Industry By The Hour® /// A FANATIC PROMOTION SERVICE

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Industry By The Hour® is not a helpline, but Josh Bloom is here to help! Industry By The Hour® plugs you into perspectives on a business that often seems confusing by design.

What are your career objectives? What are your project goals? What are you doing and why? Stop getting bogged down in overwhelming marketing speak, and start speaking about your marketing!

Industry By The Hour® /// Hi. It’s Josh.

Hello! I have worked with artists at the formative stages of their careers for almost 30 years.

During this time, the most valuable part of the experience, professionally and personally, has been my one-on-one conversations with my clients.

Regardless of the service I have been hired for, I always offer access to my overall knowledge throughout a campaign because seeing my artists become successful is what gives my work meaning.

I like to know that I am contributing inspired information, deep experience, and practical data to clients when they need it most. I know that consistent interaction encourages artists to continue putting in the work when they are feeling discouraged.

There are times when it may feel as if making it in the music business seems impossible, and it is if you give up! I know that persistence works. I am fortunate to have experienced artists turning the corner of success many times.

Whether an artist is releasing their first song or their 50th, if they are just starting to get serious about promoting themselves and their work, I am often the only other member of the “team” at this crucial stage.

Being a person who prompts artists to challenge themselves to do their best work and realize their genius is an honor.

“Who did you make famous?”

No. Who did I help to explain, embolden, and elevate the artistic and career ambitions that brought us together in the first place?

Highlights of some of the many stories FANATIC has helped tell are here, where you will find artists that reflect my pride in brushing up against brilliance early and my awe at playing a role in cultivating cultural longevity for these great talents.

As a hired marketing consultant providing specific services, I often show results that artists are unsure how to use to their best advantage. I have always wanted to put more time into coaching, mentoring, and guidance to help tie those industry strands together.

Talented musicians need this kind of ongoing assistance to improve the results of their work and the work that others are doing on their behalf, especially artists with limited resources and organization.

Influencing next steps by encouraging artists to get the next bit of attention and the next door open by taking risks with the new relationships and opportunities that are formed by our efforts and outcomes is now the primary focus of my work in the music business, and it is how I am giving back to it.

My interest continues to be in working with artists at the outset of what can be long careers because I continue to derive professional and personal meaning from providing legitimate, informed, and authentic reactions and feedback to these artists, their work, and their efforts to bring it to public attention.

Industry By The Hour® provides much-needed objective perspectives. It taps into the business through me for an hourly fee, allowing me to be your Professional Pest™, keeping you on track with the specific and personalized action items we discuss.

I can now use—and offer for your use — my knowledge, experience, and understanding of the business, coupled with a lifetime of personal insights about the realities and impacts of human nature on building a sustainable life and career as an artist.

I am excited to give you blunt feedback and be there to follow through and motivate you to push forward and utilize your progress.

It is a process to make lasting connections with listeners who are both excited music fans and skilled music professionals. Let’s work together to make them aware of your talent as you begin to understand it better yourself.

Industry By The Hour® /// Meet Josh Bloom

Almost 30 years and counting of FANATIC PROMOTION history reveals an extensive background to share with you. If you count publishing my first newsletter when I was ten and my first college radio show when I was 15, I have been in this business for over four decades!

I have proudly operated FANATIC PROMOTION in locations including the corners of bedrooms to the corners of midtown Manhattan. During that time, I have adapted the company and adapted myself to fit the many permutations of the industry and my interests and ambitions.

This methodology is the only way I know to serve artists best and to serve what I am the best at doing for artists.

My work has afforded me an understanding of the complexities of the industry that come from working with people in the following roles and personally working within many of these roles myself.

Although not as an attorney. I mean, never!

I have been in charge of six-figure budgets and have also been in charge of scraping together six-dollar meal buy-outs.

Art Directors, Graphic Designers, Illustrators, and Photographers
Artist, Studio, and Tour Managers
Business Managers, Accountants, and Entertainment Attorneys
Label Managers, A&R Directors, and Marketing Coordinators
Merchandise, Packaging, Web and Social Media Developers and Coordinators
National and Regional Booking Agents and Show Promoters
National, Regional, and Tour Publicists
National, Regional, and Local Journalists, Editors, and Writers
Producers, Mix and Mastering Engineers
Program and Music Directors across formats and audience reach
Project and Product Management, Development, and Manufacturing
Radio Promoters throughout the spectrum of genres and programming formats
Sync Licensing and Catalog Administrators and Publishers
Talent Buyers from Large Market, Regional, and Local venues throughout North America
Videographers, Producers, and Directors

Static lists are boring. This list is a living document! Topics of discussion only begin here. If you are successful, they will only continue.

