Month: February 2017

Categories
News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #104: Jack Harlow

Inside Music Podcast presented by Haulix
Inside Music is a podcast about the lives of professionals in the music business. Each week, host James Shotwell chats with an artist or industry tastemaker to learn how anyone can navigate the world of entertainment.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls up and coming rapper Jack Harlow to discuss his rise from Louisville, Kentucky to the national spotlight. He may only be 18 years old, but Jack has quickly established a voice and presence that is attracting a lot of attention from the industry. James asks Jack about his early days in music, the choice to remain independent, and the difficult path that this young entertainer now faces as he works his way to the next level of his career.

The music you hear in this episode is provided by Jack Harlow and his team. The opening track is titled “Ice Cream” and the snippet at the end is taken from “Hitchcock”. All of Jack’s music can be found on your preferred streaming service.

If you enjoy the show and you want to help us make more episodes, please subscribe to Inside Music on iTunes.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/inside-music-104-jack-harlow

Categories
News

The importance of brand consistency in music

Like it or not, your music is a business.

You might not rely on music to pay your bills, but I am willing to wager that a part of you hopes will one day provide for your needs. The fact you even consider this as a possibility should make it clear that your music is a business. Your name – be it your own or that of your group – is your brand, and your product is a mixtures of music and live performance.

The term ‘brand consistency’ refers to any attempt to communicate messages in a way which doesn’t detract or wander away from the core brand strategy, values and foundation. In other words, brand consistency is all about being yourself in everything that you do so that consumers know who you are, what you produce, and what your work is all about.

To be clear, brand consistency is much deeper than remembering to use the same logo with proper pantone color over and over again. These things are helpful, but brand consistency is an ever-evolving process that pulls consumers into your narrative and makes them feel as if they are a part of your personal journey. From your music to the photos you choose to promote your every move, and everything in between, your message and focus needs to be clear.

Without brand consistency consumers will lose sight of the message you are trying to convey, which in turn will cause them to lose interest. If they cannot understand what you are trying to do they will find it hard to trust your future output, thus making it increasingly hard to convert listeners to supporters.

The biggest acts of today, be it Drake or Twenty One Pilots, have impeccable brand consistency. Everything these artists release relates back to the messages they are trying to convey, and in many cases further a narrative that the artist has been developing for the majority – if not all – of their career.

Every artist and band should establish a brand and a guideline for maintaining it as soon as possible. These efforts should include instructions on how to use all your branding tools (name, logo, typeface, photos, color palettes, etc). Being specific is key. Know exactly how you want to be presented and find clear ways to communicate that to anyone who works with you moving forward. This includes publicists, booking agents, promoters, etc.

If you are unsure of what your brand is or what people expect from your music, do not be afraid to turn to your fans for answers. Their response may not be uniform, but it will shed light on what elements of your current output are resonating most with your audience. Embrace those things, further emphasize them, and plot your next moves with that knowledge in mind.

For help marketing your new and unreleased music to the industry at large while staying on brand, consider using Haulix for your promotional distribution needs. Haulix offers customizable promo pages and email invitations no competitor can rival. Sign up now for a free one-month trial.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine and host of the Inside Music Podcast. If you enjoy this post, please follow James on Twitter. 

Categories
Job Board News

New openings (2/27/17):

Marketing Specialist, iTunes & Apple Music (Apple – Culver City, CA) 

The Music Marketing Specialist provides support in the day to day management of marketing campaigns and programs, while also leading select projects across the whole of the Apple ecosystem. This position works hand in hand with teams across the organization, as well as with music content providers and third-party partners. The music marketing team is responsible for driving trials and subscriptions, as well as to support partners, content, and content providers across iTunes and Apple Music, and this position will have an integral role in achieving those objectives. This position will also focus on reporting, sharing of best practices, coordination of marketing assets, and more.

Associate Campaign Specialist (Pandora – Seattle) 

This individual will work Campaign Specialists and the Sales team to help support the day-to-day needs of the region’s advertising partners. The right individual will be a key contributor in the Client Services organization and will be responsible for assisting with media planning and campaign execution; drafting media plans, providing advertising creative deadlines, technical specifications, reporting; and tracking and optimizing delivery.

