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With many beaches now opening up in October if you are lucky enough to live by the seaside you will no doubt be aware that now is the time you can return to the beach for those bracing winter dog walks. Many people have been asking for the 5 month beach ban to be shortened and this has become quite a news talking point

However Yellow Dog does appreciate that although walking along one of the UK’s beautiful beaches is no doubt wonderful, it can also be quite stressful for us dog owners as we anticipate another excited dog bouncing up to our Yellow Dog, who may not be quite so excited to meet another dog.

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World Music PR Agency

Quite Great pr and marketing have been promoting artists from around the world in the UK for over decades. We have promoted bands from the Ukraine to Canada and from Portugal to Russia, so we understand world music and music from all around the world!

Having helped promote projects by everyone from Femi Kuti to Khaled ; Feli Kuti to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lucky Dube to the wonderful Soweto String Quartet not to mention Don Laka.

We understand that world music comes in all different categories of music from around the world and is simply classed as ‘world music’ in order to give it a place in the UK music industry, but we treat each artist on their own merits.

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Quite Great Boutique PR Services

Established in 1996, Quite Great’s heritage stems from our founders vast experience, with PR background’s based in music, art, celebrity, and consumer markets. Our business model is simple – we care about you and will make your business our business. We discuss your needs and work out how to create a budget and a partnership that can help you maintain your release patterns, your band development, your exhibitions or latest business venture, whatever that may be.

Quite Great is a leading boutique pr company working with charities, artists, musicians and brands. An honorable trustworthy PR agency since 1996.

We are creative, honest, and hardworking pragmatists who have skills across the board and we know how to tailor the needs of our clients to their market – no matter what sector. We do not make wild, unattainable promises, we create constructive and caring campaigns that fit the needs of those with whom we work and those who work for Quite Great. You talk, we listen.

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Rock Music PR

We live, breathe, eat and drink rock n roll at Quite Great and have worked with some of the giants of rock and metal – from Faith No More to Ritchie Blackmore, Kiss, Wildhearts, Yes, and countless others. Whatever area of the rock and metal spectrum you fit into and whatever stage of your career you’re at, we can help you get the media attention you deserve in the areas that matter the most.

We work with rock, prog, alternative and metal bands and artists from around the world and help them to develop their coverage in all areas of the media through our expertise in the world of rock music PR. Having built up a first stage layer of sites and blogs for artists who have little or no presence in the UK music scene, the team then expand the scope to local rock radio shows and press, online blogs and websites and finally hitting national areas such as Planet Rock, Classic Rock, Kerrang and Terrorizer. Whether you’re Thrash Metal or Prog Rock, we can guarantee our guys have hit radio, press and online or given marketing viewpoints to help an act like you grow.

Email ask@quitegreat.co.uk so we can see if we have the team to match your needs.

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Your Guide To Spotify’s Algorithmic Playlists

One of Spotify’s strengths is its ability to recommend and curate music based on its subscribers’ listening habits. After all, who will know what kind of music you’ll like more than the algorithm that takes into account every song you choose to listen to?

As an artist looking to grow their fanbase, being matched with prospective fans by this algorithm can be a powerful tool. If used correctly, it will suggest that those most likely to like your music listen to it by placing them on algorithmic playlists. But what are the different algorithmic playlists?

Discover Weekly

Release Radar

Daily Mix

On Repeat

Repeat Rewind

Spotify Radio

Discover Weekly:

Discover Weekly is a 30-track mixtape generated every Monday, made of old favourites and new artists based on the user’s listening habits. Because it’s tailored to the tastes of its audience, these are an ideal spot for emerging artists to place their music.

Release Radar

Release Radar is a playlist made each Friday that rounds up the latest music by artists the user follows, as well as new singles picked for them. By pitching your music to editorial playlists two weeks before your release, you can ensure that your followers will have your single in their Release Radar once it’s out.

Daily Mix

Daily Mixes categorises a user’s music tastes into distinct sub-types generated by an understanding of their favourite genres, songs, and artists, and stretching that out to include new tracks in a similar space. The kind of Daily Mix that your find your music in is a good indication of how Spotify is categorising your sound.

On Repeat

Your On Repeat should be most familiar to you. The playlist is made up of the songs played the most across the last 30 days. If your music is appearing on here, it means that that user can’t get enough of that track!

