Tag: Marketing

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How TikTok Is Changing Music Release Strategies

TikTok Music Release Strategies

The popularity of TikTok is leading a revolution in music release strategies that is unlike anything we’ve witnessed in decades. 

Music marketing and release strategies are at the heart of every artist’s career. How and when you release music matters as much as the content itself—sometimes more—and for the better part of twenty years, virtually every album has followed a similar promotional path:

Step One: The artist or group announces the upcoming release of a new song

Step Two: The artist or group teases that release with audio clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and anything else they can develop while sharing Haulix links with journalists and tastemakers.

Step Three: The artist or group asks fans to presave and preorder the unreleased material.

Step Four: The song finally comes out.

Step Five: The artist or group continues promoting the song’s release.

Step Six: The artist or group continues teasing the song with audio clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and anything else they can develop.

Traditional industry thinking tells us that you must promote music before its release because it’s the only way to guarantee strong first-week sales, which often determines how much support a record will receive moving forward. History teaches us that if an artist fails to deliver an impressive launch week, the likelihood their label continues to pump money and attention into their career falls drastically. 

That line of thinking is outdated.

As Bob Dylan said, “The times, they are a-changin'” because a new generation of musicians refuses to follow tradition. Between the boom of TikTok and the rise of the “give it to me now or I don’t want it” culture, artists are choosing a more direct path to release and promotion.

Step One: The artist or group releases a new song.

Step Two: Promotion.

That’s it. 

TikTok is an amazing tool for discovery, connecting users with an endless variety of content creators algorithmically-tailored to their interests. When someone hears a song snippet they enjoy, logic dictates they will head to the creator’s profile, hoping to find their music online. If the user then visits the artist’s page and FAILS to find the song they heard on TikTok, the chances they save the artist and return later are virtually non-existent. In other words, you have one chance to grab someone’s attention, and if you blow it, they [most likely] won’t return.

To avoid this problem, artists are now choosing to skip promoting new material until it’s available worldwide. The risk of losing potential fans because you went viral before the release date is too high for most to gamble, but that’s not the only reason.

The so-called “TikTok Approach” is also a cost-effective promotional solution for cash-strapped independent artists whose marketing budgets often equate to whatever they can spare after paying for living expenses. Rather than waste your money teasing a song or record people cannot yet enjoy, spend your pre-release time creating content you can share immediately following the song’s premiere. Any engagement will lead to immediate streams (AKA money).

And it’s not just independent artists shifting their thinking around releases. Everywhere you look, the time between a song or album announcement and the release date is shrinking. Even Post Malone, arguably one of the world’s biggest musicians, announced his recent 2022 album only six weeks before its initial release. The first single? A surprise release.

What about preorders?

We live in a new world where the pipeline delays of recent years have drastically changed consumer expectations. Delays between digital and physical releases are to be expected. Most fans don’t mind because they view your vinyl, CD, or cassette as memorabilia. Its primary purpose is to be a physical manifestation of their fandom, which they can hold, showcase, and enjoy. Using it for consuming music is, for better or worse, becoming secondary. 

Launch preorders on release day. Launch everything on release day. The same people who would preorder the vinyl three months before release day will still place an order because they want the product regardless. 

Making this one adjustment to your next release strategy will ultimately save time and money. More importantly, it will give anyone interested in your music instant access to it. You want as few barriers between strangers and hearing your music as possible, and in our quickly evolving world, that requires making changes as culture dictates it necessary.

Remember the phrase, “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus”? The same applies to release strategies. Stop fooling around and deliver. Your fans will be thrilled to see new music, and anyone new won’t have to wait around to see if you’re as good as your teasers claim. Everybody wins.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Pure Noise Records, and more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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This Week In Music (July 15, 2022)

From the return of Pantera to TikTok’s growing Gen-Z influence, we’re bringing you the biggest music news stories of the week.