Strategic Partnership Manager-Shows & Editorial (Spotify – Los Angeles) 

We are now looking for a Strategic Partnership Manager to join our Shows & Editorial Partnerships team in Los Angeles. This role will look after the strategic partnerships that Spotify strikes with media, entertainment and content companies. The right candidate will have day-to-day responsibilities to ensure that it’s a win-win-win partnership for the partner, the end customer and us!

Coordinator, Urban Promotion (Sony – NYC)

This position will assist the EVP, Epic Records in daily duties, office management, and corresponding departments.  He or she will oversee and aid in coordinating activities and deadlines for the EVP.

Event Producer (Marketing Factory – Venice, CA) 

Responsible for producing a year-long branded campaign surrounding three premiere U.S. music festival sponsorships for a blue-chip brand. Responsibilities include managing internal and external development teams for multiples parties, including clients, festivals, and other partners, including day-to-day communication and management. The candidate will ensure milestones are delivered on time, on budget, per process, and complete, and that the approved submissions maintain a high standard of integrity and compliance. The candidate must be passionate about music, the brand, and assume ownership over the campaign at all levels.

Director, Label Relations (UMG – NYC) 

The Director of Label Relations will work closely with a set roster of labels and be the main informational and communication source between those labels and all applicable departments within UMG, including Digital and Physical Sales, Operations, Physical Production and Executive staff. The Label Relations Rep will champion and be the resident expert for UMG products as well as the labels he/she represents.

Product Manager, Marketing (Singing Machine Company – Fort Lauderdale, FL) 

World -wide consumer products company, specializing in home karaoke and music entertainment, is looking for a Product Manager to manage its product assortment of 50+ SKUs.

Production (Hopeless Records – Los Angeles, CA) 

We are looking for a production person to join our growing team! This role works as a part of the operations department and is responsible for managing our physical production and logistics (recorded music and merchandise) worldwide. We are looking for someone who is passionate about the Hopeless Records roster of artists and is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that our releases are accurate and delivered on time. Strong attention to detail, excellent problem-solving skills, and ability to work under pressure and strict deadlines is imperative. If you feel like you would this describes you and you meet the qualifications listed below, we’d love to hear from you!

Product Owner (CD Baby – Portland, OR) 

The Product Owner represents CD Baby (and other AVL brands) stakeholder interests and works closely with development as part of an Agile development process, Scrum specifically. In this role, you will lead the tactical implementation of product development as well as working with the key business stakeholders and Product Manager to define overall product requirements, vision and long-term strategic roadmap.

Music Enthusiasts (Heid Music – Appleton, WI) 

Heid Music is looking for a part-time team member to join our Appleton, WI team.  We select team members who take pride in their work and embrace our concept of providing “Bravo” customer service and pursuing our passion for making music. Music Enthusiasts are critical to Heid Music’s success in creating and maintaining a “Bravo” customer service experience.  This position builds and maintains meaningful relationships by assisting customers in selecting and purchasing merchandise and following through the entire sales process. Qualified candidates will ideally have a Bachelor’s degree in Music or Business along with musical instrument knowledge and/or playing experience.  Minimum of a high school diploma is required.  Previous retail or outside sales experience is preferred.  Band instrument knowledge is highly desired.

Head of Christian Music (Spotify – Nashville) 

We are looking for a senior world class Christian Music Programmer & Playlist Editor in our Nashville office. This position will oversee all Christian Music for the Shows & Editorial team at the company. You will own Christian Music globally for Spotify through playlist curation, programming and written editorial.

OLDER POSTS:

Campaign Specialist (Pandora – Seattle)

The Campaign Specialist will be a key contributor in Pandora’s Client Services team and responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining and enhancing these campaigns.

The Campaign Specialist will partner with the Account Strategist and be responsible for working internally to ensure that Pandora executes flawlessly for our advertising partners. The right individual will be a key contributor in Pandora’s Client Services team and responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining and enhancing these campaigns. This position involves sales and client support, project management, execution and reporting.