Repeat Rewind

Repeat Rewind is made up of a user’s most played songs from more than 30 days ago, designed to jog their memories of songs they had on repeat not too long ago. If you’re placing in these playlists, it can be a sign that this user is primed for a new release by you.

Spotify Radio

Spotify radios are generated based on a song, album, playlist, or artist at a starting point. It’ll create a playlist of roughly 50 tracks that will automatically extend as the user continues listeners. Like Daily Mixes, these radios will give you a good indication as to where Spotify is placing your music alongside other similar genres, artists, and moods.

While there is no exact science as to how you can get on Spotify’s algorithmic playlists, there are some general tips that can help. Between increasing your streams, optimising external profiles to best work with the streaming platform’s algorithm, and targeting specific audiences to encourage them to engage with your music, you can boost your chance of being picked up by the algorithm.

Read our related blogs:

Spotify playlists: Changing the music industry

Why Spotify is key for unsigned artists

At Quite Great our Spotify playlist and music streaming PR team analyse your music – we do not ask you to press a button and pay money; we listen, we learn, and we lean into the music. Contact us now, and let our team hear your musical talent.

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Quite Great has been helping acts develop through a series of releases for many many years. We have worked with independent/indie music labels and artists from around the world , we have found that the most important things indie bands and artists want is a feeling of security knowing that their team will follow regular team discussions and that their development is not left to one person who is a jack of all trades but a master of none , they want a team who will approach online media , radio and print media in line with plan agreed and also to do it within a budget that will not break the bank because we all know that creating a business model out of download sales alone is virtually impossible.

For more information, please contact ask@quitegreat.co.uk

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Why You Should Use Quite Great PR For All Your Music PR Needs!

Here at Quite Great PR we support upcoming and emerging artists to get their music heard. From digital publicity that targets a wide variety of blogs & tastemakers, to print media, streaming services and radio. We want to help connect you with your target audience, by creating innovative and engaging PR campaigns.

DIGITAL PUBLICITY

Here at Quite Great, our digital publicity campaign aims to share your story and get your voice heard with the world. We aim to secure online coverage that is varied and relevant to you and suits your needs. This digital publicity coverage can include interviews, reviews, premieres, Q&As, spotlight features, sessions and much more!

PLAYLISTING

Playlisting is where a streaming platform or independent curator creates a list of chosen songs specified to a genre. We aim to get your music on playlists that are tailored to your music.

RADIO PROMOTION

We specialise in getting your music played on the right radio outlets for your audience and overall sound. This can include traditional, internet, national and local radio opportunities. We aim to build a strong radio campaign that will allow you to give a more personal experience to new fans and engage with many like-minded listeners.

Quite Great has recently been working with SKA legends The Dualers on promoting their epic “Road to Wembley” tour A 25 date nationwide tour ending with the iconic Wembley Arena, Alongside promoting their upcoming album Voices From The Sun. 

Take a look at previous examples of clients we have worked with and campaigns here.

Are you ready to begin your music pr campaign with us? Drop us an email at ask@quitegreat.co.uk today with a little bit about you, and what you want to achieve.

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Quite Great Music PR & Music Marketing Services

I) Press release creation by our professional in-house writer. II) Creation of biography from our in-house team. III) We run 30 music blogs, independently edited by real music-obsessed writers, creating original content around you and your music. IV) We have in-house writers who contribute to some of the most important, taste-making music sites and they will guarantee your music is studied and can give you feedback which can lead to direct feature approaches or relevant comments to help you make things more competitive in the battle to get your music recognised. Remember, you’re fighting it out for media coverage against every other artist in the world, so anything that can help you stand out from the crowd is valuable. V) Our Quite Great radio shows are ranked globally in the Mixcloud charts and are aired across over 210 radio stations around the world. VI) You can also contribute to our YouTube channel with 750,000+ subscribers, simply by creating an exciting introduction and a brilliant performance and accompanying it with a thumbnail image so we can present it to the world.

Email us today at ask@quitegreat.co.uk so we can see if we have the team to match your needs.