The process of understanding the landscape, and more importantly, how the landscape understands you, is evergreen.

I am still going through my file cabinets to remind myself of the accomplishments of FANATIC PROMOTION artists throughout the decades. I have rarely looked back. There is no time to look back when I am looking forward!

This attitude also informs my own artistic endeavors. I want you to know that I walk it like I talk it.

As a creative, and not only a marketer of creatives, I work daily to fulfill goals I set for myself in the same way that I encourage you to do. Since late 2023, I have developed short-form videos that have organically amassed nearly 10K followers, over 250K likes on TikTok, and dozens of long and short-form videos with over 1M views on YouTube.

I have workshoped dozens of poems with a book in development edited by an esteemed Cooper Union graduate, published many deep-dive think pieces of 3-6K words on my growing Substack account, and released 20 episodes and counting of the Josh Bloom Podcast since it’s launch in mid-2024.

I have been assigned and composed long-form record reviews as a freelance critic, and I have contracted to write my first book (a TBA band bio) to be published in 2026 by J-Card Press.

I know how important it is to be visible across many platforms and in the many ways that potential fans consume art. You never know where you will find a follower.

Visit me everywhere for everything at iamjoshbloom.com.

My work on my personal brand informs my work with you!

It is another aspect and addition to my portfolio of knowledge that I can use to help artists present their voices, especially in the fragmented online space, which speaks its own language.

Unless you're young enough to have grown up with social media, it can be challenging to find your voice there. I have spent two years developing my voice on TikTok, for example, and I learn more about myself every day by creating this work. You can, too!

I view my own unfolding online evolution as a series of small opportunities that I can take advantage of in my coaching, consulting, and copywriting work for artists by utilizing a multitude of different pathways to present work with a story that will serve as the basis of your voice throughout all facets of the industry.

Industry By The Hour® /// Some Personal Philosophy

An essential component to artistic success is a grasp of the music business and music business professionals. This statement is not a vague allusion to knowing “lingo” or the debilitating myth of “bad contracts,” because I know you would never sign anything without the eyes of a lawyer that you trust!

It is about that last word: Trust.

I have been a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation for over 11 years. You may have heard of Transcendental Meditation because of The Beatles, who famously learned from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on their band trip to India in early 1968 (Paul and Ringo still practice today.) Or you may be aware of the recently passed genius auteur David Lynch’s life-long dedication to the practice through his influential non-profit David Lynch Foundation.

As a human being who profoundly respects both the power of art and the power of good business, I know that everything in life relates to our shared human condition. My Transcendental Meditation practice brings me closer to this personal ideal and allows me to share these insights as part of my Industry By The Hour® work, which is why I mention it here.

Succeeding as both an artist and a businessperson trading in art requires keeping a quiet mind focused on many areas at once in order to have these simultaneous efforts coalesce into the germ of a growing fan base that you can continue to serve and have serve you.

This process becomes an ongoing cycle as your career progresses towards a growing interest within the industry, which may then approach you looking to get in on what your hard work has manifested by trying to obligate you in some way, shape, or form.

When this happens (which is usually a good thing!), you’ll want those relationships to be productive and holistic, allowing them to become successful and profitable while maintaining your boundaries and ethics as an artist and a person.

There is an audience for everyone who puts in the effort by making art that they are passionate about. Passion is what every audience is seeking!

Industry By The Hour® /// What Happens?

I’ll repeat it: Professional Pest™.

I use these words with clients as a joke, but I am only ever half-joking. Adherence to timelines and completing the grunt work that, on the surface, seems like the least fun, is the most challenging part of “making it.” It’s up to you whether you want to be held accountable.

My personality lends itself to the ringleader role in keeping clients and associates on track. I can do this for an artist working solo or several dozen contractors working with me in a Project Manager position.

Either way, we’ll get it done by going into each Industry By The Hour® session with discussion points that will emerge from the previous call. When you contact me about an initial consultation, I will ask, “What are you looking to accomplish?"

You may be looking for feedback on the latest music emerging from your studio, the results of a publicity photo shoot, or the most recent draft you just received of your cover art.

