How A Major Label Markets Emerging Artist In Today’s Industry.
By Minh D. Chau
Recently, ASCAP’s Daily Brief included an article by David F. Carr entitled, “How Warner Music Turns Social Media Fans Into Customers”. I thought there was one paragraph in there that was extremely insightful that some readers may not have caught. It needed to be expounded upon. If you’ve always wondered how a major label goes about building a fanbase for a new artist – as far as their overarching philosophy on it – there it was!
The statement came from Eric Snowden, VP of Digital Creative and Technology at Atlantic Records (Warner Music). Here’s the paragraph:
The promotional strategy is also different for new artists than for established ones, Snowden said. “At the beginning of an artist’s career, we want to keep the barrier to entry very low,” he said, and that may mean publishing more free content and sharing it more widely. As an artist becomes more popular, “we ask a little bit more from fans and try to drive them to our own wholly owned properties more.”
For some reading this, it’s a “duh” kind-of-thing. But, I thought there are those out there for whom understanding this will help them become more clear in how to market their music. So the major label’s approach is two-fold:
- When you’re unknown, make it easy for people to engage (content is free, content is everywhere).
- When you become more popular, you can ask for more from people (content is paid, content is exclusive). (read more…)
- Grammy Awards Give Indie Artists Some Shine (jdobypr.wordpress.com)
- B.I.D.I. Entertainment Group Declines Offer From Major Label (prweb.com)
- EMI to be sold to Russian billionaire after deal with Universal collapses (guardian.co.uk)
- Bandsintown Powers Tour Info, Tickets for Shazam, EMI, and ReverbNation (prweb.com)
- How Warner Music Turns Social Media Fans Into Customers (informationweek.com)
- Recording Industry’s Cataclysmic Changes Don’t Stop New Talent (prweb.com)
- The Awkward, Unanswered Questions That Led to Coldplay’s Spotify Embargo (musicindustryblog.wordpress.com)
- Myxer and Warner Music Group Announce Partnership (prweb.com)
- 50 Cent Talks Twitter, New Album On Piers Morgan [Video] (hiphopwired.com)
- OSC discloses details on emerging market issuers review (theglobeandmail.com)
Interesting post. I know there are plenty hip hop marketing companies who struggle really applying this kind of approach to the way they work.