Can you believe we are already halfway through July? Not only is the year half over, but so is the seventh month? If you’re feeling like time is flying, you’re not alone. Back-to-school advertising has already started, and dozens of musicians have started promoting fall tours. Before we know it, Christmas music will be on the radio. **Shudders**

Working in music is hard enough. Learning about what is happening in the industry shouldn’t be an uphill battle requiring four websites, two premium memberships, and repeat daily visits to feel like you know what’s happening. You work too hard for that nonsense, so we’ve taken the liberty of scouring the net to find the biggest music news stories in places where learning won’t cost you a dime.

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Music News Stories Of The Week:

Pantera To Tour In 2023

As reported by Billboard, Pantera‘s surviving members — Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown — will be hitting the road for a long-speculated reunion tour in 2023. They’ve signed with Artist Group International to book their North American dates, with Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo as the responsible agents.

“We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans,” Pappalardo commented.

Black Label Society bandleader and Ozzy Osbourne sideman Zakk Wylde and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante have been revealed as the guitarist and drummer for the tour.

Spotify Buys Music Trivia Game Heardle

Heardle, a music trivia game that popped up following the massive success of Wordle, has a new owner. Spotify has announced it’s buying the game. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. As The Verge notes, Heardle is Spotify’s first game acquisition.

Heardle is a straightforward game of name that tune. Players are given six attempts to guess a popular song. They hear one second of the intro at first. Heardle lets them hear a little more after each incorrect guess (they can also skip turns). There’s only one song each day for everyone to guess.

Whether or not you correctly identify the song, you can click through to hear the full track after finishing a round. That caught the attention of Spotify, which is pegging Heardle as a music discovery tool. Until now, the game has been using music hosted on Soundcloud.

“We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans,” Spotify’s global head of music Jeremy Erlich said. “Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs… and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem.”

David Bowie Doc ‘Moonage Daydream’ Arrives In September

Neon and Universal Pictures Content Group today announced that Brett Morgen’s David Bowie doc Moonage Daydream will hit theaters globally on September 16 outside of Japan, where it unspools in March of 2023. Neon will distribute the film in the U.S., with UPCG handling international.

The first feature doc on Bowie to have been sanctioned by the artist’s estate, Moonage Daydream will screen on Imax in select territories.

Nearly half of Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google, according to Google’s own data

TikTok is coming for more than just its social media competitors. 

Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers searching on TikTok and Instagram over Google Search and Maps, according to Google’s internal data first reported by TechCrunch. 

TikTok, which is the fastest-growing social media app, has exploded in popularity over the past few years — so much so that it inspired social media competitors Instagram and Snapchat to roll out copycat video features in Reels and Spotlight. 

Now, a Google executive has confirmed that TikTok’s format is changing the way young people conduct internet searches, and Google is working to keep up. 

Google senior vice president Prabhakar Raghavan told the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference that according to Google’s internal studies, “something like almost 40% of young people when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search, they go to TikTok or Instagram.”

Google confirmed this statistic to Insider, saying, “we face robust competition from an array of sources, including general and specialized search engines, as well as dedicated apps.” 

Song of the week: Fellowship – “Until The Fires Die”

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How Vatican Became The New Face Of Metal

Hot on the heels of their critically-acclaimed new album, Vatican chats with Haulix about their fast rise through the metal underground.

Ask any four metalheads about the state of their favorite genre, and you’ll probably get five distinct answers. Some will tell you that metal has never been more alive, but another will just as quickly say that everyone is ripping off some all-time great. Maybe one will speak of underground European acts with fervent followings who “will never be taken seriously in the states,” while another says EDM crossovers are the future. 

Everyone is right and everyone is wrong. None of it matters. All that ever matters is the music, and lately, one band has taken the global metal scene by storm.

Vatican takes a very literal approach to being the future of metal. Their music knows no bounds, combining elements of practically everything to concoct short bursts of metal goodness that go down smooth. The band’s new album, Ultra, is one of the few 2022 releases seemingly everyone can agree on, and it has quickly launched the band into the international spotlight. Ultra offers the most fun you’ll have listening to metal this year, and today, we find out how it all came together.

