As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.
This week we spoke with Isabella Bange, a music publicist at Measure PR, a London-based agency running global press campaigns for artists, bands, DJs and festivals. Known for her curiosity, persistence and people-first approach, Isabella is part of a new generation of publicists redefining what authentic artist storytelling looks like in today’s rapidly shifting media landscape.
Isabella’s journey has been anything but linear. She began her PR career a decade ago through unpaid internships, gaining her first full-time role by sheer perseverance and passion, before taking a long detour through a range of other jobs, from copywriting to customer service.
When she eventually returned to music PR, she brought with her a renewed sense of empathy, perspective and resilience; qualities that now define her work.
Today, she spends her days writing, pitching and building relationships across the industry, connecting artists with the right audiences and platforms in increasingly creative ways.
For newcomers, her advice is refreshingly real: be patient, stay curious and don’t be afraid to reach out cold. Keep showing up at gigs, get to know the people behind the bylines, and remember, storytelling and human connection will always matter more than algorithms.
👇 Keep reading for Isabella’s reflections on persistence, patience, and why the most powerful PR always starts with empathy and curiosity.
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I'm a music publicist at an agency called Measure PR. We're based in London and do press campaigns for artists, bands, DJs and festivals worldwide.
What does your general day to day look like?
To be honest, a lot of my day is spent reaching out. I reach out to journalists, editors, labels, managers and artists alike. It might sound tedious but I actually really enjoy the challenge of getting through to people, adapting, learning as I go, providing information and seeing what sticks.
I'll also write press releases for upcoming singles, albums and tour dates plus research suitable contacts and publications for that particular release. Then I pitch for news pieces, reviews, interviews, playlist adds and more.
Aside from that, we're also lucky enough to be able to go to gigs and events, something I'll never take for granted. It's amazing getting to see an artist you've worked with shine on stage.
And the best part - you get to connect with people and build relationships on almost a daily basis.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
I actually started my PR-career about a decade ago and did so by being an intern. I did work experience at three different companies and they were all unpaid which meant I had to work around them as much as I could... it was intense.
Then I finally got hired as a junior publicist at that final agency, having let my employer get to know me enough during my internship to take a chance on me.
Sidenote: this was in my early 20s and due to unforeseen circumstances my PR journey came to a halt as my agency had to shut down and I lost the will to continue on that path.
Then after ten years of working as everything from a waitress, sales assistant, translator to a copywriter, I decided to re-pursue a music industry career and now here I am. And to be honest, every role I've ever had has helped me be a better publicist, especially the customer service ones...
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
Back in the day, I got all of my opportunities through Music Jobs UK and Music Business Worldwide. Just sent them my CV and a personalised (!) cover letter. I barely networked, which of course isn't a lead you should follow.
What I did do was treat going to gigs as a bit of an A&R opportunity - if I liked a band, I'd walk up and tell them and make sure to keep up with their progression. Then when the time came and I'd started my PR career, I'd reach out to see if they could use our services.
I also did a lot of writing when I was younger, which is crucial for this line of work. Don't worry if you're not the best writer in the room when starting out, you'll learn through each email and press release.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
There are still plenty of amazing opportunities out there. Competition has always been fierce but I believe it's now fiercer than ever. Today everything is just a bit more accessible which means more people might shoot their shot.
To be frank, I'm not a fan of social media but I still see the benefits of being able to connect with a company or person through their socials. Whether that's following them online for upcoming job adverts or understanding their ethos through the way they market themselves.
But I think the landscape has changed into us feeling like we have to climb the career ladder quickly! Patience is unfortunately key, you have to pick up skills before you can feel truly confident.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
If you want to pursue a career in music PR, then music or PR is where you should look. Can't get work experience at an actual music PR agency? Try applying at another creative company that does PR, like a media company or brand agency. Or perhaps something else within the music industry, like radio promotions, live music, record labels, music journalism, management etc.
I started interning at a music sync agency, then a broader entertainment agency which also did music and lastly at an agency specialising in music PR, where I finally got hired.
I think when it comes down to it, as long as you're passionate, accountable and honest then you can get a foot in. Know yourself and be curious about the world around you.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
I might get hate for this but I do recommend cold-emailing people and agencies you admire to see if anything will come out of it. Make sure you do your research beforehand so you understand why you're contacting who you're contacting.
Worst case they'll say "no thanks" or never get back to you - best case they'll have an opportunity available or might add your CV to their records for later.
Go to gigs, be vocal about your aspirations, read the music blogs and publications. Trade press like CMU (shoutout!) and Record Of The Day post jobs, advice and mention various PR companies you can make note of.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
To be fair, the biggest impact I feel is what's changed since I did PR in 2015 and now in 2025. The way you can research and get a hold of people has definitely become more viable, it's great.
What's sad is seeing iconic webzines and magazines having to shut down because of a lack of support and what's crazy is how a song trending on TikTok can be what makes you skyrocket as an artist. So many extremes.
Another specific example is that far less albums are getting reviewed these days and when they do, they usually get all of the traction everywhere. So it's about finding coverage where you can and finding people who like the music you're promoting.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
This question instantly took me to the undiscovered world of AI and I feel like the worst is yet to come, as you might've noticed I'm quite old school in the way I look at digital progress.
I try not to think of it too negatively but it's hard. But I do believe that the human perspective and art will persevere - famous last words! - and that PR companies will still be needed in the future.
A songwriter will be needed despite an AI-service being able to write a track in five seconds. We don't just write words, we tell stories. We don't just email people, we connect.
Use your language, intuition and ideas and don't rely on digital assistance to get you to where you need to be.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
I think being able to pitch outside the box is crucial and it took me a while to get there. Just because you're working with an artist it doesn't mean you solely have to focus on music titles.
Get to know your clients, what makes them tick, what hobbies they may have outside of their artistry and try to turn that into a fun and unexpected area to pitch for.
Don't take everything at face value.
Also - you're not an imposter and you got this opportunity for a reason. There's always room for plenty of improvement but you're already enough.