Best Free Free tools for Edinburgh music PR Tools
Free tools for Edinburgh music PR
Edinburgh's music scene demands localised PR strategy, and the right free tools can significantly streamline your campaign management. Whether you're tracking gig listings, monitoring local press coverage, or catching regional radio plays, these tools help you stay across the Edinburgh landscape without spending budget on expensive monitoring platforms.
Set up automated email notifications whenever your artist, venue, or release is mentioned across the web, including local Edinburgh press, blogs, and websites.
Free tier: Completely free with a Google account. No limits on number of alerts you can create.
Best for: Tracking mentions of your artist across Edinburgh press outlets like The Scotsman, STV, and local music blogs in near-real-time
Concert tracking platform that aggregates gig listings from venues across Edinburgh and Scotland, allowing you to see what competitors are doing and which venues are active.
Free tier: Free tier includes full access to gig calendars and venue information. Premium features like artist alerts require paid subscription.
Best for: Monitoring Edinburgh venue calendars, identifying touring artists' movements, and timing your own release campaigns around competing events
Electronic and club music focused events guide with detailed Edinburgh venue listings, artist pages, and community-driven event information.
Free tier: Free access to all event listings, venue information, and artist profiles. No paid tier required for core features.
Best for: Essential for electronic, techno, and club music PR; tracks Edinburgh underground venues and festival appearances with high accuracy
Artist platform that doubles as a discovery and monitoring tool; track listener geography, see which Edinburgh-based artists are trending, and monitor release performance.
Free tier: Free artist accounts with full analytics. Bandcamp takes a revenue share on sales only if you sell through their platform.
Best for: Understanding Edinburgh's independent music ecosystem and identifying which genres and artists are gaining traction locally
Access BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 1, and BBC Introducing content on-demand. Monitor what's being played and follow BBC Introducing Edinburgh specifically.
Free tier: Completely free with BBC account (no licence fee required for online use). Full archive access included.
Best for: Tracking BBC Introducing Edinburgh playlists and monitoring when your artist gets airtime; essential for regional momentum building
Dashboard showing your artist's listener demographics, geography, and monthly listener trends. Free tool that reveals how your fanbase is geographically distributed.
Free tier: Completely free when you claim your artist profile. No hidden costs or limitations.
Best for: Identifying whether your audience is concentrated in Edinburgh/Scotland and spotting geographic growth during regional PR campaigns
Use advanced search operators to find local journalist mentions, venue updates, and Edinburgh music scene conversations in real-time.
Free tier: Free with any Twitter account. No limits on searches performed.
Best for: Identifying Edinburgh music journalists, finding trending local conversations, and monitoring festival announcements as they break
UK press industry news including Scottish media updates, journalist lists, and local publication directories. Free resource for finding the right Edinburgh press contacts.
Free tier: Free to browse and search journalist/publication database. Some premium features available but core directory is accessible.
Best for: Building accurate Edinburgh and Scottish press contact lists, finding the right journalist for music coverage
Event discovery platform covering Edinburgh venues and festivals. Search by location, artist, and genre to see what's happening across the city.
Free tier: Completely free to search events and view listings. You only pay fees if selling tickets through their platform.
Best for: Tracking festival submissions, identifying emerging Edinburgh venues, and seeing which artists are building momentum locally
Search for music journalists, venue managers, and radio producers based in Edinburgh. Build targeted contact lists and view their recent activity.
Free tier: Free LinkedIn account provides basic search. Premium features cost extra but aren't essential for PR contact building.
Best for: Finding BBC producers, STV music contacts, and venue management on a professional network with verified credentials
These tools form the backbone of effective Edinburgh music PR without requiring expensive subscription services. The key is using them systematically to build local momentum before scaling regionally.
Frequently asked questions
How do I track whether my Edinburgh artist is getting BBC Introducing Edinburgh radio play?
Monitor BBC Sounds and tune in to BBC Radio Scotland's specialist music shows, particularly the dedicated BBC Introducing slot. Cross-reference what you hear with your artist's BBC iPlayer history and set Google Alerts for mentions of your artist name alongside 'BBC Introducing Edinburgh' to catch confirmation from music blogs and local press.
What's the most reliable free source for Edinburgh gig listings when planning a campaign around competition?
Songkick and Resident Advisor are your primary sources—Songkick covers mainstream venues and touring artists broadly, while Resident Advisor specialises in electronic and underground venues that matter enormously in Edinburgh. Cross-check both to see the full picture of what venues are booking in your artist's genre.
How do I identify which local journalists cover music in Edinburgh without paying for a press database?
Use Twitter Advanced Search to find Edinburgh journalists writing about music, set Google Alerts for local press outlets like The Scotsman and STV, and check bylines on articles about similar artists. LinkedIn searching for 'music journalist Edinburgh' or 'BBC Radio Scotland producer' gives you verified contacts with current roles listed.
Can I use free tools to monitor whether my PR push is creating regional momentum in Scotland?
Yes—use Spotify for Artists to track listener growth by region, Google Alerts to catch press mentions spreading beyond Edinburgh, and BBC Sounds/Radio Scotland to see if you're picking up plays beyond just BBC Introducing Edinburgh. Bandcamp analytics also show geographic listener distribution if your artist sells there.
What's the best way to track festival announcements and submission deadlines across Scotland?
Set Google Alerts for specific festival names plus 'submissions' or 'call for artists', monitor Eventbrite for festival pages and their deadlines, and follow festival Twitter accounts for announcements. Check Press Gazette Scotland periodically for festival press release coverage, which often includes submission information before it hits social media.
Related resources
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