Industry Insider: Ed Bunker Talks Artist Development as NPM PR and Marketing Celebrates 25 Years

Ed Bunker and NPM PR & Marketing are celebrating their 25th anniversary. As Founder, Chief PR, Marketing and Ideation Officer, Ed has spent the last three decades in the music business working with artists in rock, metal, alternative and country. After working in various sales & marketing positions at BMG Music and Squint Entertainment, he jumped without a net in September 2001 and has helped his clients mount successful campaigns to gain multi-platform media exposure and grow their careers ever since.

Over the course of his career, Ed has played a vital role in the development of artists across various genres, including alternative metal powerhouses Tool, Chevelle, and Ded; rockers Creed and The Veer Union; alternative staples Dave Matthews Band and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Alternative pop stars Sixpence None the Richer, whose song “Kiss Me” just surpassed two billion streams; and country superstars Lee Brice, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and many more.

Ed’s background also includes artist management, radio, retail, and television. In a constantly changing business, NPM PR and Marketing continues to evolve by developing new channels of exposure and partnerships that add value to every project he works on.

Chevelle in Minneapolis 2001, photo courtesy of Ed Bunker of NPM PR and Marketing

Do you think traditional artist development is a dying art, with labels more interested in viral potential than fostering long-term careers?

Ed Bunker: “Artist development has shifted away from the labels to the artists and their managers – and the independent professionals they bring onto their teams to help them grow and build a story. The major labels are beholden to shareholders, so they have to show profits on a quarterly basis. Because of that business model, they have to produce results very quickly, so long-term artist development has gone out the window for the labels. They invest in artists that have built an audience on their own through social media followers, streams at the DSPs, etc.

“Depending on the genre, they pay attention to whether or not an act can draw crowds with their live shows. It’s all data-driven, because the data wonks have taken over the business. So the burden falls to the artists, managers, and their team to ‘prove the concept.’ If they do that, then labels will come in with their larger budgets and infrastructure to try and grow the artists to a higher level.”

Is it still possible for an artist to develop naturally in today’s climate, or do social media algorithms and data-driven decisions force them to fit a mould too early?

“It’s absolutely possible for an artist to develop naturally in today’s climate, but it takes time and money. A very, very small percentage of artists hit big immediately. The most successful artists with long-term careers are generally the ones who persist over a long period of time and are able to find the resources and build a team around them to help them grow and get traction. It’s really hard work, and you have to be able to persevere through a lot of tough times to finally break through. Most people just don’t have that kind of intestinal fortitude, and they think that they can break through in a few months. You have to really, really want it.

“If you go into music as a career, you have to know that there is no plan B. Jelly Roll is a great example of the persistence and drive it takes: He slogged it out for 17+ years before he finally gained real traction. Can you break through in less time than that? Sure. But for the most part, it takes years of grinding it out in the trenches to sustain a career in music. The trend I’m seeing lately is that fans crave in-real-life experiences, because it resonates on a deeper personal level than just a screen in the digital space. Playing live is a great way to connect on a meaningful level. And it’s not dependent on the ever-changing algorithms.”

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus @ iHeart Radio Interview, photo courtesy of Ed Bunker of NPM PR and Marketing

What’s the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development?

“Being able to write, play, and sing your own music. You have to consistently write, record and release music. And you have to be able to perform it live. The technologies for creating music are continually changing and evolving – but if you can’t pull it off live, none of the tools are going to help sustain you. We’re seeing now in the marketplace that the acts that can deliver a performance that resonates with a live audience are the ones that are growing a sustainable fan base.”

What’s your advice to new artists considering whether to sign with a major label or stay independent?

“Ask a lot of questions, about everything. What are they going to do for you that you can’t already do for yourself? If a label is approaching you, it means that you’re already building your story and growing a fanbase on your own. How many of your revenue streams do they want a piece of to recoup their investment? If they want a piece of your merch sales, your touring revenue, your publishing, etc., is it really worth it? Those are the areas where you will make most of your money in the long term. Speaking of touring, are they going to help you get onto tours and get you in front of a larger audience? How much creative control over your music will you retain?

