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Five Benefits of Campaign Scheduling

Haulix now allows users to schedule their promotional campaigns up to two weeks in advance, and there are many reasons to celebrate.

Promotional campaigns are the heart and soul of album rollouts. Everything, from the first single, to the final review, relies on good emails reaching the right tastemakers at the right moment in time. A poorly planned campaign can result in coverage opportunities being rushed or missed altogether, and in a market flooded with talent, there is no good reason to risk such a fate falling on your next release.

Haulix is built for promotion. Our customizable album promo screens enable artists and labels at every level to reinforce their brand and aesthetic while securing sharing their latest releases with tastemakers. In April, we took these efforts further by adding a scheduling feature that allows users to schedule their promotional campaigns up to two weeks in advance. You can try the system for yourself by signing up today on our official website.

But what are the benefits to scheduling your emails? That’s a good question:

Time zones

Tastemakers in New York City are usually up and working before the those on the West Coast. Tastemakers in London are eight hours ahead of Tastemakers in Chicago. Any influencer living in Australia is working sixteen-hours ahead of those living in Colorado. Confused? Us too.

Campaign scheduling empowers users to easily reach their contacts at the best times for those tastemakers. In a matter of minutes, a Haulix user can schedule campaigns for connections in different time zones.

Staggered Campaign Schedules

Not all tastemakers are the same, and they shouldn’t be treated as such. Instead of sending everyone a campaign at once, Haulix users schedule their campaigns to roll out based on the needs of their contacts and the preferences of their clients. High-priority contacts may get an album a month from release, but contacts with lower reach/importance may not be serviced an album until a week or two later. 

Premieres

Great artists publicists know that the demand for access to the material they are promoting will spike immediately following a single release. If your new single is going to premiere at noon on a popular blog, then scheduling the advance to roll out to high-priority contacts a few minutes later can increase the likelihood of immediate engagement. 

The problem is, the moments following a major premiere are hectic. Artists and publicists have to promote the release through their social media channels, monitor conversations, and engage with fans in real time. Campaign scheduling solves this problem, and even allows for creative subject lines to help further the narrative. For example, “Pup’s new single is out now, and here is the album!”

Campaign summaries

As an added bonus, the rollout of campaign scheduling also marked the debut of Haulix Campaign Summaries. Now, every campaign sent through Haulix generates a standalone activity page where users can view email engagement and promo engagement in a matter of clicks. Users are also empowered to easily send follow-up emails and direct links to their promos.

Look busy, even if you’re not

The music industry is a 24/7 business that does not care whether or not professionals have healthy personal lives beyond the office. Work comes first no matter what, but scheduling allows you to get ahead, if only long enough for a quiet lunch or a stroll around the block. Let’s face it: Everyone deserves a few minutes to relax, including you, but that doesn’t mean you campaigning has to stop. You just have to be more creative the competition!

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #157: Memphis May Fire (Matty Mullins)

Memphis May Fire is evolving in a way that challenges longtime fans, and vocalist Matty Mullins is here to tell us all about it.

It seems like everyone in alternative music that rose to prominence around 2010 is trying hard to be someone other than the person they’ve been the last decade. From labels and publicists working behind the scenes to sign talent outside their comfort zone to established artists taking their sound in new directions, anyone who wants to continue working in music is scrambling to adapt to the changing nature of the industry.

Matty Mullins has seen and experienced a lot since entering the industry in 2007. The vocalist of Memphis May Fire, Mullins and his bandmates exploded onto the metalcore circuit with a series of strong early releases that quickly gained a devoted global following, which the band has since maintained through relentless touring and recording. Their most recent efforts find the group entering the world of active rock, and as Mullins will explain on our podcast, that decision comes with a lot of unexpected challenges.

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell calls Memphis May Fire frontman Matty Mullins for a conversation on growth in the entertainment business. Mullins and his band have been road warriors for over a decade now, and all the while they have carved a unique place for themselves in the world of music. The band’s latest release, Broken, finds the group entering the world of active rock with their hearts on their sleeve. It’s a move that did not come easily for the band, but as Mullins explains, it’s what they needed, and above all, it’s what they wanted.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/157-memphis-may-fire

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Haulix News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #154: Basement (Alex Henery)

The UK rock favorites are currently playing arenas nationwide with Weezer and The Pixies.

It has never been easier for an artist to share their music with the world, but sharing music is not enough to build a career. A great song may get you far, and a good song will take you a long ways from nowhere, but anyone who gets ahead in entertainment often does so because they have more to offer the world than talent alone. That is a hard truth, and it is one gifted musicians everywhere must learn if they ever hope to make their art their life.

