Tag: Promotion

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What Artists Can Learn From Greta Van Fleet [VIDEO]

Greta Van Fleet

Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet is one of the most successful and most often criticized bands on the planet. Following their lead is something every aspiring artist should consider.

There are far more talented rock bands vying for attention right now than anyone can hope to cover. The vast majority of these musicians will spend their entire careers caught somewhere between local hotshot and moderate success. Some may write songs capable of changing the world, but the likelihood that anyone outside their circle hears those tracks is relatively low. The reasons for that frustrating fact are numerous, but studying Greta Van Fleet can explain how artists can position themselves for breakout success.

Hailing from a part of Michigan known more for its holiday spirit than its music, Greta Van Fleet became an international sensation in 2017 thanks to a nonstop touring schedule and two promising EPs. Almost overnight, the world of rock was divided into two groups: People who appreciate the group’s throwback sound and those who feel the young men from the midwest were ripping off several legendary acts. You probably have an opinion, and we’re not attempting to convince you otherwise.

Parts of the rock music community continues to debate the band’s quality to this day. Still, the general public has made their opinion known by pushing the band into sold-out amphitheater performances and spending their hard-earned cash buying their music. There’s also the band’s four GRAMMY nominations, as well as numerous glowing reviews from the global music community.

Greta Van Fleet has reached a level of success that any group of musicians would kill to achieve, and that popularity is not a fluke. The band and their team work incredibly hard, and there are lessons from their rise that can help other musicians build lasting careers with devoted fans.

First and foremost, Greta Van Fleet understands branding. One look at the band’s photos, videos, or logo, and you immediately know what type of music they perform. Their marketing efforts sell the promise of a specific image and sound that the group delivers on through everything they do. It’s a textbook example of “what you see is what you get,” and in a time when the competition is fierce, there is something to be said for giving people exactly what they want.

Likewise, the band isn’t afraid to embrace their influences. Millions of rock fans worldwide would give anything to hear more material from the legendary bands of the 60s and 70s that laid the foundation for everything that came after. Those groups, by and large, are no longer releases new music. That leaves a void that Greta Van Fleet is happy to fill. That doesn’t mean that they’re compromising their artistic vision or writing inauthentic music. In reality, the group is doing exactly what they want. They wish to be as big as the bands that people never forget, and they’re following the blueprint of those acts in hopes of becoming a similarly iconic group.

Greta Van Fleet also understands the digital age. They know that everyone has a voice and that success is often determined by the number of people talking about your music. The group has faced more criticism than any mainstream rock act since Nickelback or Creed, but they don’t let that get them down. They understand that there are millions of musicians people could discuss. People talk about them, which means they are getting clicks, streams, views, etc. The volume of conversation matters more than its contents, at least to an extent, so long as people keep talking, the band continues to thrive.

The last point worth making is that the band’s success would not be possible without leveraging their fans’ support. The group’s rise in popularity came after they turned to friends, family, and listeners to fund a live EP way back in 2014. That release leads to licensing the helped kickstart GVF’s ascent through the world of rock, but it may never have existed without the band first asking their audience for support. The group invited their fans to play a pivotal role in their journey, and their followers obliged. That level of transparency has helped the group create a community around their music, unlike any other fandom in rock today. It’s all because they were open about their need for assistance.

Point being: It’s okay to need help. Fans want to see you succeed, and if you ask them to support you, they will probably do what they can to assist in whatever you hope to achieve.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join today and receive a one-month free trial of the same service Bruce Springsteen, Slipknot, blink-182, and thousands more trust to share their music with the press. Visit http://haulix.com/signup​ for details.

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Artist Advice Business Advice Editorials Haulix News

Promoting Music and Making Money During Coronavirus [VIDEO]

The live music industry is crumbling beneath musicians’ feet, but that does not mean the music business is in trouble. There are still many ways to maintain your creativity and generate revenue while touring is on hold.

The Coronavirus has turned the music industry upside down. In less than a month, virtually every tour and music festival have been canceled, with more postponed. These decisions have left countless artists without tour income they need to survive. That, coupled with the global closure or restriction of most service jobs, have left the global creative industry in dire straits. People are scared, and it’s hard to say when those fears will be alleviated.

