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# How Music Journalists Deal With All Those Albums – One Writer’s Process
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/how-music-journalists-deal-with-all-those-albums-one-writers-process/
- Published: 2018-04-20T10:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2018-04-20T10:30:00.000Z
- Description: Sending music has now become so easy that music writers are constantly inundated with a constant deluge of new albums to listen to. Here we go behind the scenes to. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2018/04/how-music-journalists-deal-with-all-those-albums-one-writers-process.html]
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, Music Business, Songwriting & Music Publishing, DIY, DIY musicians, hip hop, indie, music, music industry, musician, musicians, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:05

[![1](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b8d2ec8b71970c-200wi "1")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b8d2ec8b71970c-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

Sending music has now become so easy that music writers are constantly inundated with a constant deluge of new albums to listen to. Here we go behind the scenes to look at one writers process for dealing with so much material.

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*Guest post by music journalist [*Adam Bernard* ](http://adambernard.blogspot.com/?ref=hypebot.com)*Back in the days of physical album mailings, opening your mailbox to see ten CDs meant you had a lot on your plate. Today, writers can easily receive ten links to albums in an hour.It doesn’t take a math major to figure out that it’s impossible to listen to every album when they’re coming in that quickly.The other night I was having a conversation with a publicist friend when I noted to her I had somewhere around 100 albums to go through the following day. She asked what my process was like for such an undertaking.It was a great question, and I proceeded to talk her ear off (sorry, Kelli), letting her know I …**1\. Have an inbox folder specifically for album links**I’m really big on having a clean, organized inbox, so I have specific folders for every type of column I write.With so many albums coming in at such a rapid rate, I also have a folder just for links to albums. I attempt to get to it at least once a month, but some months are more involved than others. For example, I recently wrote a book, and on my book writing days, I was focused solely on the completion of the chapters I was working on.**2\. Skim the press releases**Knowing the full story behind an album, and a band, is great, but in this stage in the process I’m really only interested in three things – genre, RIYL, and where the band is from (the latter is because one of my columns is city-specific).If I end up listening to the album, and liking it, THEN I’ll read the full backstory.**3\. Eliminate what I know I won’t be writing about**If I’m not writing about EPs, I skip the EPs unless it’s by an artist I know and love. Same goes for genres I’m not writing about, or simply have no interest in.**4\. Give VIP treatment to established connections** [![2](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b7c96261ac970b-200wi "2")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201b7c96261ac970b-popup?ref=hypebot.com)Established working relationships/friendships matter, which is why publicists I work with regularly, and artists/bands I know personally, get VIP treatment. When I see their names, or their work, in my inbox they hold a little more weight, so I’m more likely to give them more of my time.**5\. Click play on one track from each of the remaining albums**Honestly, it doesn’t take long to know if you’re going like an album.If I like the first song I hear – FYI, I don’t just click play on track 1\. I’ll choose from the middle of an album – I’ll listen to a second song. If that one’s also good, I may have a winner on my hands.Something that really helps with this part of the process is that I start my annual Top 10 list in January of each year, so by the time the Spring rolls around I have a solid list of albums I’ve already established as great. If what I hear after I click play on a new album isn’t as good as what’s already on my list, I keep it moving.**6\. Download the albums that pass that test**If I like two songs I’ll download the album, or save the streaming link.In the end, I usually end up whittling down 100+ albums to somewhere around 8 to 10, which I listen to over the course of a few days.Do I occasionally sometimes miss out on something great? I’m sure I do.Do I occasionally listen to something I downloaded and wonder, “What was I thinking?” Yup.It isn’t a perfect process, but it works for me the vast majority of the time.*Adam Bernard is a music industry veteran who has been working in media since 2000\. If you live in the NYC area, you've probably seen him at a show. He prefers his venues intimate, his whiskey on the rocks, and his baseball played without the DH. You can follow him on Twitter at [@adamsworldblog.](https://twitter.com/adamsworldblog?ref=hypebot.com)*