Marking our first video in nearly 3 weeks, music biz host James Shotwell returns with a fast five interview featuring Vatican member Michael Sugars. Speaking from the band’s van while on the road, Sugars shares the stories behind Ultra, landing a deal with UNFD, and how the band’s marketing strategy played a role in their current success. Check it out:

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

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What’s A View?—on Reels, TikTok, YouTube, and More!

What’s in a video view, and how long does it take to earn one? The answer is more complicated than you might expect.

Everywhere you look online, video content is king. Blame the influence of TikTok on culture, but each social platform is now promoting a video feature that—for the time being—offers more views and higher engagement than traditional content.

But what is a view?

Unfortunately for artists and music marketers, A “view” isn’t a standardized unit of measurement. Each platform has a unique set of rules that define how views are counted, and knowing the differences can help you measure the success of your campaigns. For example, a video receiving 100 views on Youtube could hold as much—if not more—value than a video receiving thousands of views elsewhere. The opposite can also be true.

Why does the math behind view counts matter?

Knowing how views are measured provides a greater understanding of how your content is performing on various platforms. If plays are counted instantaneously, like with TikTok or Instagram Reels, you’re likely to have incredibly high view counts regardless of how much engagement (Likes, Comments) you receive. Anyone who even glimpses at your post will be counted as a “viewer,” but how much did they see? Did they even see your name? What, if anything, will they retain?

Receiving 50,000 views on a clip is a cool talking point that sounds good in conversation and looks good buried three paragraphs into a press release, but how many viewers are engaging with that content? Of them, how many followed you?

Understanding the value of a view helps us better gauge the success of our promotional activity. The more we create and share, the better our understanding of what people like and what moves them to take action.

So, what counts as a view?

On TikTok, a view is essentially an impression—meaning, the very millisecond your video starts to play, it’s counted as a view. In addition, the platform also measures repeated views.

Instagram Reels follow the same logic as TikTok. A view is counted the instant a video is viewed. The amount of time watched beyond that initial split-second interaction does not matter.

Over on Facebook, a view is counted after a video autoplays for 3 seconds consecutively. Unlike TikTok and Reels, replays are not counted, so the same viewer watching a video repeatedly will not increase your view count.

Twitter, meanwhile, claims the ‘total video view’ metric is calculated by the sum of “any views which are at least 50 percent in-view for 2 seconds.” That means that to count as a view, at least half of the video has to be visible and playing on a user’s screen for at least two seconds.

Professional networking site LinkedIn counts video views after 3 seconds as well. According to a post from John Espirian, that short wait time “means a quick thumb-scroll past a video isn’t going to count, but if you pause and give the content even brief attention, that will count.

The grandaddy of them all, YouTube, counts a view after 30-seconds of continuous viewing and only when the viewer elects to play the video. Autoplay does not count toward views. YouTube also manually reviews all videos after passing 301 views to ensure the authenticity of viewership.

We will update these numbers are new information becomes available. Follow Haulix on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

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This Week In Music (July 8, 2022)

From Stranger Things’ Metallica moment to Irv Gotti selling his masters, we’ve gathered the week’s biggest music news.

Another wild week of music business is in the books! The last seven days have seen legacy acts brought to the front page of virtually every entertainment publication while other icons sold their masters for big-time bucks. Elsewhere, tech companies continued plotting the industry’s future as crypto bros panicked over the ongoing devastation to the NFT marketplace. It was absolute chaos, but what else would you expect? Nobody gets into this business for a calm and relaxing existence.

Whether you’re toiling away on a new release or helping your favorite artist plot their global takeover, we know how difficult it can be to stay abreast of everything happening in music. We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Music News Stories Of The Week

Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ earns 400% increase in streams post-‘Stranger Things’

Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” is the latest recipient of the coveted post-“Stranger Things” bump.

According to Billboard, the title track off the metal legends’ 1986 album has seen a 400% increase in streams since it was used in the season four finale of the Netflix sci-fi series.

While that certainly is a major bump, “Master of Puppets” still has a long way to go if it hopes to match the resurgence of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” which soared all the way to the top five of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 after its use in an earlier episode of “Stranger Things” during the fourth season.

Metallica previously commented on the show’s use of “Master of Puppets,” which is heard during a significant scene involving the Dungeons & Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, sharing that they were “beyond psyched” about the song’s placement.