No one can magically replace the revenue lost from live events, but the music business is still very much operational. The latest episode of Music Biz hosted by James Shotwell takes a look at what artists can do to maintain their sanity, continue creating, and — hopefully — generate additional revenue.

Don’t let the fear of the moment convince you that hope is lost. The music industry is incredibly resilient, and so is the human spirit. Throughout our history as a species, music has played a significant role in helping us through tough times and celebrations. Music keeps people believing in a better tomorrow, and when the time is right, people will flock to live music once more. Until then, do your best to apply the advice above, and try to take this unprecedented event one day at a time. You cannot control the world around you but you can control your influence on others.

For additional advice on sustaining your career during the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020, please click here and here. If you want examples of these ideas in action, we highly recommend individuals check out our stories on Code Orange and Dropkick Murphys. You should also follow Haulix on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Artist Advice Editorials Industry News News

Two Big Mistakes Musicians Make When Contacting Tastemakers

Overcoming the biggest hurdle in DIY music promotion requires a little thing called human decency. 

Music tastemakers are some of the busiest people in the entertainment industry. Even the smallest publications receive dozens of requests per day for coverage. Bigger outlets, as well as widely-recognized writers, may receive more than one-thousand emails any given week. The majority of the time, outlets and writers are busy dealing with established talent and music that is quickly gaining momentum online. Those able and willing to cover lesser-known acts only have a finite amount of time for discovery, which is why making a positive and immediate impact on anyone you pitch is essential for your success.

We write a lot of blogs offering advice for reaching tastemakers. We have even gone so far as to create contact lists to help people reach playlist curators. However, no matter how much we write and discuss music promotion, industry influencers continue to complain about up and coming artists’ lack of preparation and respect. People at all level of the industry often contact us with concerns that people are nowhere near as passionate about professionalism as they are becoming successful, and that — for most — is a huge red flag. 

With that in mind, here are the two complaints we receive most often, as well as advice on how to avoid further frustrating music writers, podcasters, and YouTubers in the future.

Know your audience.

Very few tastemakers have influence over every area of music. There are exceptions, such as The Needle Drop, but most critics and influences earn their positions in the industry by specializing in certain areas of music. 

The same goes for publications. Pitchfork may cover more music than anyone has time to listen to, but there isn’t one person doing all the work behind the scenes. Pitchforks, as well as most music publications, rely on teams of people — each with their own specialties — to curate content people should experience. 

Few things will get your pitch for coverage denied or overlooked faster than failing to understand what the person you’re contacting covers. This is especially with playlists, which can be extremely specific in terms of the music they’re looking to features. When artists begin flooding tastemakers with material outside their coverage area it only serves to frustrate influencers and lower their interest in music discovery altogether. 

It’s hard enough for up and coming artists to get attention today without having to compete with people who spam critics because they were too lazy to research the people they were contacting. Don’t contribute to the problem of over-saturation. Research every person and publication before reaching out. Be sure your email is going to someone or someplace that values the type of music you create. Otherwise, you’re just wasting everyone’s time, including your own.

Make it personal.

There is no Mr. Pitchfork or Ms. Rolling Stone. However, without fail, artists constantly spam inboxes of publications and writers without addressing the people on the receiving end. 

Worse still is the large number of artists who write a single draft of a pitch letter that they then copy and paste to all press contacts with zero personalization. 

A good rule of thumb for promoting your music is to make every piece of outreach as personal as the music you’re trying to share. Your songs mean everything to you. They are a representation of who you are what you wish to share with the world. Your promotional materials are an extension of that representation. 

It’s perfectly acceptable to create a pitch template for promoting your music that shares the same basic information with everyone you contact. However, that template should be a starting point for messages and not the entire message. Your outreach should aspire to make everyone feel as if you want them to hear your music more than anyone else in the world. Let them know you admire their work and that you understand what they are passionate about in music. Talk to them as if you’re trying to make a new best friend. 