Manager, Marketing Music (Netflix – Los Angeles)

The Netflix marketing legal team is hiring a seasoned manager of music to set licensing strategy and to draft, negotiate and manage music licenses for the global needs for Netflix’s Marketing and PR teams across all original content. The role is global and responsibility includes purview over all music needs for the Marketing and PR teams, including music clearance.

Record Label Assistant (Heard Well – Los Angeles)

Heard Well – The first music label created by social media influencers and powered by media influencers is looking for a part time assistant to help with staff. 3 days a week are asked for this position.

Music Logger, Performance Today 192-17 (American Public Media – St Paul, MN)

Music Loggers assist with the production of Performance Today, American Public Media’s flagship music program. The show broadcasts daily throughout the United States and is also available as audio on the series’ website.  The central responsibility of this temporary role will be listen to live concert recordings, log the length of each piece, and enter this information into shared platforms that enable the show’s daily production.

College Marketing Representative**** [Alternative] (Sony – Minneapolis)

Sony Music U plays an integral part in the development of Sony Music’s breakthrough artists and assist in the roll out of established artists as well. Among the myriad of functions and responsibilities, College Reps organize listening events, interact closely with record stores and lifestyle accounts (skate shops, coffee shops, clothing stores) and are also very active in the online space. We ask that our reps spread awareness around our artist’s projects via social media, therefore we ask that they utilize their personal accounts and/or create, build and maintain “market specific” accounts. (Ie. Sony Music U San Diego) This is a part time role that requires a commitment of approximately 20 hours a week. The College Rep position is a great way to learn about the music business, gain marketing experience, and get your foot in the door of one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. We work with ALL Sony companies including but not limited to: Arcade Creative Group, Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, Sony Electronics, Legacy Recordings, and Sony Nashville etc.

CRM Specialist New York (UMG – NYC)

As the CRM Specialist you are responsible for creating email marketing and direct messaging campaigns to promote artist and releases. This includes determining target audiences, devising strategies, and launching campaigns to drive promotions and generate sales.

Global Client Lead (Spotify – NYC)

We are looking for a sales leader to join our newly formed Global Top Accounts Team. The team will play a critical role in developing senior business relationships and partnerships with the world’s biggest brands. This role will require the right person to own and lead Spotify’s global relationship with designated top accounts. Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.

Manager, International Marketing (Sony – Miami)

The Manager, International Marketing will provide exploitation services to the Latin-Iberia region of Sony Music. The role is responsible for the development and execution of international marketing and promotion campaigns for Sony repertoire.

Regional and Radio Promotions Assistant (Merge Records – Durham, NC)

Merge Records is an independent record label founded in 1989. We release approximately 40 vinyl, CD, and digital titles per year, from bands all over the world and with international distribution. We are looking for a full-time, on-site Regional & Radio Promotions Assistant for our office in Durham, NC.

To be considered for this position, please send a resume with cover letter and salary requirements. No phone calls, please. The application deadline is March 6, 2017.

Coordinator, Marketing (UMG – Hollywood)

In this dynamic position, we are seeking a Marketing Coordinator who will serve as key component of the marketing team, acting as the administrative support point person for Capitol Music Group’s marketing department. The ideal candidate will possess strong administrative, organizational, and creative skills. Prior marketing and administrative experience in the music/entertainment field is required.

Market Development Manager (Beats By Dre – Atlanta)

The Market Development Manager (MDM) is responsible for representing Beats by Dre by building relationships with and supporting a designated number of retail partners within a region and hiring, managing and motivating a staff of Assisted Sales Representatives (ASRs). Retail partners will rely on MDMs for management and associate product training, communication with the brand for feedback and support, in-store promotional event planning and general relationship building. In turn, for the brand the MDM is expected to provide retailer feedback and qualitative and quantitative data, strengthen partnerships, increase merchandising opportunities and grow brand advocacy in market.

Client Relations Coordinator (Ticketmaster – NYC)

The Client Relations Coordinator position will play a crucial role for Ticketmaster’s OnTour team, in the company’s continued evolution in the live entertainment industry. Ticketmaster’s OnTour team is the company’s artist facing department, tasked with building Ticketmaster’s relationships with the artist community, along with informing artists’ teams and acting as a resource to those teams to help them maximize ticket sales, marketing and drive incremental revenue throughout their tour cycle. The Client Relations coordinator will play a critical role in maintaining a solid foundation for the expanding OnTour team, and identifying potential areas of growth with both new and existing clients. The qualified candidate will have demonstrated an understanding of the live music industry.

