With technology transforming our world and every aspect of our lives changing so rapidly, it can be difficult to keep up. And the music business, like every other enterprise, has seen the same metamorphosis. For anyone who simply wants to be a musician, it's just not that easy anymore. With all the tools to manage a career at our fingertips, there's more expectation placed on us to understand and utilize them. But it can often be a struggle for artists to also think like a self-promoting entrepreneur, myself included. That practical sense doesn't come as easily to some of us as, say, composing a piece of music. That's where managers, agents, and publicists come in. Their business savvy can be an important complement to the creative person, and with that in mind, I always love picking the brains of those on the business side and hearing their perspectives on how artists should be advancing their careers, particularly in this time of such technological upheaval.

About Antje Huebner

Antje Huebner is the founder and Principal of Hubtone PR. Before that, she served as Public Relations Manager for Ableton, a globally renowned music-software manufacturer. She devised and executed worldwide publicity campaigns, organized events, and was responsible for all media planning and ad bookings. In the years before Ableton, Huebner worked with Matthew Laifer Artists Management in New York City, where she nurtured emerging talents and worked with major arts organizations all over the world. In Germany, Huebner was an artist herself, appearing in operas, theatrical productions, and on television. She then joined Opera Agency Tennigkeit in Düsseldorf. Huebner has studied musicology and the performing arts in Hamburg, Germany.

All About Jazz: You have a very diverse background related to music and the arts. How did you end up in PR?

Antje Huebner: The German music software manufacturer Ableton initially hired me to help build their New York City office. Being German, while making my home in Manhattan, was an ideal qualification, along with my background in music. After that task was successfully completed and the new office was running smoothly, I was asked to stay on and was given interesting positions to choose from based on my skill set. This is how I became their Public Relations Manager. We had a great team, and my boss stood by my side when advice was needed. I was given more and more international responsibility, which was an honor and a compliment, but also, with a world-renowned product, a tremendous amount of stress. This was my initiation into Public Relations. I was basically thrown into it and had to figure it all out on the go. I started the PR adventure with a top-level, sought-after job. Leaving comfort zones is tough, but it makes you grow. It was a great experience.

AAJ: Your website describes your agency as connecting "a European approach with an understanding and appreciation of the American mindset and culture." Can you explain that?

AH: What all European countries have in common is that each of them existed before the United States ever did. Although there is a steady influx of immigrants nowadays, there are no countries of immigrants like the US, which was made up of foreigners. So European countries keep clinging to their respective traditions that have developed over centuries. That's a blessing and a burden at the same time. Traditions come with the attachment of a certain rigidity and make people less flexible. A former American boss of mine once told me, "Never breach a contract with the Germans; they won't easily forget and will let you feel it. But what you get from them is structure, attention to detail, and reliability."

On US soil, I once witnessed a meeting between two VIP professionals, where the European participant was invited by his US counterpart to take a seat in the middle of the store. Once they both sat down, the American started discussing fees, percentages, and margins, all the while staff and customers walked around. The Euro guy sat in disbelief while the other person kept talking business. This would have never happened in Europe. There is a stronger sense of discretion. Unspoken rules exist, just as there are different table manners that are honored without a word.

Americans are usually perceived as marketing authorities and convincing salesmen, which, in my opinion, is a valid observation. Relaxed storytelling is a strong American suit. But this is often met with skepticism by Europeans —"Is this honest or for a self-serving purpose?"

Hollywood has been one of the biggest marketing machines ever, and nothing has shaped the worldview of the US more strongly than its movies. Americans are a cool bunch—just like Kojak when he sucks his lollipop while intimidating the bad guys. Trends and major brands keep coming from the US. And no matter where you go in Europe, you will always run into some person wearing a sweater or shirt with New York City, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, or Malibu printed on it. This eventually creeps into your subconscious, and the wearer seems to be cool. To me, this is brilliant marketing.

Many old countries have looked up with respect to the United States, since they have stood as a beacon of freedom and democracy, fighting the good fight in WWII. I thought, this could never change. As a German-born American who has been living in the US for more than two decades, I can meet both sides of the Atlantic with an understanding of backgrounds, mentalities, and histories. Flexibility meets structure. If you will, I am a cultural translator who cherishes both sides.

AAJ: You are German but are based in New York. Why did you make that move, and is New York the best place for you to be for your job?

AH: To answer the first part of why I made that move, I was a TV kid. I watched pretty much every US movie and series I could lay my eyes on. And German TV was flooded with it at the time. I especially loved the stars of the '50s. When I was a kid, these moments altogether shaped my image of the United States.

New York, to me, was the cultural hub where glamour meets dirt; an exciting mixture. To me, it was this lively city that welcomed so many immigrants over time, where cultural diversity seeded the ground to reshape parts of societies into a new whole; less tradition, less rigidity, and new ideas. My boundless curiosity was piqued, and I gave in to it, with a certain naivety at first, buying a one-way ticket—which would have me run into certain funny difficulties at the border—but that's another story.

Coincidentally, I wanted to get out of an old job and had a friend in New York, whom I called up for advice. He then told me to come over and he'd introduce me to important people in the music business. And it happened. I believe I had around four interviews and four incredible offers at the time. Unfortunately, I was completely uninformed and unprepared when it came to the visa and immigration process, and had to learn the hard way. But challenges are there to be overcome, and I'm proud to say that eventually I succeeded.

To the second part of your question, whether New York is the best place for my job, yes, it is. But also no. 'Yes,' because it is a cultural hub that inspires and offers possibilities. You get to experience the best of the best in every field, or musically speaking, to see them perform there. You can connect to important people and tremendous talent.

But 'No,' because the world of the internet makes a physical presence obsolete. Nowadays, you can stay connected and work efficiently while traveling through different time zones. The internet has brought many crucial changes to the world. Independence, as long as you have Wi-Fi, is one of the positives.

AAJ: What roles can you do best to help your client, and what kinds of things are beyond your control?

AH: I can be an advisor and consultant on a client's PR needs. I can connect them, seed the market, and get the word out, but I cannot guarantee coverage. This is dependent on the respective media rep and his/her individual taste. I can lead the horse to the water, make it easy, pitch and explain, but whether they write about a project or not is ultimately up to them. No experienced media rep wants to be pushed; their expertise and tastes are in place and have evolved over time. Honesty and detailed information, however, are crucial. So is respect for the client and the media.

AAJ: Is there a project you are most proud of or have enjoyed the most?

AH: There are so many projects I worked on that I am proud of. But there is indeed one particular project that is special to me because it connected my heritage to the new world and, therefore, was kind of emotional for me.

It was a multi-media project by clarinet virtuoso