“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did, we were totally blown away,” the band said.

Irv Gotti Sells Murder Inc. Master Recordings In Reported $300 Million Deal

Irv Gotti has sold his stake in Murder Inc’s master recordings in a deal worth a reported $300 million.

Irving Lorenzo founded Murder Inc in 1999 following his success at Def Jam Records. The label helped launch the careers of artists like Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore, and many others. The deal sees Irv Gotti sell a “50% ownership stake of his masters, with additional funding for various film and television projects.”

Gotti sold his stake to Olivier Chastan’s acquisition vehicle, Iconoclast. The Los Angeles-based firm entered the music rights acquisition space in February 2022 following the purchase of Robbie Robertson’s music publishing, name, likeness, and recorded music interests.

YouTube Touts Success Of TikTok Rival, Shorts

In data shared exclusively with Bloomberg, the social media site said artists are using Shorts, its TikTok competitor, to rapidly grow their subscribers. In addition to JVKE, others benefiting from the product include singers Madilyn Bailey, Cooper Alan and Emeline, who increased their subscriber counts by 480,000, 290,000 and 150,000, respectively.

“It is a very important opportunity that both the fans and the artists have,” Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, said in an interview.

Cohen is excited about the music industry’s opportunity in the short-form space, though he’s also “deeply concerned” some viewers might only watch short-form content without exploring an artist’s deeper, longer-form work, like music videos and interviews. He called short-form videos that don’t link to long-form content “junk food.”

“I think short-form video could help crowdsource and make it easier for kids to find the soundtrack of their youth, but then you have to be prompted, and it has to lead you [to long-form content], so it’s not empty calories, but it leads you to learning and discovering and becoming a fan,” Cohen said.

Crosby, Stills, & Nash Return to Spotify

Crosby, Stills & Nash music can now be streamed on Spotify once again, five months after David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills requested their labels remove their recordings in support of Neil Young‘s decision to leave the streaming service.

Their music is available via Spotify as of Saturday (July 2). CSN will donate proceeds from streams to COVID-19 charities for at least a month, a source tells Billboard.

In February, the band members commented, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”

SONG OF THE WEEK: Parkway Drive – “The Greatest Fear”

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This Week In Music News (July 1, 2022)

From Usher’s Tiny Desk Concert to Frank Zappa’s eye-popping catalog sale, it’s been another wild and unpredictable week for music news.

Welcome to July! 2022 is half over, and the industry is moving faster than it has in years. If you are feeling the heat, you’re not alone. Take the holiday weekend and recover. You’re going to need your strength for everything that the months ahead have in store.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Music News Stories Of The Week

Usher stops by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert

“We celebrate Black Music Month. This has been Black magic.” Truer words may have never been spoken behind the Tiny Desk as R&B goliath Usher caps off our month-long celebration of Black music, highlighting a catalog chock-full of hits spanning 25 years. It’s been over two years since NPR headquarters was abuzz with chatter of a legend in the building. After an early morning rehearsal for his set at the Something in the Water Festival in Washington, D.C., he made his way over to deliver an unforgettable performance.

A Radio Station Played Rage Against The Machine For Hours On End

A radio station in Vancouver, Canada played Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” for hours on end beginning on Tuesday. The 1992 track was played on loop until at least Wednesday – but it is unclear who is behind the mysterious music marathon. The radio station has since announced it was “saying goodbye.”

R. Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years For Sex-Related Crimes

R. Kelly has been placed on suicide watch at the federal detention facility in New York where he is being held after he was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison on racketeering and sex trafficking charges, his lawyer said Friday.

But the disgraced R&B singer is not suicidal, attorney Jennifer Bonjean told CNN she believes, adding Kelly had been fearful of being put on suicide watch.

“The irony of putting someone on suicide watch when they’re not suicidal is it actually causes more harm,” Bonjean said.

Spotify Delivers A Karaoke Feature

Finally, something good: Spotify is launching a karaoke mode. The announcement comes exactly two Gregorian calendar years too late, after the karaoke-deprived erected rogue living room setups using this Amazon microphone and YouTube dot com during the lockdown wave.