“Over the years I’ve seen many artists who become disillusioned because the label wants them to mould their music for the current marketplace, rather than let the artist evolve naturally on their own. They chafe at the creative restraints placed upon them. Will your masters and all rights revert back to you in a set period of time? If they are willing to invest in your career, you have to give them time to recoup that investment… But you should clearly define that recoupment period.

“Waiting 25 years or more for your masters and rights to revert back to you should give you pause. Finding an investor who is willing to bankroll your vision and allow you to grow on your own terms might be a better way to go. And you will probably have a better chance of keeping more of the money that you’ve earned. Be clear-eyed in making the decision: Weigh the pros and cons thoroughly before you make any commitments.”

NPM PR and Marketing logo 2026

What’s one hard truth about the music industry that no one prepares you for when you first enter it?

“In the vast majority of cases, it takes a very long time to build a sustainable career. So many people get into this business thinking that the key is to ‘go viral.’ There are very few acts that get big in a sustainable way from a viral moment. Most who gain a following in a moment also lose that audience just as quickly when the moment has passed. If you want a long-term career, you have to build it in a way that keeps people paying attention over the long term. You have to write, record, release and tour on a regular basis.

“In all my years in the business, people are always looking for a shortcut or to try to game the system. There are no shortcuts that work in the long term, and things change so quickly nowadays that what worked yesterday won’t apply tomorrow. It’s about being consistent and persistent.”

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“Making artists understand that you have to consistently be writing, recording, and releasing new music on a regular basis. The days of recording an album, releasing a few singles and videos to help drive it, and then taking one or two years off between releases are over. The business is moving too fast these days, and in order to remain relevant, it’s about regular, consistent releases. It’s hard to do, but that’s the reality. It sucks that algorithms have forced us into this position, but that’s where we are at.”

Rusty Coones of Attika 7 (and Quinn on Sons of Anarchy), photo courtesy of Ed Bunker of NPM PR and Marketing

Do you think playlist culture has made it harder for artists to build a cohesive body of work, like an album?

“I think artists can still make cohesive bodies of work, but that may be in the form of shorter releases like EPs. Do I think there is room for albums in today’s marketplace? Sure – especially if you are planning on making them available as physical products. But what’s been successful for the artists I’ve been working with for the last few years is releasing a single/video, single/video, an EP with a focus track/video… Lather, rinse, repeat.

“You can combine a couple of EPs into an album with additional tracks in the future as a cohesive release. It helps to refresh those tracks on the DSP’s and generate revenue from the physical product. Playlists are important, and we all want those placements. But those playlist spots are limited, and there is so much music coming out every week that it’s become very hard to get them and stay on a playlist for more than a few weeks. You have to build your fanbase through regular releases and train fans to keep checking your DSP pages directly for your music, so that you are growing that direct fan engagement that will sustain you – with or without playlist placements.”

Jose-Mangin (Sirius-XM Octane) -Joe-Cotela (Ded)-David-Ludlow (Ded)-and-Ed-Bunker-_-Loudwire Awards 2017, photo courtesy of Ed Bunker of NPM PR and Marketing

How has your definition of success changed over the years? Is it still about fame and financial rewards, or have other aspects become more important?

“Yes, it has. It’s much harder to reach a mass audience in today’s fragmented media world. I work hard to get the artists I work with visibility in as many touchpoints as possible for music discovery, because you just never know where you might catch a fan’s attention when they are being hit with a massive flow of content and information every day. In addition to getting looks at traditional music sites and press, I work to get visibility at health clubs, retail stores, sports venues, clubs and bars, and cruise ships.

“You have to meet potential fans where they are in their everyday life, not just where you would like them to be in a traditional sense. Having big hits and touring large venues is great – but in today’s marketplace, having a sustainable career that earns you a solid middle-class living that allows you to be a music artist and not having to have a day job is a success to me.”

In retrospect, how much of your success do you attribute to hard work, and how much to being in the right place at the right time? Can artists manufacture their own luck, or is it mostly out of their control?

“Hard work wins in virtually every scenario. You have to get up and grind every day if you want to win in the long term. The successes I’ve had in my career have come from hard work and persistence – too many people give up when the going gets tough. I find that the harder I work, the luckier I get. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you’ll get more opportunities. More opportunities equal more chances at success.”

Plumb @ Sony Pictures TV 2011, photo courtesy of Ed Bunker of NPM PR and Marketing