Nobody wants to feel like they’re being asked for a favor by a stranger who has no interest in who they are, how they’re feeling, or what they’re trying to do with their own career. Make people feel special. 

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Artist Advice Editorials Haulix News

You shouldn’t use Soundcloud to promote unreleased music. Here’s why:

Getting people to listen to your new music is important, but knowing who is listening and how much of it they consume matters more.

Your next release is the most important thing that has happened in your career. Whether it’s your debut single or your third studio album, everything that has happened in your life lead up to this moment. The record you’re preparing to share with the world is incredibly special, but to reach a wide audience you will need help from influencers and tastemakers all over the world. Successful music promotion will play a pivotal role in determining what happens next in your life, and it’s important that you do everything in your power to market your materials to the best of your abilities.

The problem is, every other artist with a potentially life-changing release is also seeking help from the influencers and tastemakers of the world. There are far more artists releasing music today than there are people in a position to help artists get ahead, and that has increased the already high difficulty of being noticed (let alone covered). 

For many artists, Soundcloud and Dropbox are go-to promotional platforms. Both services are free and easy to use, which makes them ideal for cash-strapped talent with limited time. However, the simplicity of both services comes with a drawback that is increasingly placing artists who rely on those platforms at a disadvantage.

Soundcloud and Dropbox, as well as the numerous sites like them, may make it simple for anyone to upload tracks and share them using a private URL, but that one URL is more of a hindrance than a gift.

Let’s say you send your new release to 500 media contacts. You watch the streams rise on Soundcloud, and after a few days, you’ve accrued dozens of plays for your new material. That’s a great start to any promotional campaign, as it means people are actively engaging with the material. That’s where the good news stops, however, because the services mentioned above cannot tell you the data that matters, including who listened to your music and what songs they streamed (or downloaded). It can’t even tell you who opened the email, which means you have to keep contacting the same 500 people with generic messaging in hopes someone replies to express their interest.

That approach to marketing is incredibly passive and impersonal. You’re engaging with an audience you cannot properly identify, and because of that, your ability to connect with those who care about your music is limited.

Active marketing requires data, which is why more and more artists are turning to services such as Haulix for their promotional needs. Haulix not only tracks email performance, but it offers in-depth analytics that tells artists who is listening to their music and how they’re engaging with the material (streams vs downloads) in real time. The platform empowers artists to create personalized follow-ups that only people who care about the material being promoted, which allows for better relationships to be cultivated throughout the music business.

The Haulix activity feed

Haulix also outshines Soundcloud and Dropbox when it comes to presentation. Every single private stream on either service looks exactly the same, offering little to no opportunities for branding or customization. Haulix, on the other hand, encourages artists to create beautiful album promos that showcase the art and aesthetic that accompanies your latest release.

You can try Haulix for free today by signing up on the platform’s official website.

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Artist Advice Editorials News

Want to be discovered? Be a conversation starter

Everyone is a critic, but not everyone cares enough to say something.

There is no way to understate how the music business has changed in the last ten to fifteen years. Previous generations of musicians would bend over backward to connect with key critics and genre gatekeepers to establish their presence in the industry, but that approach to marketing has largely vanished since the rise of streaming and social media. That isn’t to say critics don’t matter because they absolutely do, but these days critics are a dime a dozen, and only a select few have enough authority that labels, PR, and indie acts alike will go out of their way to get their attention.

The funny thing is, even though there are more critics than ever before, getting those with a voice to notice you remains difficult. Everyone has the power to comment on everything via their phone or laptop, but our current internet culture encourages us to discuss the same thing as everyone else through trending topics. Coverage of Ariana Grande has a higher likelihood of garnering attraction from the masses than a feature on the next unknown artist that might change lives despite the fact everyone and their mother is already talking about Ariana Grande. It’s a strange catch-22 that the people who need attention the least attract the most press coverage, but that’s the nature of the beast that is music journalism.

