” Listeners’ connection to artists is all about feeling connected to their story. Hanceri said every artist has a different story, and capturing the essence of their background and personality can make all the difference in authenticity.
How PR roles shift with artist growth
Of course, publicists’ job roles change a bit as opportunities grow throughout an artist’s career.
“At first, it’s a lot of output from a PR firm,” Hanceri said. “But, as artists’ careers grow, the role of publicists becomes less output and dealing with more input, deciding what interviews are worth the time, and deciding what opportunities are best for their career.”
Crisis management in the spotlight
All PR professionals know that crisis management requires you to have a plan and always be ready to implement that plan. But crisis management in the entertainment industry looks a lot different. Hanceri said publicists must have a close relationship with their artist and the artist’s manager.
Hanceri emphasized that what really matters is how strong the artist or publicist’s relationships are with the media. If those connections are solid, the media will most likely still report on tough situations, but they might present the story in a more understanding or favorable way, especially if the artist has a reputable background.
Measuring PR success in the music industry
Holt explained that entertainment PR is very media heavy. She works closely with media contacts and journalists to coordinate their attendance at the red carpet. Earning coverage of the Nashville Film Festival requires flooding the media’s inboxes with press and content, she said.
According to AMW, a good way to tell if PR efforts in the music world are working is by looking at things like how often an artist gets featured in the media, how much people are talking about them online, how fast their audience is growing, and whether their music sales or streams are going up. Another sign of success is when an artist starts gaining fans naturally and builds solid relationships with journalists and influencers. All of this helps keep the public interested and can lead to long-term support for future projects, showing just how valuable strong music PR can be.
Adapting to the digital age
Music PR has changed quite a lot over the years with the rise of digital media. Hanceri said Oh Creative is focusing the most of its digital efforts on short-form content such as TikTok videos and Instagram reels. Currently, these short videos are seeing the most engagement when compared to longer form videos or photo content.
Final thoughts
In a genre rooted in storytelling, public relations plays a vital role in helping country artists craft and share their narratives with authenticity and impact. From building a brand and navigating crises to adapting to the ever-changing digital landscape, music PR professionals prove that strong, strategic communication is essential to an artist’s success. As country music continues to evolve, so will the PR tactics behind the scenes — ensuring that the voices rising from honky-tonks can make it all the way to the headlines.