Account Executive – Music (Eventbrite – San Francisco)

We’re looking for candidates who have 2-4 years of relevant industry experience in online ticketing, sales, talent management, and/or artist booking. Our ideal candidate has worked in the music industry in a growth-stage environment and has a track record of successfully delivering compelling presentations to all levels within a prospect account. Our next Account Executive is driven to raise the bar of success for the larger team, and knows what it takes to develop a successful partnerships in the industry. If you are smart, driven, and passionate about revolutionizing the ticketing industry, we want to hear from you.

Have a tip for our job board? Email james@haulix.com and get your gig listed!

Categories
News

5 Things to ask yourself when preparing your band for SXSW 2017

Can you believe the biggest gathering of music industry professionals and dreamers is less than a month away? 

SXSW is March 10-19 this year, and we have the tips you need to make sure your time in Austin is productive. Time is ticking. Don’t wait to get things in order because once your in Texas life will get crazy at an alarming rate.

1. Do you know your travel plans and budget for the week?

Budgeting and planning a trip can be a headache, which is why many people choose to procrastinate nailing down the details of any journey until the last possible moment. If you want to make this SXSW the most successful is can possibly be you need to know your plan of attack as soon as possible. Book a flight (while you still can), lock in your lodging, and discuss amongst everyone coming with what your daily budget will be. Many events offer free food and drink, but those seeking water or actual meals will need cash in order to satiate their cravings.

Beyond budgeting financially, you will also want to begin discussing how you plan to use your time in the city of Austin. Create a calendar and fill in every event you absolutely need to attend. Once that is complete, work together with your band members and anyone else going to Austin and devise ways to promote you music and any performances you may have during the week. Assign each other tasks and brainstorm various approaches you can take to gain the public’s attention.

2. Speaking of promotion, how are you going to get the word out about your music?

There are over 1500 bands performing in Austin during the week of SXSW, and more than 90% will walk away without seeing much, if any change in their careers. We could go back and forth about the reason for this, but more often than not it boils down to how much attention the individual act is able to bring to themselves during the course of the week. If your plan for promotion is social media updates and handbills, you probably will not see a very big impact on the trajectory of your career following the festival. If, however, you begin researching innovative marketing techniques for 2017 and apply them to your efforts in Austin the sky is the limit. Creativity is key to success, and when you’re surrounded by literally thousands of creative people it takes something extra special to stand out from the herd. Do not let your art become part of the majority.

3. Are you focusing on your efforts on quality or quantity?

There are bands who believe the key to being noticed at SXSW is to play as many shows as humanly possible, but the real way to take your career to the next level is actually far simpler: Connect with the audience. Whether you play one show or ten, it only takes one person with the right connections noticing your music for your career to change overnight. Do not stress over the amount of gigs you have or the time allotted, but instead focus on delivering the highest caliber performance possible when the time comes. Remember: It only takes one person to change your world.

4. What are you doing right now to promote your time in SXSW?

The entire list of artists showcasing at official SXSW events was recently released, which means everyone with a publicist on their team is already at least one email into their promotional efforts for Austin. As an independent artist with few festival appearances under your belt, it would be a good idea to begin promoting and otherwise advertising your presence at SXSW as soon as possible. Reach out to bloggers, share your latest music and let them know if they’re coming to SXSW you would love to meet up. You don’t need to sell them right away, but you should at least make them aware of your plans. It won’t be long until publications begin compiling the ‘must-see’ bands of SXSW and with a little luck your group could make the cut. Click here for some additional tips on contacting members of the press.

5. What goals do you have for SXSW?

The worst thing you could possibly do before heading to SXSW is convince yourself that one trip to Austin will change your life forever. We’re not saying such things will not happen because they most definitely could, but the odds are incredibly stacked against you. Set achievable goals that will help you further your efforts in the long run instead of focusing on short-term success. If you want to play to 50 people, then do whatever you can to bring 50 people to your show. If you want to find a manager, order business cards and make plans to network whenever time allows.