The only thing that disrupts the system anymore are artists that force people who otherwise wouldn’t post about their work to pay attention because they position themselves for viral popularity. That can be accomplished through branding, appearance, lyrics, or something else altogether that sets a performer or group apart from everyone else in their field. It doesn’t have to be controversial to spark controversy, it just has to be interesting enough to warrant discussion.

Take Lil Nas X, for example. The Atlanta artist was relatively unknown when he uploaded his now incredibly popular song “Old Town Road” to Soundcloud in late 2018. However, the track’s country-trap sound caught the attention of music fans hunting for something new, and even those who didn’t love the material would share it simply because they wanted to discuss the oddity they had discovered. Those conversations lead to viral videos on the platform TikTok, which then lead to additional conversation around the artist and song.

Another example is Triple Crown Records group Heart Attack Man. Before releasing as much as a song from their Sophomore effort, Fake Blood, the band began creating a discussion for their record by claiming publicists and managers deemed it too violent, too dark, and too controversial. The group then built upon those efforts by warning fans to avoid their singles and videos if they were sensitive to violence and violent themes, so even before people heard the material they thought it was something unique. Their push to appear controversial went so far that they started and ran their own anti-Heart Attack Man group called Mothers Against Heart Attack, which has a Twitter account. When users click the group’s link to their newsletter, they are sent to Heart Attack Man’s newsletter instead.

The shared trait between Lil Nas X and Heart Attack Man’s recent success is the absence of traditional album and single promotion. There are no promoted posts, no YouTube ad buys, or magazine placements. Both Heart Attack Man and Lil Nas X are becoming household names because they took it upon themselves to do something they knew would stir conversation. They accepted the old saying that any press is good press and let the internet do what it does best: run wild with vague understandings about the things that momentarily holds its collective attention. Did they make people mad? Yes. Did they make people happy? Yes. Are both things ultimately good for the artists? Yes.

Anyone can buy exposure. The price point is low, but so is the likelihood of becoming successful based on promoted posts and advertising alone. The true key to success in today’s culture is being someone or some group that is able to get people talking about their efforts. All the paid promotion in the world cannot compete with word of mouth, so save your money and focus all you have on creating something that gets people talking.

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Artist Advice Editorials Haulix

The best way to improve press coverage of your music

In an age of abundance, adding a personal touch to promotional efforts can go a long way toward securing coverage.

The world of music journalism is a bit of a mess. After years of major publications downsizing or going out of business entirely, blogs rising and falling in popularity, podcasts emerging, and influencers becoming a reliable source of promotion, it’s hard to know where to turn for coverage. Even if you can figure it out, there is another challenge in getting the outlets or personalities you want to cover your music to pay attention. 

The number of ways to promote your music has grown over the last decade, but the number of artists competing for the attention of those outlets has grown even more. The average music writer/influencer receives more than one-hundred emails a day, with many receiving several hundred more than that. Those messages contain everything from advance access to a record to news about tours, premiere requests, and countless ‘heads up’ emails about emerging talent.

Most music influencers are unpaid. A select few work full-time, with many more working freelance on a story-by-story basis, but the vast majority promote the music they care about to the people who trust their opinion without compensation. To say these individuals are stretched thin as far as time and attention are concerned is an understatement. The music press has been running themselves ragged for years, and it’s likely they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

With all this in mind, it’s important that publicists and independent artists alike take an interest in the outlets and influencers whose attention they hope to gain. Sending a pitch to an outlet unfamiliar with your work in 2019 is like tossing a coin in a wishing well. Even if it works, will you ever know if it’s because of your email or sheer luck?

The path to raising interest in your latest release lies in making members of the media feel seen and cultivating a friendship with them before asking for coverage. A few ways to do this include:

  • Following outlets and writers online.
  • Interacting with current content offerings (Like, reply, share, etc.).
  • Initiating contact by referencing specific articles or content.
  • Asking how they are before asking if they can help you.
  • Follow-up pitches with personal emails. Tell them why you think the material will matter to them, and tell them why it matters to you as well. 
  • Avoid copying and pasting the same email to everyone. Make each communication unique.