Anyone whose ever tried to do karaoke at home without the use of a karaoke machine will tell you there isn’t a good karaoke app. The best karaoke app is actually YouTube, where saintly people have done the work of removing vocals and creating lyric videos so you can poorly belt basically any song that has ever existed. Tech companies are famously good at filling unnecessary voids in the market, and it’s shocking that Spotify didn’t fill the karaoke app void years ago, especially because the app already displays lyrics or music videos alongside songs.

Universal Buys Frank Zappa’s Catalog

UMG has acquired Frank Zappa’s recordings, publishing catalog, film archive, and the complete contents of The Vault, the storage facility that houses the late Zappa’s life’s work.

The acquisition also includes Frank Zappa’s name and likeness. UMG hasn’t disclosed the price of the deal.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Bad Wolves – “The Body”

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Why CDs Are Making A Comeback In 2022

Nearly two decades since their peak popularity, CDs are having a moment, but how long will it last?

Compact Discs are back (not that they ever went anywhere). According to data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), shipments of compact discs rose from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021 – a rise of 47%. Revenue also increased from $483.2 million to $584.2 million. The last time sales of CDs were on the up was in 2004.

These figures may seem small compared to CDs’ 2004 peak when nearly a billion discs shipped in the US alone. But it seems possible that compact discs may soon follow vinyl’s footsteps by having a revival moment. In 2021, 39.7 million vinyl records were sold in the US, generating nearly $1 billion, a noticeably higher return than CD revenue.

The true sales figures for compact discs are likely higher than the RIAA report estimates. Many independent artists sell a large portion of CDs to fans at live shows or through online merch stores and never report sales. Its possible tens of thousands, if not millions, of CDs are sold this way annually.

But Why?

The motivations behind our renewed cultural interest in CDs likely differ depending on whether you’re a music fan or professional. 

For fans, physical music is often viewed as a souvenir. Owning a vinyl or CD is tangible proof of fandom, proving to other listeners that someone financially supports the artist(s) they love. 

In the world of K-Pop, which has taken young listeners worldwide by storm in recent years, music as a keepsake is commonplace. Physical media releases in this genre often include exclusive photographs, merch items, and unique packaging. Fans view each release as a collector’s item, increasing demand and sales.

For the industry, CDs offer a cost-effect alternative to vinyl, which is experiencing a production backlog due to increasing demand and ongoing supply chain issues. 

While per-unit costs drop with larger orders of both formats, the savings that CDs offer the artists and labels making them as well as the fan buying them are substantial. As Hypebot points out, at Discmakers, a limited run of 100 CDs in full-color jackets can cost around $2 each. That same run of 100 vinyl records costs $20 – $25 each. 

The turnaround time for CDs is also much quicker than that of vinyl. Discmakers currently list three options for compact disc production times, with the longest taking fourteen business days. By comparison, Gold Rush Vinyl now warns customers that new orders are facing a turnaround time of eight to ten months. Several services offer shorter times for higher prices, but the fastest we’ve found is sixteen weeks.

CDs are also easier to transport than vinyl and take up less space, which is useful when touring in a van, car, or bus.

What does this mean for artists?

Artists from all walks of life should consider utilizing CDs as merchandise items. Not only are they cost-efficient and easy to make, but the options for customization are endless. Physical releases provide a unique opportunity to expand upon your record. You can help fans decipher the stories behind the songs, provide them with lyrics to sing along to, or create an engaging layout that pulls us further into your world of sound. Best of all, the low cost of creating CDs means the risk is equally low. It’s better to spend $200 on a hundred CDs you struggle to sell than $2500 on a similar amount of vinyl. 

What does this mean for streaming?

Absolutely nothing. Streaming is king, and it’s highly unlikely that the resurgence of physical media in any form will dethrone it. Paid subscriptions to streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music accounted for over 57% of music revenue ($8.6 billion), with ad-supported streams bringing in another $1.8 billion. CD and vinyl album sales combined accounted for less than 11% of revenue.