SXSW works for those who know how to work it, and the first step to doing that is understanding you get out of your efforts what you put in. Those who do the work necessary to play at their absolute best and go out of their way to be creative with marketing are going to get further than the band with great hooks and zero following. It’s that simple.

Categories
Job Board News


In case you had any doubt, piracy still matters.

Many people believe the age of streaming has done such a good job of providing free and legal means to access music that piracy no longer makes a major impact on an artist’s career. Our experience in promotional distribution over the last eight year has taught us the opposite is true, and the reason for this are numerous.

For starters, the royalties made off streaming services is nowhere near the kind of returns musicians (and their labels) would see from actual music sales. Of course those, be it physical album sales or digital downloads, continue to decline as use of streaming services rise. Royalty rates do seem to be improving with time, but not all genres are thriving in the digital space. Country and rock in particular are struggling, as more artists have to rethink their release strategies to match the ever-present demand for more content.

When new records don’t produce money, the ability artists (and their labels) have to promote the record declines. Everything from touring, to merchandise, advertising, and all forms general marketing require money up front. Many artists still rely on strong early sales in order to afford their next business move. When that money doesn’t come in, careers stall – some before they even really begin, and many never recover.

The belief that people who steal music and end up loving a particular release will eventually support the artist responsible has long been proven false. There is some conversion, yes, but most consumers who rely largely on piracy for access to new music rarely evolve into reliable shoppers. Most cannot be bothered to pay $10 a month for access to millions of songs via subscription streaming services, so why would they think your single, 10 or 12 track album is worth anything at all?

This brings us to the chart at the top of this post. Created from a report commissioned by UMG in 2015, the chart above reflects what many people far smarter than you or I believe would happen in a post-piracy world. This is how it works:

In the first year after piracy, consumers would be highly resistant to paying because they have a long-standing expectation of free. As time moved on, people would start to give in, and that resistance would gradually move towards greater payments in the form of premium Spotify subscriptions, increased vinyl purchases, and even download and CD buys. 

Something else that might happen: The end of ‘freemium’ service. Streaming subscription platforms like Spotify and Apple Music do not have to allow consumers trial access to their libraries. The idea of free access was a direct response to rampant piracy, offering a cost-free alternative that ultimately still helped artists get paid while maintaining the expectation that music be free. Without piracy that expectation would begin to fade, ultimately leading to increased sales across the board.

Whether or not a concrete solution to piracy exists in our immediate future is another question altogether. At Haulix we are working every day to make that dream a reality, and we’ve come a long way, but there are still more developments needed. With your help we know will get there, and from that point we will build a new music industry that is more resilient than ever.

Categories
News

The music industry may slow down, but it never stops

If you want to work in music then you need to think about it as a business, and this business is never closed.

Today is President’s Day in North America, which many of you already know on account of the fact you are not currently at work or in class. President’s Day is one of the strange holidays where many people are given a day of rest, but not everyone, and where you fall in that spectrum depends entirely on what it is you do.

For music professionals, today is just another Monday, one of fifty-two we will work in 2017. Aside from a few major holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving), the vast majority of the music workforce wakes every weekday prepared to do business. Some even work on the weekend.

Many music professionals have no choice other than to work through holidays because that is a time when whatever it is they do is in high demand. a lot of musicians tour around the holidays because there is an increased demand for entertainment, which in turn means everyone who works for those musicians is in some small way working as well.

Every career demands certain sacrifices, and in the case of music almost every position you could dream of holding will demand your time and concentration far more than you may expect. This business never stops. The people who find the most success do so by working tirelessly, even when they should arguably be relaxing.

To be clear: You do not have to sacrifice your personal life to be a music professional. You can live a happy and successful career in music while also spending time with family and friends. Any career that demands otherwise is not a career you should aspire to call your own because everyone needs time for themselves. Even the people I mentioned above, who choose to work more than their peers because they feel it helps them get/stay ahead, need time to disengage from the business life. They might not know it now, and they might argue its necessity, but it’s nonetheless true and one day they too will agree.