Just like making friends, not every attempt at engagement will immediately produce results. Everyone is trying to gain the affection of people who can help them, so even the more earnest messaging may be lost in the whirlwind that is someone’s daily activity online. The key is to not lose hope and remain persistent. Don’t be over-eager and absolutely do not get offended when replies do not happen as fast as you desire. Everyone is caught in the struggle, and everyone is doing their best. Remain calm and always be looking for an opportunity to help or otherwise show support. If you can do that — and if you write music fitting of what your target covers — results will come in time.

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News

Six Ways Artists Can Give Back to Fans During the Holiday Season

Everyone deserves a gift around the holidays, including your fan base.

Thanksgiving is basically here, and before long you will see images of Santa Claus everywhere (if you haven’t already). With Halloween behind us, retailers and marketers have wasted no time making it clear that the gift-giving season is upon us.

You don’t have to enjoy or even celebrate Christmas or Chanukah to appreciate their importance in culture. As much as we have become a global community connected through devices these holidays are still viewed as a time for people to come together in a shared physical space. They create opportunities to not only catch up with those we love but also to express that love through the exchanging of gifts and warm sentiments.

Musicians find themselves in a unique position during the holiday season. There are many opportunities to profit from this time of year, be it at holiday shows or through gift-related merchandise sales, but those who focus solely on how they can get ahead during this time of year are missing the reason for the season (which fans notice). Those who stand to benefit the most during the holidays are those who give as much, if not more than they get. Here are 5 ways to show your fans how much you appreciate their support in the coming weeks:

1. Free Music

There is an old adage about the best course in life often being the most obvious one, and that is very much the case with this suggestion. Your fans support you all year long in hopes that you will both come to their town and continue to release music that touches their lives. Though you are unable to be everywhere at once on Christmas, you can make your music available for anyone who has yet to add it to their personal collection. Whether you choose to make a song, album, or even your entire catalog available as a free download, you should see a rise in engagement as a result. People who have been waiting to buy your album when they see you live won’t be able to resist the free download, and there is a high likelihood they will recommend your friends take advantage of the offer as well.

2. Record and release a holiday cover (maybe give it away as well)

The world has heard countless covers of holiday classics, but the world has yet to listen to your take on great seasonal staples, and that is why you can still use them to give back to fans this Christmas. I know my favorite Christmas covers are those performed by my favorite bands, and I’m willing to bet the same can be said for most music fans. Record a holiday cover, be it in a studio or in your own home, and share it with fans in the days leading up to December 25. You can even take things one step further and ask fans about their favorite holiday songs in advance, that way your cover will have an even higher likelihood of being shared by your followers.

3. Surprise your fans with free stuff (no contest necessary)

Everyone is thinking of others during the holiday season, or at least they should be, so many fans may not have money to buy the limited edition winter merch items you have available in your online store. To show fans you understand their dilemma, consider offering a give away where you send a prize pack including numerous merch items, as well as items not available in your store (handwritten lyrics, drum head, etc.) to one lucky fan. Don’t make it a contest and don’t ask for contact information in exchange for consideration. Simply pick a fan, or four, and send them a present. With any luck, the fan(s) will share their surprise with the world, and you will earn brownie points for being one of the more thoughtful artists in music today.

4. Stream an acoustic performance from your home/studio/van/bus/basement

There are few things music fans love more than seeing their favorite artists playing bare-boned versions of their favorite songs. Since there is no way everyone who follows you could attend a single performance, especially one planned close to Christmas, make the event special by broadcasting your set on one or more of the popular live streaming services that have risen to prominence over the last year. If those services require you to charge consumers, like with StageIt, then you should also consider giving all the money earned to charity. This way, fans feel like they are giving back by tuning in, and you walk away having established yourself as an artist who hasn’t lost sight of the problems that exist outside your immediate surroundings. Win-Win.

5. Holiday scavenger hunt

This idea has become increasingly popular in the age of IG and Snapchat stories. The setup is relatively straightforward: In the hours before an event or while traveling to a new city, musicians leave merchandise/gifts for fans in public spaces. Clues on where the items can be found are then posted to feeds, which fans can then respond to as they begin their hunt. These activities encourage engagement and help bring fans together in the real world. As people converge on the location of whatever you’ve hidden they encounter others who follow your music. This can lead to community building, which in turn helps you.