You may want me to look over a radio report and give a candid reaction on how to take advantage of regional airplay you are receiving, or on leveraging results from the national charts.

Your social media game may need some direction, an area that can seem mysterious and mundane to many.

You could be juggling a limited budget and want to discuss how to allocate it in a way that allows you to hire a competent graphic designer, manufacture quality products, and go on a small, but profitable tour.

Often, artists need consistent encouragement the most. As stated, I love encouraging artists and have a long history of being there with tough love grounded in the music industry’s basic realities and fundamentals.

You can utilize Industry By The Hour® as you see fit!

By understanding your situation and filtering it through my knowledge and experience, Industry By The Hour® allows you to affordably access a broad spectrum of strategic action items and plans for your specific project through one-on-one conversations with a professional (me!) who has done what you’re trying to do.

I am as committed to not wasting your time as I am to not wasting my own. Our collaboration moves us towards the best chance of reaching the people who will appreciate your music. I want the best outcomes and results because that means the most. After all, we're both putting time into the call!

Our work together requires attention, attention requires time, time is money, and money is limited. Where a monthly retainer has been the industry standard for decades, a more manageable hourly fee rather than a cost-prohibitive monthly retainer is now how I can best serve the artistic community. There is still so much to accomplish while working with budgets that align with current economic realities.

Gatekeeping my knowledge and experience behind the time-consuming hustle and bustle of sending e-mails, writing copy, and making phone calls when I could be spending that time consulting with you for a reasonable hourly fee instead is no longer a reality I am interested in.

I am lucky and thrilled to be spending the majority of my time as a music industry professional these days by doing what I loved when I first got into the business: Seeking out, acknowledging, and connecting with young and young-at-heart artists who are doing great work and need a 30-year veteran’s perspective on “how it is.”

Industry By The Hour® allows us to focus on bigger-picture ambitions and objectives that can start with a strategy to grow your project in your town, region, and market while planting the seeds needed to make gradual growth nationally and globally.

You've made a choice when you hire or make a deal with an industry professional, whether for a fee or a percentage of your gross. You've dedicated resources, time, and money to someone else, expecting that person to handle a particular aspect of your career growth.

These are not bad choices! There are plenty of reputable and passionate professionals who contrast the negative reputation of the industry. But, regardless, that choice has been made.

Once you pay that fee or sign that contract, you no longer have the same ability to move on the fly. With Industry By The Hour®, I can impart everything I know to you. Our calls can be the beginning of an ongoing dialog or a one-off brainstorming session.

I also expect to learn from you as part of the deal!

All artists are unique. I look forward to hearing about your specific experiences and letting them inform my always-evolving understanding of the business, consumers, and my colleagues, which means that we are constantly discussing how to best navigate the journey toward bringing your work into the minds and hearts of those who will forward your message along.

Consider these questions:

What do I write in an e-mail subject that efficiently and effectively conveys who I am?
How do I leave the impression that I am not just a person in a band? I am an artist.
Can I make you believe in me as a songwriter and not just a writer of songs?

Industry By The Hour® is not about telling you how to answer these questions. Teamwork requires respect. I invite you to take away from our discussions the information that resonates with you most. These lasting impressions are where your motivation is based and provide a roadmap for future consultations where the answers to the above questions will become more apparent to you.

Subsequent sessions support marketing initiatives that you can launch and maintain on your own with me as your Professional Pest™ in the background.

Industry By The Hour® /// Thoughts on Self-Promotion

Making yourself the center of attention when there’s so much happening in the world is a challenge.

It can feel strange. It can feel weird. It can feel like a chore, but if we don't want to promote ourselves, we can always share our work with friends. Unfortunately, promotion is a necessary part of the job when we seek to monetize and grow an audience for what we do.

Marketing has changed and continues to change faster and faster. Still, nothing will change the fact that artists looking for an audience will need to understand how they will approach this enormous task in tandem with making the art.

One sure way to keep it interesting, exciting, and fun is to make every bit of self-promotion into its own piece of art that will not waste the time of your audience, will inform them and will reflect on who you are as an artist.

Taking on this time-consuming, often mind-numbing, and seemingly overwhelming obligation, is made more tolerable by bringing creativity to the task. It is not easy to live the meager life that will support this until it works, but it will be worth it!