All that said, you should be prepared to make sacrifices as needed to further your career. Especially for those just starting out, putting in extra time and effort can go a long way to establishing your reputation in this business. Once people see that you’re driven and hardworking they will want to align themselves with you. Jobs will come in time, and with the security of a paycheck comes the ability to exhale, step back, and relax. Not for too long, of course, but long enough to catch your breath.

This business never stops. If it one day should, we are all in deep trouble. Learn to ride the wave and take breaks when you need it. Learn to seek opportunities to showcase your skills and complete them. There is always something to be done.

Categories
Job Board News

New openings:

Campaign Specialist (Pandora – Seattle) 

The Campaign Specialist will be a key contributor in Pandora’s Client Services team and responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining and enhancing these campaigns.

The Campaign Specialist will partner with the Account Strategist and be responsible for working internally to ensure that Pandora executes flawlessly for our advertising partners. The right individual will be a key contributor in Pandora’s Client Services team and responsible for planning, implementing, maintaining and enhancing these campaigns. This position involves sales and client support, project management, execution and reporting.

Manager, Marketing Music (Netflix – Los Angeles) 

The Netflix marketing legal team is hiring a seasoned manager of music to set licensing strategy and to draft, negotiate and manage music licenses for the global needs for Netflix’s Marketing and PR teams across all original content. The role is global and responsibility includes purview over all music needs for the Marketing and PR teams, including music clearance.

Record Label Assistant (Heard Well – Los Angeles) 

Heard Well – The first music label created by social media influencers and powered by media influencers is looking for a part time assistant to help with staff. 3 days a week are asked for this position.

Music Logger, Performance Today 192-17 (American Public Media – St Paul, MN) 

Music Loggers assist with the production of Performance Today, American Public Media’s flagship music program. The show broadcasts daily throughout the United States and is also available as audio on the series’ website.  The central responsibility of this temporary role will be listen to live concert recordings, log the length of each piece, and enter this information into shared platforms that enable the show’s daily production. 

College Marketing Representative**** [Alternative] (Sony – Minneapolis) 

Sony Music U plays an integral part in the development of Sony Music’s breakthrough artists and assist in the roll out of established artists as well. Among the myriad of functions and responsibilities, College Reps organize listening events, interact closely with record stores and lifestyle accounts (skate shops, coffee shops, clothing stores) and are also very active in the online space. We ask that our reps spread awareness around our artist’s projects via social media, therefore we ask that they utilize their personal accounts and/or create, build and maintain “market specific” accounts. (Ie. Sony Music U San Diego) This is a part time role that requires a commitment of approximately 20 hours a week. The College Rep position is a great way to learn about the music business, gain marketing experience, and get your foot in the door of one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. We work with ALL Sony companies including but not limited to: Arcade Creative Group, Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, Sony Electronics, Legacy Recordings, and Sony Nashville etc.

CRM Specialist New York (UMG – NYC) 

As the CRM Specialist you are responsible for creating email marketing and direct messaging campaigns to promote artist and releases. This includes determining target audiences, devising strategies, and launching campaigns to drive promotions and generate sales. 

Global Client Lead (Spotify – NYC) 

We are looking for a sales leader to join our newly formed Global Top Accounts Team. The team will play a critical role in developing senior business relationships and partnerships with the world’s biggest brands. This role will require the right person to own and lead Spotify’s global relationship with designated top accounts. Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.

Manager, International Marketing (Sony – Miami) 

The Manager, International Marketing will provide exploitation services to the Latin-Iberia region of Sony Music. The role is responsible for the development and execution of international marketing and promotion campaigns for Sony repertoire.

Regional and Radio Promotions Assistant (Merge Records – Durham, NC) 

Merge Records is an independent record label founded in 1989. We release approximately 40 vinyl, CD, and digital titles per year, from bands all over the world and with international distribution. We are looking for a full-time, on-site Regional & Radio Promotions Assistant for our office in Durham, NC.

To be considered for this position, please send a resume with cover letter and salary requirements. No phone calls, please. The application deadline is March 6, 2017.

