Some Albums I've Worked On:
Often, an artist can handle the day-to-day of touring, writing, even recording. But when it comes to releasing a record, especially independently, the work can get daunting. Releasing a record on your own is like creating your own pop-up label. And most labels have someone at the helm of the release to "quarterback" or project manage it. The project manager creates and implements an overall release strategy, builds the appropriate team and makes sure all of the pieces are in place. Then, they manage all of those pieces (and people) and see to it that the aforementioned strategy is executed. This is a day-by-day task that requires a lot of juggling, hand-holding and often fine-tuning, and it lasts throughout an entire album cycle.
Luckily, this work is just my specialty. I have managed and worked on record release campaigns since 2006, from The Avett Brothers’ Rick Rubin-produced I and Love and You, to small digital-only single releases. I have had a hand in every part of an album release cycle, from demo phase to touring a year out from release date. I know what it takes to get a record properly released, how to stretch a budget, and how to juggle all of the moving pieces.
Each campaign is different, and every artist needs a different level of attention, but some of the services I provide in this realm are:
Working with you to create a realistic budget for the release and all that entails; keeping track of that budget throughout the campaign
Crafting crowdfunding or fundraising strategy
Managing your crowdfunding campaign, including organization of reward ordering and fulfillment
Advisement on building the “release team” - publicity, radio, licensing, distribution, etc.
Liaising and strategizing with the team, organizing and leading regular team check-ins
Producing and laying out album artwork, marketing materials and assets for advertising campaigns.
Promotional touring strategy advisement
General project management, once release is on its way. This translates roughly into making sure everyone you’ve paid is doing what you paid them to do
Planning and advising physical and digital retail marketing and advertising
Developing and advising interactive marketing & social media campaigns.
Advising D2C (direct to consumer) sales strategy - aka “merch stuff”
Managing manufacturing and inventory
Day-to-day administrative tasks & misc support in creative and administrative fields, as needed
I'm used to handling all of these aspects, and offer full-release management which includes all of the above (and more usually). But I’m also happy to offer any of the above services a la carte -- say Kickstarter setup and management, or retail support. We can also simply hop on Skype or grab a coffee to talk through some general advice on how best to manage and position your release, before you dive in. I'm flexible! Get in touch and let’s figure out how we can work together.
“Stephanie was the MVP of my last couple of projects. She was not only totally diligent and badass when it came to the nuts and bolts of the releases themselves, but also had creative energy and ideas that extended beyond just the normal ho-hum record cycle stuff. She even hooked me up with management. That certainly wasn’t her responsibility, but she knew that it would help the whole situation. Plus it was just something a nice friend would do. She’s a gem!”
“Stephanie is incredibly talented, detail-oriented, and would be an asset to any company or artist. Her skill set, which includes design, project management, and digital marketing capabilities, is decidedly rare and valuable. ”