Five questions for creatives
Emma Scott
Emma Scott has 25 years radio presenting experience and has worked all over the country and with many different radio groups including the two biggest in the UK – Bauer Radio and Global Radio – at stations like Kerrang! (where she presented a music TV show and was an award winning concert promoter), Radio, Power FM, Capital FM, Heart, Galaxy FM, Metro FM, Juice FM and Hallam FM.
Emma founded Pluggin’ Baby a national radio plugging business in 2013 that works with unsigned and signed artists and bands and specialising in indie, rock and metal. More recently Emma has written two books – Break Your Band – a Guide to Getting Radio Airplay and If It Was My Band…, both aimed at aspiring musicians who want to find out the benefits of getting radio airplay, or want to learn about all aspects of the music industry.
How did you get into the creative industry, and was there a defining point in your career that led you on that path?
I got into radio straight out of school at the age of 16. It was only when I was on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) that I got my foot in the door (the radio station didn’t have to pay me). I did my 2 years YTS at my local radio station, Chiltern Radio in Bedford. I worked hard and was lucky enough to be taken on after that. I still do radio, some 28 years later after a full 25 years doing it full-time all over the country.
Is there anything you would change in your current career and if so why?
No, I have the best of all worlds. I’m a radio plugger now. I promote music to radio stations and work alongside musicians and bands to help them build a buzz for their music. I’m my own boss, I can work wherever I have WiFi, I can set my own hours, I can turn down work if I want to, I don’t have anyone to answer to – except my clients – and I work very hard to keep them happy. I’m doing some radio shows on Black Cat Radio and hoping to get involved in behind-the-scenes stuff there… so that keeps my creative juices flowing.
Where do you see yourself, and your career in five years’ time?
Maybe completely out of the creative industry – that doesn’t worry me. I’ll probably still be doing something different as I’ve never had a normal job.
Are there any rules or habits that help you do your job more efficiently?
I have always had a very strong work ethic and I work until the job is done – 7 days a week, 12 – 15 hours a day sometimes. If I get everything done, I’ll take a day off and go shopping or paint some furniture – but work comes first. My repeat business only happens when I do a good job for my clients – so I just crack on and get on with it. I probably should be more clever on computers and I probably should be more technically minded when dealing with music uploads and so on, but after 3 years of doing radio plugging, I seem to be doing ok.
What tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in the creative industry?
Be prepared to make sacrifices to stay in your job, be prepared to move house a lot and be prepared to be dropped at any time. There is so much competition in the creative industry, there are a lot of people who are prepared to work for nothing to get their foot in the door. Be nice to people on the way up because they sure will see you on your way down later!
Find out more about what Emma Scott gets up to on her website: www.plugginbaby.com