6. Give the gift of other artists’ music via playlists

Mixtapes are dead. The once popular way to share your favorite music with others has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and in its play we have playlists. Many artists already maintain playlists on services such as Spotify and Apple Music, but the holiday season presents a unique opportunity to further connect with your audience through a well-curated playlist that takes the holidays or end of the year roundups. Select one song from all your favorite albums from the last 12 months. Gather your holiday favorites. Heck, put together a compilation of songs from artists who you wish to tour with after the new year. Create something that is personal to you and fans will feel more connected to your efforts as a result.

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Job Board News

Music Industry Job Board (August 6, 2018)

The music industry is growing, and it needs people to helpm build the future of entertainment. If that describes you, our job board is waiting.

New openings:

Digital Media Manager (Sony – NYC)

The Media channel manager will be responsible for end to end management of campaigns and reporting across US Brand Activation efforts and Sony Rewards Card Marketing. They will serve as subject matter expert for paid digital activation, steering, and optimization within the channel and will influence best in class operation through knowledge sharing and collaboration across the Sony Group Companies. This role is expected to deliver successful execution of People Based Marketing, leveraging the centralized marketing platform and database. As the primary media manager and channel expert, the media manager will work closely with internal brand, digital marketing and martech teams to deliver KPI’s.

Project Manager, Digital Marketing (AEG Worldwide – Dallas, TX)

The Product Manager-Digital Marketing will oversee marketing campaigns for hundreds of live shows and venues within assigned region. The incumbent will be in constant communication with regional marketers, Talent Buyers and local leadership in order to oversee execution of best practices across email, social, media buying, Customer Relationship Management, reporting, etc. The Digital Project Manager is responsible for training local marketers as well as managing multiple budgets at once and placing media that optimizes for right message, right time, right consumer, to drive ticket sales. The Digital Project Manager is responsible for reporting on return on investment / return on advertising spending, understanding success metrics, and leveraging centralized tools where appropriate.

Manager, NA Administration Services (UMG – Nashville, TN)

UMPG is looking for a highly motivated person experienced at supervising people, the role is responsible for the day to day management of team coordinator and administrators and the Copyright tasks and activities performed by North American administration on behalf of UMP NA business functions including, timely agreement data entry, the analysis, and correction of data errors with the aim of improving data quality.

Manage all Copyright tasks and activities that cover the end to end administration value chain, assigning to team co-ordinators and administrators based upon knowledge and experience, ensuring the successful delivery to internal and external clients.

Sr. Manager, Music Programming (Radio Disney/Radio Disney Country – Burbank, CA)

The Radio Disney Network seeks a highly organized and detailed individual to support the Vice President, Music Strategy – DCWW and General Manager, Radio Disney Network to support, oversee and implement Radio Disney’s music programming, label, artist, management and talent booking strategies consistent with Disney Channels Worldwide (DCWW) and The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) brand visions. Radio Disney is a 24-hour contemporary hits and country music network and the only broadcast radio destination that provides a dedicated full-service, multi-platform, engaging family audience experience. The network broadcasts across multiple digital, satellite, and terrestrial platforms as well as provides streaming playlist programming to the following, but not limited to, Sirius/XM, the iHeartRadio App, Spotify, Apple Music, the Radio Disney App as well as many others. Internationally, Radio Disney is also available throughout most of South Americas and Mexico via separate terrestrial broadcast.

Manager, Music Label Business Development and Partnerships (YouTube and Google Play – Multiple locations)

As a Manager of Music Label Business Development and Partnerships within the U.S., you will be responsible for providing ongoing business development and relationship management to YouTube and Google Play’s key U.S. label partners. In this role you will interact regularly with counterparts at labels, facilitating ongoing business and operational processes, resolving inquiries, and identifying and driving mutual business growth opportunities. You will also collaborate closely with internal teams. You will have exceptional partner management skills, a service mindset, and extensive relationships in the music industry.