Making a short video teasing a new track from the studio, putting together a playlist of your favorite songs of the year, or posting something more personal like your top-notch brownie recipe are all ways to be creative, express your artistic voice, and draw your audience closer to you.

Promotion is how you reach fans and potential fans. Luckily, it has never been easier to get in front of people. Real people on the receiving end of your marketing are looking for you whether they know it or not!

If you promote yourself with your artistic voice, and do it in the spirit of fun, people will connect, and that will lead them to your work. Do it consistently, and don't give up when you find it slow going at first. That’s how it works!

Industry By The Hour® can keep you on track with “staying selfish,” which is a funny way to say that while being a self-promoter may not be fundamental to who you are as a human being, it is fundamentally related to doing the job you hired yourself to do.

Now that the industry is accessed by artists more directly than ever before, it is also more vital than ever before for self-managed and self-promoted artists to communicate with the industry effectively.

Whether or not any artist wants to take on the many lawns to mow that is self-promotion is a question to consider carefully. Once you make that decision, making the work, the language surrounding it, and the subsequent approaches as presentable as possible is imperative.

Industry By The Hour® provides the experience, knowledge, and guidance to inform the promo work that you are doing yourself, so when you reach out to industry veterans, they will be more receptive to your approach. While professionals don’t mind hearing directly from artists, they want to hear from them in a way that values and respects their time.

Here is some free advice: "Link in bio" is not the answer! Do not expect your audience to do the legwork to find you literally or figuratively. You need to lead them to where you are and invite them in once they arrive.

Industry By The Hour® helps make these tasks less terrifying!

Industry By The Hour® /// How Do I Tell My Story?

Here is a second piece of free advice: Do not use AI to write your bio! It is imperative that every artist articulates who they are! Human connections need to be facilitated by human beings.

Use me!

I am a professional writer and have written the bios and press releases for every client I have ever worked with. I do this to ensure that my artist’s visions are defined and clear as they set out to leverage media exposure to their messages and music.

The importance of illuminating their unique qualities in compelling ways that cause journalists to react instead of recycle can not be overstated. A good artist bio is a foundational document that dictates all the messaging going forward. Do not skimp!

Artists are professional emotional manipulators. Embrace that! Listeners want to be manipulated. They want to be brought to an emotional place by your music. Every action you take to lead them there is welcomed because we are all seeking works of art that will move and change us.

Industry By The Hour® /// In Closing

As I approach thirty years as a music industry professional, my interest in helping artists visualize, define, and accomplish their creative and career goals endures.

It is crucial for artists working to build the foundation of a stable audience and following to have an advocate at hand who can give objective and tough feedback. Making art while also staying focused on the bigger picture requires an experienced and trusted voice to refer to when the time comes to step into the reality of that bigger picture.

I have always sought to be this voice, and this service is what Industry By The Hour® provides.

The music industry is always evolving in every conceivable aspect of creativity (and, unfortunately, bureaucracy), but the element that never changes, which I am grateful for because it is where my passion lives, involves artists who are constantly creating work in an attempt to express their inner life and to find validation for those expressions through audiences that relate to their world.

Every artist and every project boils down to an effort at writing great songs, making great recordings, and telling compelling stories that can be efficiently communicated over and over, added to as the lore evolves, and then told again.

This is a skill!

Marketing workflows have changed as access to the media has become easier for artists. At the same time, the media has adopted a more casual attitude towards communicating with artists who are more adept at marketing themselves, thanks to social media conditioning.

These changes have given me fresh opportunities and new ways to use my deep experience and knowledge in this post-gatekeeping landscape!

If you are already a successful career artist with a team, and you want another objective voice to shoot you straight (even if the straight shooting is about your other hired guns), Industry By The Hour® is available.

As a young artist, if you feel like you've done your homework and want to bring an additional voice to the table from time to time to confirm or deny how you perceive your progress, Industry By The Hour® is available.

If you aren’t as effective at speaking about yourself and your work as you’d like to be, Industry By The Hour® is available. Two or three compelling sentences can sometimes be the one asset that increases your chances of gaining more leverage for yourself than even a full-time publicist can provide.

Remember to endeavor to create great work and do good business. This mantra is how memorable experiences for artists and audiences happen and keep happening. Every day and every Industry By The Hour®.

Industry By The Hour® /// Contact

To book your first Industry By The Hour® session, contact Josh Bloom at FANATIC PROMOTION /// josh@fanaticpromotion.com