Coordinator, Marketing (UMG – Hollywood) 

In this dynamic position, we are seeking a Marketing Coordinator who will serve as key component of the marketing team, acting as the administrative support point person for Capitol Music Group’s marketing department. The ideal candidate will possess strong administrative, organizational, and creative skills. Prior marketing and administrative experience in the music/entertainment field is required.

Market Development Manager (Beats By Dre – Atlanta) 

The Market Development Manager (MDM) is responsible for representing Beats by Dre by building relationships with and supporting a designated number of retail partners within a region and hiring, managing and motivating a staff of Assisted Sales Representatives (ASRs). Retail partners will rely on MDMs for management and associate product training, communication with the brand for feedback and support, in-store promotional event planning and general relationship building. In turn, for the brand the MDM is expected to provide retailer feedback and qualitative and quantitative data, strengthen partnerships, increase merchandising opportunities and grow brand advocacy in market.

Client Relations Coordinator (Ticketmaster – NYC) 

The Client Relations Coordinator position will play a crucial role for Ticketmaster’s OnTour team, in the company’s continued evolution in the live entertainment industry. Ticketmaster’s OnTour team is the company’s artist facing department, tasked with building Ticketmaster’s relationships with the artist community, along with informing artists’ teams and acting as a resource to those teams to help them maximize ticket sales, marketing and drive incremental revenue throughout their tour cycle. The Client Relations coordinator will play a critical role in maintaining a solid foundation for the expanding OnTour team, and identifying potential areas of growth with both new and existing clients. The qualified candidate will have demonstrated an understanding of the live music industry.

Account Executive – Music (Eventbrite – San Francisco) 

We’re looking for candidates who have 2-4 years of relevant industry experience in online ticketing, sales, talent management, and/or artist booking. Our ideal candidate has worked in the music industry in a growth-stage environment and has a track record of successfully delivering compelling presentations to all levels within a prospect account. Our next Account Executive is driven to raise the bar of success for the larger team, and knows what it takes to develop a successful partnerships in the industry. If you are smart, driven, and passionate about revolutionizing the ticketing industry, we want to hear from you.

Have a tip for our job board? Email james@haulix.com and get your gig listed!

Categories
News

Why using a single link to share your unreleased music is a horrible idea

With the ease of access to recording equipment and the internet it is now easier than ever for anyone who possesses any interest in music to market themselves as a musician. Click on almost any tag on a streaming service like Soundcloud or Audiomack and you will find page after page of aspiring stars from all walks of life. Technology has lowered the bar for what it takes to be a musician to the ground floor, and as a result the fight for attention of any kind is harder than ever.

There are many approaches to getting heard, but one time-tested strategy of the digital age is to first appeal to the influential bloggers and digital voices whose opinion on new music will reach consumers your boosted Facebook posts can only dream of. Algorithms may create great playlists, but the digital age has yet to produce a better platform for discovering artists than trusted sources with a vast knowledge of music most consumers simply do not have the time to research or enjoy.

You need the press and the press, as crazy as it may sound, needs you. Music writers are ALWAYS on the lookout for the next song that will change their lives so that they can then change the lives of their audience (who, in turn, become your audience).

You also need to protect your music, which is why services like Haulix exist to make promoting your new and unreleased songs to the entertainment industry at large a simple and secure process. Haulix makes it easy to send unique, watermarked links to your new and unreleased music to everyone on your press list in a matter of minutes. You can even customized the email invitation and the streaming page itself to better reflect your personal brand.

But why do you need a unique link for every writers and industry professional when a private Soundcloud link has worked for so many others in the past? While it’s true Soundcloud makes it possible to hide streams from the general public, there are a myriad of ways people can still access and download your music. If that happens and your music winds up leaking you will have no way to uncover who 

is responsible for the leak. Someone you never intended your unreleased music to reach may have gained access through a writer you thought you could trust and within minutes your hard work could be available, for free, in perpetuity.

By using Haulix you can send as many links as you need, all at once, in the same amount of time it would take for you to generate and distribute an insecure streaming link. If anything happens we will help you find the person responsible and do what we are able to ensure they never leak music again.

You can try one-month of Haulix for free by signing up today.