UK rock group Basement has that something extra. Describing it in full feels impossible but to say they have ‘it’ may undersell their gift. For the last decade, Basement has been winning over fans of rock and hardcore music with a sound that brings together the various sound of underground alternative music and funnels it into something both unique and universally relatable. The members wear their hearts on their sleeves, and they leave everything they have to give on each stage they grace.

Earlier this year, Basement received a call that they did not expect. Out of many bands vying to be included on a co-headliner tour featuring The Pixies and Weezer they were the group chosen. The band had a month to prepare for what would become their first-ever arena tour, and they did not let a moment go to waste.

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Basement guitarist Alex Henery to discuss his band’s opening slot on Weezer and The Pixies nationwide co-headlining tour. Alex tells James about his recent adventures on the road, the difference between clubs and arenas, and the lessons learned from the road. James and Alex also discuss Basement’s decade-long history in music, as well as what the future might hold based on the group’s recent successes.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/154-basement-alex-henery

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Haulix Industry News News

Yes, music piracy is still a problem in 2019

A decade after the streaming revolution promised change; music piracy continues to worsen.

Ten years ago, music executives began promoting the future of streaming as a solution to the industry’s problems. Access to legal streaming, they claimed, would lower the rate of piracy and increase the return artists saw from their creations. 

Any artist reading this now can tell you the latter-half of that promise has proven to be an outright lie. While the most popular artists in the world are seeing big returns for their music online, the vast majority of talent sees next to nothing. Worse yet, the sales of physical media have largely bottomed out, which has only further hurt smaller artists.

What you might not realize is that the first half of that promise was a lie as well. Piracy hasn’t gotten better over the last decade. In fact, it’s more popular than ever. The amount of digital media pirated in 2016 was double the amount pirated in 2008. That figure has grown larger still over the last two years, and it shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

So, what can an artist or group do?

It’s time the industry accepts the fact that piracy will always exist. As long as people are expected to pay for music, there will be others who seek to access that same content for free. Before the internet made piracy accessible in a matter of clicks people were sneaking tape recorders into concerts and pressing the audio captured from the hidden devices to vinyl.

If we accept that piracy will happen as soon as an album is released, which it will, then the best anyone can hope to accomplish regarding keeping music under wraps until its street date is through secure promotional distribution. Haulix, and companies like it, work tirelessly to ensure that artists at every label can safely and discreetly share pre-release music with influencers without risking a leak. Here’s how it works:

An artist or group registers for Haulix. The first month of service is free, so artists should pick a subscription tier that offers ample storage and bandwidth, as well as watermarking services. Watermarks, for those who don’t know, as essentially digital fingerprints baked into audio files. They do not change the audio at all, but when leaks occur they can be extracted to discover the source of the leak, including the IP address where the file was initially accessed.

Once your account is activated, artists can upload their music and create a fully customized promo page. Here is a recent example, courtesy of the band Emarosa:

With the promo creation complete, can now upload their contacts and create groups to help organize who will receive their record and when.

Once the contacts have been added, it’s time to create custom email invitations. The artist’s contacts will use the unique access links found in these invitations to access the album promo. Each link is unique to each recipient.

You can try Haulix free for one month. To access this offer, visit the Haulix website and select a plan that fits your needs. Have questions? Email james@haulix.com for answers.

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News Podcasts

Inside Music Podcast #141: Nü Echo Media PR (Cait McMahon)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Nü Echo Media PR and Nü Sound Online founder Cait McMahon to discuss her journey through the music industry. Cait’s began her life in the Florida Keys, but a move to North Carolina at sixteen set her on a path her earlier self could have never imagined. From writing about the band’s poised for success, to becoming one of the leading publicists in alternative music, Cait has made her passion her career through hard work, confidence, and just a bit of luck.

Cait’s current roster includes the band Yung Judas, who hail from Canada with a hypnotic take on rock and roll that blends elements of 80s punk with a more modern alternative sound. The group is the first international client Cait has worked with, and their latest single leads us to believe they have big things on the horizon in 2019. Take a listen:

You can stream Cait’s appearance on Inside Music below. The conversation is a must-hear for anyone interested in music publicity or establishing a name for yourself in the music business.

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Inside Music is a show about life in the music industry. Through interviews with artists and professionals alike, we aspire to paint a vivid, honest portrait of the music business. You can find Inside Music on iTunes and Youtube, as well as all major podcast platforms.

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Inside Music Podcast #140: FiXT Records

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell chats with FiXT Records co-founder James Rhodes about his label’s big plans for 2019. Rhodes talks about the FiXT approach to finding and recruiting talent, as well as the role FiXT plays in developing talent during an age when many argue record labels are no longer necessary. The discussion continues with talk of social media tactics, the benefits of multi-album deals versus single releases, and what trends we expect to see in the business as the year carries on.

