What To Do When The Internet Spoils Your Big Surprise

We spend a lot of our time discussing and working to prevent leaks. When I say leaks, I am referring to the sharing of copyrighted materials without the consent of the content creator. Eradicating that threat to artists and labels has been our one of our main goals since the very beginning, and we like to believe we have made major strides towards accomplishing that task. Today however, at least for a few minutes, we want to change our focus to another kind of leak and the response artists have when such problems arise.

Try as many artists or labels might to keep big news items a secret for as long as possible there are often leaks that out of the blue and spoil whatever promotional plan had previously been put into motion. Whether you’re planning to release a surprise album in a manner similar to Beyonce, or if you’re on the verge of revealing your biggest tour to date, there is always a pretty good chance someone outside your inner circle will beat you to the punch when it comes to sharing that information online. There are exceptions, of course, but as more and more artists try to hide big reveals until the very last minute we at Haulix have noticed a rise in the efforts made by the music community as a whole to spoil this news, if only so that someone or some site can claim to have an ‘exclusive’ others do not.

Let me be very clear: Leaking major news is not the same as breaking an ‘exclusive’ story. Every journalist or blogger worth your time knows this, even if they choose to ignore it. By choosing to act without the consent of the artist or the people working with them bloggers are making a decision that goes against the idea of cultivating a better scene for future generations, which has long been a cornerstone of alternative music. One might think understanding the problems that arise in a culture where leaks are accepted as normal would be easy for most, but a decade in the music business has taught me otherwise time and time again. There will always be people who are too selfish to fully realize or appreciate the impact their actions have on the community around them, and the best you can hope to do as an artist is to take the appropriate action when those leaks occur.

For most artists, leaks can be viewed as a double-edged sword. While it stinks that someone would ruin your promotional plan and share something without your permission, there is always a little voice in the back of a creative person’s head that says the only reason that material is being shared is because people want it so badly they’re willing to steal it. That may be a compliment to some, but even if it makes you feel those warm fuzzies we all love to host in our stomachs it also throws a wrench in your marketing efforts and, potentially, your future income. 

There is a saying you may know about how once a bell has been rung there is no way to undo that action. The same theory applies to leaks, at least for the most part. Once an album, photo, or news item has found its way on the net it’s essentially impossible to stop the continued proliferation of that content online. We offer tools to our clients to help curve the rate album leaks are shared, but in cases where news items leak early there are literally no measure in place (that we are aware of) to help pull that information off the net. Even if it could be done, there would still be an untold number of people who saw the content before it disappeared, and there would be no way to track all of them down to ask them to please keep your secrets safe. Sorry, but that is just not how life in the digital age works.

When something leaks, the first thing you should do as an artist is to find a way to get that same information or content to your fans through means you control as fast as humanly possible. If a single leaks ahead of its premiere, stream the song yourself through Bandcamp or Soundcloud. You won’t be able to make fans stop seeking out the track, nor would you want to, but you can have a say in where they find the content and what kind of messaging surrounds it. The same goes for news. You can’t ask every blog to not post news item that leaks early, but you can post the same news through your social channels and, to some degree, control the conversation. 

Conversation is key to promotion in the digital age. If you can control the conversation then you can have some say in the way the world engaged with your art. The best laid plans of mice and men may go awry, but as long as you’re prepared to respond the negative impact of an unplanned reveal will be minimal. Just keep your fans first, and do whatever you can to ensure they’re going through channels you create to access your content. If you can do that, and I promise that you can if you work hard, then you will forever have one less reason to fear the internet.


James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him onTwitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

James Shotwell