VNTG PR is an entertainment public relations firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by Dominick Sotis in January 2020, the firm has executed press campaigns for musicians ranging from Grammy-winning groups to independent artists.
In this Q&A, Sotis talks about his experience in public relations, the founding of VNTG PR, and the challenges the music industry faced coming out of the pandemic era.
What is your experience in the public relations industry?
I’ve been involved in some form of public relations since I was a junior in high school. A friend of mine started a company hosting luxury benefit car shows around the Houston area, The Car Culture, LLC. My job was to attract press for the shows, getting them featured on morning television shows and helping market the events. It wasn’t until I moved to Nashville to study music business in college that I realized I wanted to focus more on entertainment public relations.
Why did you start VNTG PR?
VNTG PR was born out of wanting to hone my knowledge of the industry while being able to have full control of the output. I had interned at an indie radio station as a digital marketer and worked at a primarily country music public relations firm as a publicist over the course of my college career. While those jobs established a great foundation, I knew I wanted to have more control over which artists I worked with. When I decided I wanted to try things out on my own, I approached a friend’s band that I had been a fan of for years, The Thing With Feathers, and asked about handling press for them. With that, VNTG PR was born.
Who are some clients you’ve worked with under VNTG PR?
Besides The Thing With Feathers, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some truly incredible solo artists and bands. I have the pleasure of working with the Grammy-winning Baha Men, performers of the triple-Platinum iconic hit “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Outside of the music industry, I’ve gotten to work with some great businesses. BarBees Bartending, a mobile bartending service out of Nashville, has adapted really well to the pandemic environment and continues to make huge strides in growth.
What is VNTG PR doing to facilitate growth?
This business is dependent on word-of-mouth and referrals. Paying attention to my clients’ needs and offering the highest quality work at competitive pricing organically drives business for me. Additionally, I started “The VNTG PR Summer Sessions” on the firm’s Facebook page. A different up-and-coming artist takes over the page every Friday at 6pm CT and performs their best and latest music. These sessions drive up engagement, bring new eyes to the firm’s social media accounts, and serve as a networking opportunity.
What are some of the challenges the music industry faces?
Before the pandemic took hold, artists were heavily dependent on touring because that’s where the money was made. Streaming services pay so little in royalties (Spotify pays $0.0018 per stream) and being involved with a management team or a label meant artists had to split already low payouts among many people. Naturally, musicians started going the independent route. With touring disrupted and the concert industry projected to lose up to $9 billion, artists have had to scramble to find other avenues to make money and stay active.
Where do you see the music industry heading?
I think now, more than ever before, we’re going to see a massive shift toward the independent artist. As musicians demand more say over every facet of their career and desire a bigger slice of the pie, the notion of signing a massive record deal will slowly fade. There’ll also be a movement to increase royalty payouts from streaming services. Artists are beginning to face the fact that they won’t be able to rely on traditional touring to bring in revenue, so the focus will now turn toward record sales and making sure they’re getting the most from what they’re releasing.
Where can we find VNTG PR online?
We’re currently very active on Facebook and Instagram and love connecting with new artists and businesses. To see our full client roster or explore services VNTG PR has to offer, you can also visit our website.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