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Think Again With the Eye of The Lens & Photojournalist David Hicks

In a time when we are all dreaming of that exotic travel destination and searching for escapism in the arts, photojournalist David Hicks presents his world of photographs where art journalism meets social comment. Having travelled to over 100 countries David has recorded and interpreted ordinary life on our planet to share with his viewers. He has no wish to photograph war, strife or suffering but rather the banal in life, that most of us have passed by, from the unappreciated ‘Drains’,  the beauty of his ‘Gentle Giants’  to the mystery of his ‘Unexpected Portraits’.

‘I like wandering around towns and streets marvelling about how we, human beings, live. I like looking at things that others would consider dreary. I like collecting these moments. I like the joy of it. I like curating them into stories about how we do things. I like comparisons between cultures. I like bringing all the ingredients together. I like the idea of a one world. I am a photography chef (actually I was a chef once!) I serve in courses and bring things onto one table.’

In a world of photographers Hicks stands out with not only his unique take on the everyday moments but also with his mixed exhibitions where he prints photographs on the appropriate substrate for the project, captured by Hicks as his ‘Photomentary’ Exhibitions. These pieces take us through pieces as diverse as ‘An English Country Garden Exhibition’ where garden moments are captured and reproduced onto distressed greenhouse glass to ‘World Taxi Drivers Exhibition’, taxi drivers faces  in their rear view mirrors and then reproduced onto vintage rear view mirrors. His most recent exhibition explores the world’s treatment of wood with his ‘Palettes Exhibition’ reproducing images of tress on wooden artist palettes.

Christopher Johnson, North Street Gallery – ‘His work shows a lightness of touch which coupled with his consummate ability to capture a feeling in an instant, explains why his work is so well appreciated by so many people. This ability is what makes a real artist, to be able to allow another person access to the emotion within the work.’

HiXPOSURE | Travel Photography

HiXposure (@hixposure) / Twitter

HiXposure | Facebook

HiXposure Photography (@hixposure) • Instagram photos and videos

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Who Are Your Top 5 World Photographers?

World Photography Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography. This gives so many of us a great opportunity to appreciate and enjoy some of the most stunning photography from photographic artists across the world. So many to choose from that this is not an easy task but some of our favourites are listed her from the lesser well known to the insta favourites.

Quite Great Top Five World Photographer’s Choice David Hicks

World Photography Day this year will be a day for us all to appreciate stunning photographic images from across the world, in a time when so many of us have not had the chance to travel and capture these moments. One travel journalist who has certainly missed out on travelling and using his camera to catalogue the world is David Hicks . Hicks describes himself as ‘Art journalism meets social comment.’ Having travelled to about 100 countries to date, Hicks sees himself as helping to record and interpret ordinary life on our planet at this point in time. Having no wish to photograph war, strife and suffering, what he likes is the banal things in life, ‘I like wandering around towns and streets marvelling about how we, human beings, live. I like looking at things that others would consider dreary. I like collecting these moments. I like the joy of it. I like curating them into stories about how we do things. I like comparisons between cultures.’  Hicks work is honest and to the point, capturing people, places, animals and objects from across the world that may have gone unnoticed but with the eye of the Hicks lens have been recorded for us and future generations to enjoy and appreciate.

Jimmy Nelson

Jimmy Nelson is known for his captivating portraits of tribal people, educating the world with his utmost respect for minority and indigenous cultures where Nelson takes us into the beauty of these tribes. His book ‘Before they Pass Away’ is surely one of the must coffee table books with images that are truly hauntingly beautiful. This is world photography taking us into a world most of us will never be privileged enough to see in the flesh.

Richard Bernabe

Richard Bernabe is an American international respected travel photographer whose work presently has a focus on endangered species and African Wildlife. Bernabe uses his photography to educate us about wildlife, how we need to appreciate our endangered species and respect the problems they face. His photography classes and workshops are known across the globe for their passion in sharing the world Bernabe and his camera capture.  His sensitive collections of elephants, lions, rhinos and so many other animals show these species as Kings and Queens of their environment, vulnerable and yet in charge, stunning, strong and powerful work.

David Norton

David Norton is one of the top landscape and  travel photographers whose work has captured all of the world, whilst he also publishes The f11 Photography Magazine.  His atmospheric work captures the beauty of the world that maybe we may sometimes take for granted, the stunning colours, movement, light and dark, shadows creating images that transport the viewer to these lands of endless evocative delight.