Categories
News

We are more than 10% through 2017, so where do you (and we) stand?

Believe it or not, 2017 is already 12.5% complete. 

We are a little over a month and a half into the year, which seems like as good a time as any to check-in on the goals we have set for ourselves. If you recall, we started this year by asking readers to set goals and work towards bettering themselves through simple, incremental changes to their daily routine. We also set some goals for ourselves.

So, where do you stand? Have you made any progress toward becoming the person, professional, group, company, etc. you aspire to be? Do you lay awake at night and continue to tell yourself that tomorrow will be different? If so, why?

For our part, change has been admittedly slow. A big goal of ours for 2017 is to expand our customer base while quietly working to develop the next version of our platform. We recently launched a bi-weekly newsletter to help these efforts, which you can sign up for here. We also brought back our podcast following a brief holiday hiatus, and we expanded the number of potential new clients we approach week to week. Some things we have done better than others, but engagement is up and we hope to see conversion follow.

I will say, and this is not a cop-out, that the music business is traditionally slow right now. There are not a lot of big releases in the immediate future, so there is not as much interest in promotional distribution as there tends to be closer to summer or in early fall. We see the ebb and flow of traffic repeat year over year, but we refuse to let that trend deter us from growing our customer base.

But what about you? 

If you’re anything like us, then you probably have at least a few to-do items that you have managed to avoid until now. Maybe they are simply things that require more emotional effort than you’re prepared for, or perhaps they are something small that will inevitably lead to a much bigger commitment (such as healthy eating or fitness). 

Whatever the case may be, just know it is not to late to start the next journey that will change your life. We try to approach business and life with fresh eyes and open minds every day. We take calculated risks and plan for the distant future at the same time. We, like you, are making it up as we go and doing the best we can in the meantime. That’s life.

Make this week the one where you finally get going. Take the first step, just one, and you will discover how easy the second will be. The third will follow, and so on.

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News

Never rely on QR Codes

QR Codes are not dead, but they are far from thriving

This year marks the twenty-third anniversary of the QR CODE, a scannable matrix barcode that efficiently stores data and makes it easy to share. It also marks the twenty-third year various corners of the marketing industry have claimed the QR code would soon revolutionize the way we market, boost consumer engagement, and all-round make a major impact on the way brands approach promotion moving forward.

The thing is, in all of those twenty-three years there have been very few cases where QR Codes appeared to make any kind of notable impact whatsoever on a major marketing campaign. As recently as 2012 there were reports claiming that 97% of consumers had no idea what a QR Code even was, and in 2013 a separate report revealed that only 21% of American smartphone users ever scanned a barcode. Of that 21%, only 2% reported doing so on a regular basis.

In theory, QR Codes are great, but in application they rarely live up to their potential. The ability to scan QR Codes is not something that comes pre-installed on most smartphones. Users have to take it upon themselves to download an additional app, which they then need to keep around — and remember to use — until they come across a code. And even if they get that far there may be additional steps still to accessing the content the barcode contains, which can make for a frustrating user experience.

The best case scenario for QR Codes is that they allow for access to something so appealing that consumers will go out of their way to use them. Ideally, you only make a few, and the ‘hunt’ for access becomes part of your marketing campaign. Unfortunately, the fact most consumer are unfamiliar with the codes and how to use them makes the likelihood of this scenario playing out extremely unlikely.

All that said, there are a few success scenarios, though mostly for large (global) brands. Since consumers do not typically hunger for QR Codes, the best approach tends to be in making them impossible to avoid. A company like Taco Bell, for example, could easily generate a QR Code they then add to every cup of soda they sell. This gets the code in front of millions without making consumer change their routine. It’s likely only a few thousands will actually use the code, but still — at least people see it.

And that is the advantage bigger brands have over most artists and record labels: The numbers game. Bigger companies can afford to generate millions of QR Codes in hopes of getting several thousand people to use them. You, on the other hand, should be investing your time in effort in far less risk/chance intensive ventures.

You don’t need gimmicks to make people give a damn about your music, and no matter how you spin their abilities QR Codes are a gimmick. Be real, make yourself available, and people will engage.

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