Dispatch (for artists)

The Dispatch is our word for "press release" and is the backbone of StoryAmp. You should create a separate Dispatch each concert or release. The StoryAmp tools allow for many Dispatches to be created easily and quickly.

WHY A DISPATCH CAN HELP YOU:

Whereas in the past, musicians would frequently create a single press release for an entire tour and album release, by requiring a separate Dispatch for each activity, StoryAmp is making it easier for journalists to discover newsworthy events (concert or release dates) relevant to them. In other words, we only reveal to journalists a concert in their city or a release in their preferred genres happening in the time frame relevant to their deadlines. By requiring this structure, we are making a system that makes your music more appealing to more journalists because they know they can count on StoryAmp to filter out the noise (irrelevant or untimely pitches). Because this is so different than the old way of doing music press, we gave it our own name.

CREATING YOUR FIRST DISPATCH:

• Click on "Dispatches/Dashboard"
• Click "Create New Dispatch"
• Add a Title (this should be catchy headline)
• Add a Long Pitch (this is like a press release for a specific concert or release)
• Add a Short Pitch (this is a short version of your pitch; maximum: 330 characters)
• Choose Activity Type
  • Event = performance. You must include the Date and the City (using the City drop-down function). Add as many other details of the Event as possible to make it easy on journalists to cover your Event. You will need to create a separate Dispatch for each event/performance.
  • Release = album (single, video, box set, etc.; it can be physical or digital). You must include the Release Date and the Release Title. Add as many other details of the Release as possible to make it easy on journalists to cover it. You will need to create a separate Dispatch for each type of release you want to present to the press (physical, digital, single, etc.), however if they all occur on the same date, you only need to create one Dispatch.
• Remember to Save your Dispatch early and often!
• Read our Distributions article for more on how to get your Dispatches into the email inboxes of relevant journalists.

DRAFT OR PUBLISH?

Once you hit Publish, your Dispatch will be available to journalists. You may want to Save As Draft while you are working to save your work. You may want to keep a Dispatch as a Draft while you firm up details of a tour or release. The Draft function allows you to prepare for press activities far in advance before releasing the information to the press.

A WORD ABOUT TIMING

We recommend that you Publish more than six weeks in advance of the respective event. If we have a press list in your event city, you get a free one-line listing with a link to your Dispatch emailed to relevant journalists 6, 4, and 2 weeks before the event. Upgrade to the Premium Account ($30.00/month) to get unlimited concert Fancy Listings.

DISPATCH DASHBOARD

Once you have created one or more Dispatches, you will see a List View of Dispatches in the Dashboard. From there, you can:

• Edit
• Preview
• Share a Dispatch
• See quick statistics about activity for each Dispatch
• Add a New Dispatch

Note that if you want to see more activities for your Dispatch, go to the Activity Log (in the top navigation buttons).