In other news, Inside Music is now available on YouTube! Click here to stream the latest episode on our official channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes, as well as any other podcast streaming service.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/140-fixt-records-james-rhodes

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The Essential HaulixDaily Content from 2018

2019 is upon us. As the music business slowly returns to normal, we wanted to take a few moments to reflect. The past year has been a busy one for us. From traveling the country to appear at conferences and colleges, to creating a wide array of content covering our changing industry and the best ways to navigate it, we did our best to bring you a little bit of everything.

Everyone knows music professionals are busy so we wouldn’t blame you for being unable to keep up with our every post or activity. Instead, we decided to compile our favorite posts from the past twelve months and present it here for easy access.

Use the links below to catch up and prepare for the year ahead.

Inside Music Podcast:

Industry Advice and Insight:

Writing Advice:

Advice For Musicians:

Piracy Reports And Stories:

Editorials:

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Happy Holidays from Haulix!

It’s that time of year again. Regardless of your beliefs or chosen celebrations, December has a way of bringing people together. It is when we reconnect with the most essential thing in life, those we love and the people who love us, all while (hopefully) shutting out the chaotic world around us. It is when we catch our breath, rest, and prepare for the next twelve months ahead.

We wanted to take a moment before heading out to thank each and every one of you for continuing to support our company. Haulix was launched with the goal of creating a secure, cost-effective way for artists and their representatives to discreetly share music. We take pride in achieving that goal, but we celebrate the fact we’ve become something much more over time. We’ve helped artists find management, get record deals, and create albums that changed the way people think. We’ve also engaged with several generations of music professionals and aspiring minds alike, all of whom have helped us better understand this ever-changing business.

Moving forward, our goals remain the same. We want to create the best software possible. We also want to help educate and develop the next wave of music professionals so that they might make this business their own.

None of this is possible without your support and friendship. So again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We cannot wait to continue working together in the new year.

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News

BitTorrent remains one of the most trafficked website in the world

Remember the promises made by executives promoting the debut of streaming services? Ten years ago can feel like a lifetime in the age of the internet, but if you try hard, you may recall people in power hailing the rise of streaming as the death of piracy. After all, why would someone steal an album or a movie when they can rent or buy one from the comfort of their own home? Why risk penalty when you can avoid illegal behavior for just a few dollars a month?

If we’ve learned anything in the last decade it’s that piracy won’t be eradicated anytime soon. In fact, since 2008, the amount of media pirated annually has more than doubled. Over hundreds of millions of people use services such as Spotify and Netflix around the world, yet piracy persists. Maybe it always will (we sure hope not).

Anyone claiming piracy is not an issue can now be shown further evidence that it is thanks to a new report from Canadian broadband management company Sandvine. The business, which tracks and studies internet usage, is known for releasing region-specific information regarding internet traffic. Their latest release focuses on the global internet community, and the results are quite surprising.

When all traffic from sources worldwide is combined, Netflix comes out as the clear winner with 13.75% of the total traffic share. The streaming giant is followed by HTTPS Media data (12.25%) and YouTube (10.51%) respectively.

BitTorrent comes in fifth place with 4.10% of all Internet traffic globally, which is mostly driven by the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific) regions. BitTorrent is also responsible for roughly 22% of all upstream traffic. That’s nearly ¼ of the total information sent from computers to their network.

By comparison, Netflix accounts for just 15% of all downstream traffic (data received by computers).

“As expected, the top four applications are all video, and also not surprisingly, BitTorrent is fifth overall – strongly boosted by the utter dominance on the upstream in EMEA and APAC,” Sandvine’s Cam Cullen notes.

“This is a pretty significant number since downstream traffic is an order of magnitude larger than the upstream traffic totals worldwide.”

BitTorrent is not as popular in the United States as it once was, but global traffic for the service has been on the rise throughout 2018. There are ongoing arguments at the highest levels of entertainment over how to address the persistence of the service, as well as all other piracy outlets, but no meaningful solution has been found.

For musicians, the best way to prevent piracy is to protect their music with services such as Haulix, which provides secure and customizable digital promotion for talent at all levels of the business. For more information, as well as access to a one-month trial, visit haulix.com today.

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Inside Music #133: MOD SUN Returns!

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell crosses paths with returning guest MOD SUN during his Smile Machine tour stop in Grand Rapids, MI. Together, the two friends discuss their latest activities in the back of a tour bus. MOD SUN explains how his seemingly quiet year has actually been his busiest, and also offers insight into his evolving creative process.

In other news, Inside Music is now available on YouTube! Click here to stream the latest episode on our official channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes, as well as any other podcast streaming service.

https://soundcloud.com/inside-music-podcast/133-mod-sun-returns

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