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How To Make The Industry Care About Your Music [Video]

There are a million songs written about virtually every topic imaginable, so why should anyone care about your music? 

Music is all about who you know. If you don’t know anyone, like most people when they start, you better be good at making connections and selling yourself. It doesn’t matter if you’re pitching music or your talent as a professional—nobody will care unless you give them a reason to pay attention. Don’t know how? No worries. I can help.

There are countless ways to gain exposure in 2022, but most will agree that playlists are the primary way people discover new music. Be it through algorithmic selections like those curated by Spotify or the trusted taste of an influencer, placement on the right playlist can change any artist’s career overnight. 

But there’s a problem. Everyone who is anyone wants to be on playlists, and that means curators are inundated with requests for inclusion. The big-name talent often has little-to-no problems getting heard, but what about regular musicians? How can up-and-coming talent stand out from the overwhelming amount of competition?

Your story is unique, but you have to know how to sell your story for tastemakers to understand that.

Each day, in offices and remote workspaces around the globe, playlist curators and industry gatekeepers sift through countless songs from artists hoping they’ll give them one of the very limited spaces available on editorial playlists. Certain tastemakers specializing in mood-themed playlists may hear upwards of one hundred or more tracks with a similar theme or story in a single day.

If you want to be the ONE song that stands out from the competition, there are two factors you have to nail:

  1. The song needs to be GOOD. Obviously.
  2. You need to sell the heck out of that song.

Part one is up to you. As for part two:

The only thing separating your story of wanting to leave home and every other dreamer is how you sell it to someone else. 

Start by breaking your song down to the simplest description possible.

“My song is about growing up in a small town and waiting to escape.”

Great! We have a relatable perspective that millions, even billions, can easily recognize.

The only problem is—everyone has a song about wanting to leave their hometown.

If you want to attract playlist curators, tastemakers, or anyone, you need to be more specific. 

Let’s start with the “why” of it all. WHY do you want to leave your hometown? 

“My song is about growing up in a small town and waiting to escape because I have big dreams.”

That’s better. You’ve narrowed the target audience slightly, but you’ve also gotten closer to your true market.

Let’s add another detail, perhaps explore WHAT made us want to leave our hometown. Was it our family, the community, or something more existential? Maybe it’s all three!

“My song is about growing up in a conservative small town and how nobody, not even my family members, can relate to your ambitions of a life outside the village limits.”

The significance of your song and your perspective on life increases exponentially with each detail we add to our story. Those same details attract entertainment gatekeepers and inspire countless passive listeners to seek out more of your music. 

With a little effort, our song about growing up in a small town and waiting to escape can be sold as an epic tale of wanderlust and misadventure inspired by unfortunate yet relatable circumstances.

“My song is about growing up in a conservative small town and how nobody, not even my family members, can relate to your ambitions of a life outside the village limits. It’s about taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you and exploring them. Sometimes we will fail, but that’s okay because failure is part of the journey. What’s more important, to me, is that we try in the first place.”

A few things to keep in mind as you develop your selling power:

  1. You are already a storyteller. Your music proves that. Don’t let the lack of music cause you to lose confidence in yourself. The story you are telling is yours (or one you made up). Nobody can sell it better than you.
  2. Storytelling is a skill you never stop developing. It will take time to build great pitches, but it’s worth the effort.
  3. As you refine your story, always look for new angles to promote your single. Maybe the song elicits a very specific feeling or reaction from the listener. If so, there’s probably a playlist for that.
  4. Not all stories are created equal, and the same goes for the recipient. You may need to develop multiple pitches for a single song to maximize its reach. 

Playlisting is the way of the future. Taking time out of your schedule now to develop and refine your pitching skills will expedite the promotional process down the line. Best of luck, and if you have any questions, email james@haulix.com for advice.

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How RXPTRS Won Fans During The Pandemic [VIDEO]

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got and more, but the men of RXPTRS make it looks easy. Today, they tell us the secrets to their success.

Take a moment and try to remember life in 2018. It was only four years ago, but it feels like several decades have passed since any of us lived such simple lives. There was no COVID, no average gas price over $5, and endless opportunities for young talent to make themselves known—both online and in person. 

