Independent musicians have never had more opportunities to get their music heard, but cutting through the noise remains a challenge. Traditional PR campaigns can be expensive and uncertain, leaving many artists scrambling for alternative ways to gain meaningful coverage. Musosoup is stepping in to bridge that gap, offering an artist-first approach that connects musicians directly with curators, bloggers, and playlist creators—without the hefty upfront costs or the gamble of traditional PR firms. With its transparent model and guaranteed coverage, Musosoup is reshaping how independent artists get their music into the right hands.
To dive deeper into how Musosoup is changing the game, we spoke with co-founder Chris Sharpe.
As an artist and label owner himself, Chris knows firsthand how frustrating and unpredictable music PR can be. His experiences led to the creation of Musosoup, a platform designed to make music promotion straightforward, affordable, and, most importantly, effective. In this interview, Chris breaks down what’s working in independent music PR today, why written reviews still hold value, and how Musosoup is ensuring music journalism remains sustainable in an industry increasingly dominated by algorithmic discovery.
Whether you’re an artist looking for real press coverage, a blogger navigating the shifting media landscape, or just curious about where music journalism is headed, this conversation with Chris offers valuable insights.
1. What are the biggest shifts you’ve noticed in how artists get press today versus five or ten years ago?
Five to ten years ago, music PR was a mystery for most artists.
If you didn’t have a manager or label, you had to rely on word of mouth or go through PR agencies that promised exposure but offered no guarantees. The process was expensive, often costing anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, and it required constant follow-ups. If you didn’t take that route, your only option was to pitch journalists directly—most of whom were overwhelmed with submissions and unlikely to respond.
Today, things have changed. Platforms like Musosoup allow artists to connect with curators directly, removing the middleman and making music PR more accessible. It’s now possible to run a PR campaign for a couple of hundred dollars with better results. PR itself has also evolved beyond traditional written press to include playlist placements, influencer marketing, and social media coverage. While this shift has created more opportunities, it’s also made the landscape more competitive. To get results, artists have to be more hands-on and persistent than ever before.
2. With streaming platforms shaping music discovery, where do you think editorial coverage still holds value?
Editorial coverage still plays a crucial role in music discovery. Unlike streaming playlists, which offer temporary boosts, written reviews provide long-term value. Blogs and independent music press help artists build credibility, create marketing collateral, and improve their visibility in search results and streaming algorithms. Press coverage makes it easier to get noticed by bigger publications, and it gives context to an artist’s work—something playlists alone can’t do.
In our experience, the most effective strategy is to use editorial coverage and playlisting together. A well-placed review increases the chances of an artist getting noticed by curators, influencers, and even industry professionals. It’s a long-term investment that helps build a sustainable career rather than chasing short-lived playlist placements.
3. How has the rise of influencers and playlist curators affected the credibility and demand for written reviews?
Interestingly, we’ve seen an increase in demand for written reviews on Musosoup. While many platforms focus heavily on playlisting, we take a different approach. We see playlists as a complement to reviews, not a replacement. Many of our curators pair their playlists with articles, embedding them in reviews that provide context for the artist and their music.
We’ve also taken steps to ensure that playlisting remains credible. We work with tools like Artist.Tools to audit every playlist we use, ensuring they are free from bots. The problem with a lot of playlist submission sites is that they focus on big, for-profit playlists that don’t actually provide real engagement. Instead of helping artists, these can hurt their streaming numbers in the long run. Our goal is to offer a more sustainable approach—one that connects artists with real listeners and genuine editorial support.
4. Will AI impact music journalism in the coming years? If so, what are some of the pros and cons?
AI is already affecting both music journalism and the industry as a whole. We’re seeing AI-generated blogs pop up, pumping out low-quality content to make money off artists. Similarly, there’s been an increase in AI-generated music flooding streaming platforms. We actively fight against this by running AI checks on all reviews, and we have a strict policy against AI-written content.
That being said, AI does have some benefits. It can help with proofreading, translations, and summarizing content, making life easier for curators. But at the end of the day, real music needs real people to listen to it and write about it. We’re doing everything we can to prevent a scenario where AI-generated reviews are covering AI-generated music—it’s a future we don’t want to see.
One of the challenges we’ve noticed is that even when content is 100% human-written, some artists assume it’s AI-generated—especially if they don’t like the review. We’ve had cases where we’ve shown artists the results of multiple AI checkers proving a piece was written by a real journalist, but they still didn’t believe it. The AI debate is becoming a double-edged sword, where bad actors are using it to game the system, while others falsely accuse legitimate journalists of using it.
5. What’s something about the current media landscape that you think most people don’t realize?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that most music outlets don’t actually make money. Many of the blogs and sites that help break new artists are run by passionate music fans who spend their own time and money to keep them going.
Over the years, we’ve seen countless great music blogs shut down because they couldn’t sustain themselves. These outlets have real costs—hosting fees, paying writers, and so on—but most don’t generate enough ad revenue to stay afloat. Major labels, social media platforms, and streaming giants dominate the industry, making it even harder for independent journalists to survive.
That’s one of the reasons we started Musosoup. We want to help music journalism thrive by ensuring curators and bloggers get the support they need. Artists should understand that these publications play a vital role in their careers, and we all need to find better ways to keep independent media alive.
6. Where do you see the role of music journalism heading in the next five years?
We believe music journalism will become even more important. Just like in the film and TV industries, the sheer amount of content being released means there’s a growing need for thoughtful, well-written coverage. Right now, there’s an over-reliance on playlists as the main form of music discovery, but that’s starting to shift. Journalists, bloggers, and independent curators will play an increasingly influential role in shaping artist narratives and providing valuable context that playlists can’t.
We also expect to see journalists expand beyond traditional written reviews. Many will move into podcasts, video content, micro-reviews, and even live events. They’ll collaborate more strategically with artists and create unique promotional campaigns for musicians they genuinely believe in.
At the same time, we hope platforms like Musosoup will help music journalists find sustainable ways to monetize their work. While AI will continue to be a part of the industry, the demand for human storytelling, perspective, and expertise isn’t going anywhere. In fact, as more music gets released, real, authentic coverage will only become more valuable. We’re optimistic about where music journalism is headed, and we’re excited to be part of its future.
The post Chris Sharpe on Music PR, Playlists, and Why Musosoup Works appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.