The Role of Public Relations in Emerging Pop and R&B Musicians’ Careers

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of public relations in the emerging careers of pop and R&B musicians. A literature review that examines 22 academic and non-academic sources is used to uncover the key themes of this study. Music industry challenges, the role of earned media and trends in best practices are discussed. The two primary research methods in this study are interviews with music industry professionals and content analysis of relevant news media. The research is used to examine three key aspects related to a defined role for public relations professionals in the music industry, a base framework for best practices and engagement recommendations. Keywords: Communications, engagement, online engagement, music, music industry, emerging musicians, up-and-coming musicians, indie musicians, pop music, R&B music, Canadian music, social media, public relations, publicity, two-way communications, measurement, and record labels