Life back then may seem easy in hindsight, but that’s not the world RXPTRS frontman Simon Roach remembers. That wasn’t long after he was nearly decapitated in an incident that caused him to rethink his approach to life. He coined the phrase Living Without Death’s Permission not long after, which has since become a mantra for the band.

“We never approach anything with a genre or an audience in mind, it has to be what we’re feeling in that moment. If it comes out punk, sick, if it sounds metal, awesome, if it doesn’t sound like anything else, even better. Nothing’s off the table,” explains Roach. “We all come from different backgrounds and have all been inspired by so many different genres, we wanted to hear a sound that mixed all those influences, so we thought, ‘let’s be that band.’ I totally get that genres help steer people, but we don’t want that stability. I feel like nothing great can come from a comfort zone.”

RXPTRS debut album is filled to the brim with seamless combinations of varying corners of rock. There are elements of rock, punk, metal, and hardcore present—often in a single song—yet it never feels overstuffed or forced. Instead, RXPTRS lead listeners on a sonic journey through tough times in search of the strength needed to persevere when all hope seems lost. 

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell chats with Simon Roach about the origins of his band and the birth of their debut album. They also discuss how RXPTRS built a name for themselves while the world was in lockdown and how algorithmic playlists may have changed their lives virtually overnight. Check it out:

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This Week In Music (June 10, 2022)

From Tunecore’s unlimited release pricing model to Spotify’s new audio verticals, we’ve gathered all the music news you need to know.

Two weeks into June and the feeling of summer is everywhere you look. Bands are hitting the road, festivals are taking place in beautiful destinations, and music fans are getting the closest thing to a ‘normal’ year that they’ve experienced this decade. Professionals are busy as well. Between the onslaught of tour-related work, the ongoing release pipeline congestion, and the need to continue developing new talent, the industry is operating at near maximum capacity. If you are reading this now, it means that you have survived. You made it through the week without losing your mind or livelihood, and that’s considered a massive win in the world of entertainment.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Music News Stories of the Week

Tunecore Launches New Unlimited Release Pricing Model

Believe-owned DIY distributor TuneCore has announced a revamp of its pricing, moving from a system where artists pay an annual fee per release to a system where they pay a set fee per year and can then release as many tracks as they like.

Although most of the DIY-level music distributors offer a similar service when it comes to what platforms they deliver content to, there is differentiation between rival companies when it comes to things like add-on services and pricing models.

Some charge less upfront but take a commission on future royalties, others charge fees and then take no commission. Some charge per release, some per year. And some bundle in add-on data and promotional services, while others charge extra for such things.

TuneCore says it is launching its new Unlimited Release service because artists increasingly want the flexibility to release more tracks more often and to test release tracks to a small number of services. The new distribution packages now available will allow artists to do that in an affordable way, it adds.

The firm’s CEO Andreea Gleeson states: “We’ve spent a year speaking directly to artists and labels about how we can make our service better for them. What emerged is: artists want to be able to test their new music for free before distributing to all services and they want to release the music they are creating instantly, regularly, and seamlessly with one annual subscription enabling unlimited music distribution”.

“TuneCore’s new programme gives self-releasing artists at any stage of their careers the freedom to choose the plan that works best for them”, she goes on, “while maintaining the high quality of service TuneCore is known for. With TuneCore Unlimited, artists pay less and earn more”.

Foo Fighters Announces Two Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts

Foo Fighters and the Hawkins family have announced two Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts. The shows commemorating the band’s late drummer are set to take place September 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium and September 27 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. The announcement promises performances from Hawkins’ peers and idols, with the lineup to be announced at a future date.

Ahead of the concerts, Hawkins’ wife Alison released a statement for the first time since the musician’s death:

My deepest thanks and admiration go out to the global Foo Fighters community and Taylor’s fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor. Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort for my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief.

As Taylor’s wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to “knocking your socks off” during every performance. Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We consider every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.

Taylor’s endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created.

In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor’s legacy and the music he gave us.

Thank you all again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you & we love you too.