Cristina Mittermeier

There are certainly more male travel photographers than female so it’s nice to include Cristina Mittermeier in this collection. Describing herself as an adventurer, conservationist, writer and photographer, Cristina’s work as a conservation photographer is full of passion using her camera to capture the world and its nature, the dangers, the joy and the beauty of our world, ‘My camera is my passport to the world’ . These photographs really do give so many of us a privileged insight in to nature and to those moments that are so fleeting only a photographer with as much talent as Cristina has could capture, translate and share these unique moments from across the globe.

Quite Great PR

Contact us to have a chat about how we can help raise your profile in this incredibly competitive art field, with innovative and focused PR & Marketing campaigns for photographer’s and their work.

Contact: lisa@quitegreat.co.uk or Telephone +44 (0) 1223 844440

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Why Spotify is key for unsigned artists

If you don’t have the backing of a label, you probably don’t have access to the same kind of promotional tools that they can give you access to. This could be access to national radio shows or massive advertisement campaigns that are just not achievable for someone who is unsigned.

However, Spotify is a unique platform in that way as there is no bias in place for certain playlist types. Third-party or user-created playlists are made by everyday users of the platform and lovers of music. When they like a song it won’t matter how old it is, or how big the artist who made it already is – something that cannot be said for other aspects of music promotion. Artists should therefore not underestimate the power of Spotify promotion as it can be the levelest playing field and therefore easiest to achieve results that will make an impact for you.

How to increase your chances of getting on algorithmic playlists:

The algorithm likes two things – engagement and data. Algorithmic playlists are so important especially for unsigned artists because they are the places that real music fans go to find new music. You don’t want to be put on certain broader playlists because often people will throw something on in the background and forget about it. They won’t be looking to delve into every song they listen to and follow new artists. However, people who religiously listen to their algorithmic playlists are interested in finding new artists and are a lot more likely to engage with what they come across.

One of the main reasons you will not be seeing support from the algorithm is Spotify not knowing enough about your track and sound to recommend it to the right people in playlists like Discover Weekly. It is therefore key to give Spotify as much information as possible by building an online profile in order to remove the guesswork from the algorithm. We can do this for you, email ask@quitegreat.co.uk for more information.

Engagement is also key, Spotify will not push a track to new people if it thinks that it’s not to be enjoyed. If you have 10,000 streams and only 50 saves you might think that it’s amazing that many people have listened. But because the savings rate is so low Spotify won’t think anyone who has streamed it is liking it. That’s why fake streams are so dangerous. A bot won’t engage with your song and therefore it can skew your metrics and push your profile down. Using the correct methods of playlist analysis you can’t avoid pitching to the wrong playlists.

What playlist pitching service is right for you:

Spotify playlist promotion can vary depending on what you would like to focus on. Some people want as many streams as they can get and decide that they’ll be happy to be put in any playlist as long as it gets them streams. The danger with this method is that you might end up in a playlist that your music is unsuitable for and people will listen to your track and not engage with it. As outlined above, lack of engagement in comparison to streams can be a real hindrance.

The method that is best is a specific and tailored promotional strategy that does not focus on stream number, rather engagement and long-term fan conversion. This results in tangible success and results for an artist and starts to begin to build up a core fanbase.

Contact us today and quote ‘Spotify services’ in the subject of your email to find out how we can help you to get your music heard.

Read our related blogs:

Spotify playlists: Changing the music industry

Why is marketing important in the music industry?

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You’ll Miss it When It’s Gone – How Lockdown Shows the Need for Photography

The art of photography has both benefitted and suffered since everyone has their own camera in their back pocket. Yes, more people are taking photos than ever but the artistry and skill is largely, put politely, rather lacking. Lockdown has seen us suffer in many ways, ways we would almost certainly never have expected. The simplest things such as the hustle and bustle of your local high street and the oddness, quirkiness and joy of everyday life has been stifled and we find ourselves now missing what we foolishly took for granted. Not so photographer David Hicks, whose skill in capturing transient, fleeting moments of humans and their impact on the world around them shows not just the artistry of the medium but also its importance to our psyche and morale.

