Our experts said: Breaking into music journalism

Duncan JA Dick is deputy editor of Mixmag, the world's biggest clubbing and dance music magazine

This is what I look for in a music review: First, has the writer properly listened to the album or tune? As far as I'm concerned, if an artist has spent months making something then a journalist can at least spend a decent amount of time listening to it before they give their opinion. Second, if it's full of cliches, unfunny puns on the artist's or album's name, or sentences that don't do anything except fill space, then it'll be rejected. And third, it should be entertaining to read, and perhaps take an angle on the material that is a little bit unexpected or unique. Also it should be within the word count. There's nothing worse than asking for a 150 word review and getting back a thesis (this is something bloggers often struggle to get right - there's a lot more room on the internet).

Pitch to the right person - it shows you've done your homework: A note on sending freelance pitches: send them to the right person. Look in your target publication, or on its website, to find out who does what and email your ideas and introduction to them. Tell them who you've written for before and include an example or a link. Going straight to the editor or publisher is very 'Mad Men' ambitious and shows you haven't done your homework. Another thing to remember is that if the commissioning editor has met you they might be more likely to give you work. So go along to the magazine's events and be sociable - say hello. Impress them with your dancing, patter or fashion sense. Nothing beats putting a name to a face.

Being the work experience person who was a 'whizz on Facebook' could help get you remembered: On a connected note, even if your primary interest is print journalism, make sure you know how to use Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, SoundCloud [insert next new web-based bit of magic here] to promote yourself and your work and help you do your job. These skills will not only give you an edge over other journalists but will prepare you for the long mooted print apocalypse. I know it's hard to imagine Hunter S Thompson or George Orwell worrying about inserting a hyperlink into an online news story but if you are the work experience person who 'was a whizz on Facebook' that could get you remembered and get you a job.

Matilda Egere-Cooper is an award-winning journalist who graduated from the London College of Communications in 2002 and has since made contributions to the BBC, The Independent, Dazed & Confused and i-D magazine. She works at the Catch 22 Academy as a tutor and helps to mentor young people who aspire to work in the media

A review should really understand what makes the music good or bad: If you're reviewing a single or album, it's important to demonstrate you understand what makes it good. This could be analysing the lyrics, the production or the way the songs are constructed. It would be worth knowing any previous work the artist has done so you establish a difference. More importantly though, the review needs to be well-written, punchy and take into consideration all of the above - and you can't go wrong with a bit of humour. If you're doing a live review, this should be an opinionated and critical analysis of the performance, rather than just a description of what happened. This means looking at the way a person has performed, the way they look, the good and bad bits about the performance, the way the crowd responds and so on.

Know the magazine you want to pitch to - you'll see what kind of features they would consider: When it comes to developing feature ideas, one thing we do at Catch 22, where I work as a part-time tutor, is ensure trainees know the publication they'd like to pitch to inside out. Once you understand what works for a publication, you'll know what kind of features they would consider and you can research accordingly; the key is to pitch something that is unique and not necessarily something a staffer could do. You have to prove you're the most qualified person to produce the feature, and when you get to the stage where you're ready to contact the editor, you'd need to explain how you can make the feature happen (Who will you interview? How quickly can you turn it round? Where will pictures comes from?).

It's tough being a freelancer - but you can often supplement your income: Truth be told, freelancing is HARD and you'll always have to contend with issues like budgets being cut and so on. However, what you write about, or your specialism if you have one, will determine what opportunities you can take advantage of. My niche is urban music and when there are those moments where the market isn't keen on what I have to offer, I work with the artists themselves and help produce their biographies and press releases - this has been a good way for me to make a bit of extra money. You should also consider the international market and the type of publications that might be keen on what you have to offer.

Oliver Condy has been the editor of BBC Music Magazine, the world's best-selling classical music monthly, since 2004. Before that, he was the deputy editor of Classic FM magazine

Listen to music all the time - and have an ear for detail: It's important to know the area of music backwards so you can put the song, album, symphony and artists in context. I would expect, in my line of work anyway, that a reviewer would be able to spot a missing bar from a Brahms symphony. A little extreme for most of you, I know, but that eye for detail should be employed in all aspects of music journalism. If you want to be a reviewer, you should be listening to music all the time, downloading or buying stuff to complement your reference library and getting as near as dammit to being an expert in your field.

Don't think you need to be some kind of musical God to work in this industry: Never underestimate the power of winging it. I know a few journalists that write quite often for a niche sector despite not knowing much about it. But they're supreme bullshitters and can get away with it. I suppose I've written this because it's all too easy to get frightened by the advice from some of us who kind of fell into the job. I know my area of classical music, but I have to spend hours and hours preparing for our monthly podcast because I don't know much about, say, this composer or that composer, or about his works. Don't think you need to be some kind of musical God to work in this industry. You just need to be enthusiastic, nice and hard-working. And persistent.

Anna Britten is a freelance journalist who has written about music and the arts for Metro, Classic FM Magazine, Yahoo!, Q, Bang, The Independent On Sunday, Time Out, Bristol Evening Post and Venue. She is also the author of Working In The Music Industry

Don't be afraid to approach editors with examples of your work: No one will think you're an idiot for sending sample reviews to an editor. Not at all. Sending an editor a good sample review in their in-house style shows you know their magazine, can walk-the-walk and could fit in if required. Read Stuart Maconie's 'Cider With Roadies' - he did exactly that with the NME. I did it myself (though that's where the similarity between him and me ends, alas!) Do it. It's a really good idea.

JJ Dunning is deputy editor of The Fly magazine, responsible for commissioning and editing and writing the news section of the magazine

Don't be afraid to meet journalists face-to-face - chances are they'll be receptive: My main bits of advice would be to arrange to meet people for a coffee to ask them about their jobs, or to just turn up on the magazine's doorstep. Chances are that the magazine will think you're a bit mental, but if you've got a good portfolio of work and in that first meeting you can demonstrate that you're not about to go berserk and start taking your clothes off, then they'll be very receptive. Most of us have either been work experience candidates or teaboys or girls once upon a time, so we know what it's like.

Laura Hooke currently combines working for the careers service of City University London with freelance career consultancy. Her experience in guidance covers more than 20 years and includes working with university students and graduates, school and college students and career changers

To get ahead, music must be your all-consuming passion: For anyone thinking about getting into music journalism, do your homework first. Be very clear about your strengths and extent of your interest. To succeed, you will need to be really (I mean really) persistent, prepared to develop your experience without necessarily getting paid and happy to be self-employed and probably combine writing with other roles. Music, of whatever kind, really has to be your all-consuming passion. Passion enough to happily go out on a wet, cold February week night to a grim venue in the back of beyond and listen to music that may not actually be your cup of tea. Then write, quickly, something succinct and interesting. My advice is to ask yourself if you have the skills and motivation needed.