With gratitude,

Alison Hawkins

Bad Bunny and Tyler, The Creator to Headline Made In America Festival

The City of Brotherly Love will welcome Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator as co-headliners for the Made in America Festival which returns for its 10th year. As usual, the event will take place at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend, from September 3-4.

With a lineup curated by festival founder, Jay-Z, Made in America will include performances from hip-hop and R&B artists Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalegra, Kodak Black and Pusha T. Fans can also expect additional performances by Lil Tjay, Tate McRae, Fuerza Regida, Toro Y Moi, Babyface Ray, Key Glock, Larry June, Rels B, Victoria Monét, Chimbala and Ryan Castro.

According to a statement from the festival, Made in America has generated over $150 million in economic impact for the city of Philadelphia since its inception in 2012. This year, Cause Village will be highlighting the efforts of groups like Black Voters Matter, HeadCount, ACCT Philly Animal Welfare, United in Community and more.

Bad Bunny’s headlining appearance follows the release of his summer blockbuster, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which saw one of the biggest debuts for an album so far in 2022. Tyler, the Creator is also set to perform in mid-June for Pharrell’s Something in the Water Festival, after achieving best rap album at the 2022 Grammys for “Call Me If You Get Lost.”

Becky G Doing a Giveaway of $50000 in Bitcoin Through the Cash App

American pop artist Becky G has recently announced that she will giveaway Bitcoin worth $500000 to her fans. She has recently partnered with the Cash App and doing the giveaway. After dropping the news, all her fans went crazy. Not for the Bitcoin but for taking such an amazing initiative. This advanced method of the giveaway has stunned everyone.

This giveaway has been sponsored by the Cash App owner Block Inc. this company also owns many platforms, for example, the music streaming site Tidal.

Becky announced this news through her social media on 8th June, and by doing so she started her partnership with the company.

The pop artist has said ‘I’m thrilled to partner with Cash App for this Bitcoin giveaway.’

She has also added ‘I’m so thankful for my fans, who continuously support me through it all – it’s a priority for me to find moments where I get to give back to them and match their efforts however I can.’

According to the post, the celebrity has announced that her fans need to comment on her social media posts with $Cashtag which is the unique identifier of the Cash App. along with that they also have to put the hashtag #ESQUEMAS IN THE#ESQUEMAS in the comment section.

The artist has also said that the winner will be chosen randomly, and no order will be followed. On an average 27,500 winners will get $10 to $100 amount of Bitcoin, through the application Cash App. In more detail, she has said that 25000 people will win the prize of $10 in Bitcoin and the rest will be awarded with $100 in Bitcoin.

Spotify hypes the revenue potential of podcasts and audiobooks at its second Investor Day event

In its second Investor Day, streaming service Spotify updated the financial community about its potential for further growth and monetization, despite the overall economic downturn impacting the tech sector. The company spent a good portion of its presentation specifically focused on podcasts, which it said had been “largely unchanged” for years before its entry into the market, due to the limitations of RSS.

Spotify cited how unbundling podcasts from RSS technology has paved the way for Spotify to generate revenue through these popular audio programs — a sentiment that’s not universally beloved by those who support an open podcast ecosystem. Spotify has disrupted that market by bringing some podcasts in-house, where they can only be heard on its service, and competitors have followed. This has fractured the ecosystem and left consumers at a disadvantage as some shows are no longer broadly available.

“We’ve been able to replace RSS for on-platform distribution, which means that podcasts created on our platform are no longer held back by this outdated technology,” Maya Prohovnik, Spotify’s head of Talk, told investors.

The company also highlighted the growth of podcasts on its service, noting that Spotify today has over 4 million podcasts, up from 500,000 in 2019. One thousand of these are either operated or licensed as exclusives by the company. It noted, too, that its podcast creation tool Anchor has helped to contribute to this growth, saying that the app powers 75% of the podcasts on Spotify and each new show created on Anchor brings in an additional 2.5 million monthly active users to the service.

Combined with its other hosting platform, Megaphone, Spotify says that shows powered by its tools account for 45% of all podcast consumption on the platform.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Parkway Drive – “Glitch”

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