There’s a particular gallery which caught our attention, entitled ‘Waiting for Something to Happen’ (perhaps in retrospect it should be ‘if only we knew something was going to happen’). Across a series of black and white images, the streets of Stockholm (though it could feasibly be anywhere) show people lost in the moment, not seeming to have any plans or any direction…simply existing, as if waiting for the Universe to give them a nudge. David captions the images with a line that feels incredibly pertinent now: “There was the promise of events but none seemed to ever happen. So, people waited together…patiently”. 

David Hicks’ combination of not only using the photographic image as artwork, with the framing, movement, structure and themes drawing us in but also as living photojournalism, documenting the world around us and giving us a glimpse at those things that often simply becomes wallpaper and background noise is truly important. In lockdown, the opportunity to savour even the seemingly mundane activity of people around us feels like a luxury. To make the most of each moment, sometimes you need to be reminded that there was even a moment there to experience and photography helps us do that — preserving moments in time which are so easily lost and as we find to our cost, so easily missed.

See more of David Hicks’ work here: https://hixposure.co.uk/

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Which Artists Are The Biggest Influencers?

All artists naturally have an innate interest in other artist’s work. Whether simply admiring their talent or being subconsciously influenced by their style this can all contribute to the formation of their artistic taste.

This is a topic which of course could include so many artists but initially one such artist who springs to mind and has no doubt influenced so many artists styles and subject matter and of course one of the most important 20th Century artists is David Hockney. The simplicity of his subject matters, highlighted by maybe a few significant props, makes Hockney’s work full of style and it remains timeless in its genius, from his portraits of Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy to his large scale Normandy ipad paintings.

Hockney is an artist whose work is timeless but of course also an artist whose work has moved with the times, capturing personal portraits to his most recent large landscapes. His use of colour is exhilarating and when seen in the flesh completely captivating. His enormous landscapes take his viewers into the scene and his forthcoming ipad painting exhibition at the Royal Academy will be another opportunity to experience this David Hockney:  ‘Opening exactly a year after the works were made during the global pandemic, this exhibition will be a reminder of the constant renewal and wonder of the natural world – and the beauty of spring.’

Artists such as Brian Parker have no doubt been influenced in part by Hockney’s work and his portrait of ‘Husbands’ compares nicely to Hockney’s ‘Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy’, both capturing a moment between two newly married couples, united by the composition of the scene with the window anchoring the couple, shining light into their lives.

               Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy by David Hockney

                                 Husbands by Brian Parker

Hockney’s ‘The Arrival of Spring, Normandy 2020’ will be such a wonderful and truly uplifting art exhibition after a challenging year and one in which we can all take some hope and forward-looking positive joy from. 

Images were taken from: thetimes.co.uk, tate.org.uk & royalacademy.org.uk

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Can Photography Transcend Language?

When we think about communication, we probably think of words. Speaking, talking, perhaps writing; these are the methods that come to mind.

Yet there are ways beyond language to communicate.

The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines communication as ‘the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.’

‘Other medium’, a broad term I acknowledge, is a way to speak without words. Silent communication; a magical means to tell a story, a feeling or emotion without uttering a single word.

Photography is one such ‘other medium’. A way to speak without words and tell a story with silence, photography is a true anomaly in communication.

Whilst soundless and motionless a good photograph still speaks volumes. The talented photographer can capture movement, feeling and emotion in a singular snap.

Without the use of his words, motions or manoeuvres the photographer is left with nothing but a vision and a lens.

Take the works of photographer David Hicks, adventurer, creative and avid traveller. With nothing but a camera in hand Hicks has created many wonderful exhibitions from his worldly adventures.

Let’s look at Hick’s Sari Exhibition, a collection of photos captured during David Hicks’ time in India. Capturing the beauty of a Sari is no easy feat, known for their vivid and vibrant colours doing such enchanting fabrics justice is a true challenge.

Yet Hicks wondrously succeeds. Infusing a truly rich sense of colour, the images exuberate the immense vibrancy of the Sari. Perfectly depicting layers, textures and surfaces the viewer feels as if they could just reach out and touch the fabrics.

Vivid, life-like and striking the magic to Hicks’ work is the true-to-life nature of his images. Crystal clear and radiant Hicks truly communicates the wonders of the world he has been fortunate to see.

Hicks’ images invigorate our senses, evoke feeling deep within us and bring an experience to life that we may never see ourselves. A silent speaker, Hicks’ tells wonderful stories of the world in no more than the snapping of a camera.

Written By: Jessica Rowe