Music Products Customer Service & Sales (Malletech Inc. – Neptune, NJ)

We are looking for a hard-working, self-starting individual with a special talent for organizing and executing multiple simultaneous projects. Most of all, we are looking for a passion to be involved in the sales, support and growth of the best keyboard percussion products brand in the world.

Clear thinking, efficiency, organization and tidiness is a must. Good verbal and written communication skills are essential as is computer literacy (MS Excel) and a desire for a life in the music business.Music industry experience is a plus, although aptitude and attitude outweigh experience. Starting salary commensurate with your previous experience. The opportunity to grow with experience and effectiveness is limitless. This is a full time position with benefits.

All interested parties please submit a cover letter expressing why you are applying, as well as a resume.

Customer Service Representative (CD Baby – Portland, OR)

If you’re excited by the idea of helping great independent artists make a living doing what they love without giving control of their careers over to companies that only care about the bottom line, then CD Baby is the place for you.We embrace the independent spirit within a supportive, casual and fun (but productive) work environment.

CD Baby team members receive competitive pay and a full benefits package including tuition reimbursement and public transportation subsidies. Don’t bang your head in a boring job. Begin your career in the music industry and get into your groove!

Label Music Business Development Manager (Facebook – Menlo Park, CA)

Facebook is seeking a Label Music Business Development Manager who is passionate about the changing music ecosystem, technology and supporting our goal of connecting people through social media, the mobile eco-system and business strategy. This role will support Facebook’s strategy and negotiations with music labels (both majors and independents), as well as collaborate with our product and media partnerships teams to ensure a coordinated and best-in-class licensing structure. The position is full-time and based in our office in Menlo Park.

Media Activation Specialist (UMG – Nashville, TN)

UMG Nashville & Capitol Christian Music Group are looking for a self-motivated Media Activation Specialist to manage and help support artist marketing efforts and the labels at large. The ideal candidate would be passionate about combining music and advertising in their everyday life and is highly knowledgeable on all digital media outlets including paid search, social, programmatic, display, video, mobile as well as emerging media and new technology platforms. This position is responsible for the execution and day-to-day management of all media buying for all of UMG Nashville & Capitol CMG Campaigns. Successful candidates must have a high degree of comfort juggling multiple types of work, while discerning key information across a high volume of client communication. Must be comfortable working flexible hours when needed to cover night and weekend client activities. The role would work directly with all marketing teams and will report to the VP of Digital Marketing (UMG Nashville) & VP of Digital Marketing & Content (Capitol CMG).

Assistant Manager, Digital Customer Marketing (Studio Entertainment – Burbank, CA)

The Digital Customer Marketing Assistant Manager will support the efforts of the Digital Customer Marketing team in the areas of account and project management, creative approvals, franchise planning, budgeting and execution of marketing campaigns. This role must be able to liaise with internal teams and represent the Customer Marketing team with external clients and vendors.

Senior Analyst, Global Artist Insights (UMG – NYC)

This role calls for an enthusiastic and pro-active team player and music enthusiast, who will be researching and tracking the audience of our artists, connection drivers, audience perceptions and engagement across key markets to derive actionable insights that are presented to the marketing teams in our labels, directly influencing release campaigns and media planning process. On the brand side, the candidate will leverage multiple data points around our artists to assist our conversations with brand partners, supporting labels and our central Brand Partnerships team.

The candidate will be heavily involved in projects from start to finish. There will be a heavy focus on data analysis and interpretation of results across several sources into exciting narratives.

Assistant, Urban A&R (WMG – NYC)

This person will have a lot of responsibilities in the fast paced dept that is A&R. He or she will be answering phones, handling expenses, managing schedule and travel for senior A&R. They may be asked to attend shows, monitor new artist, manage vast data of producers and songwriters spanning the entire globe as well as create decks and documents for artist presentations. While hours will be from 10-7pm, there is high probability that they will be active after hours. This is the definitive entry point for anyone interested in the creative music making process.

Music Programming Manager (Google – Nashville, TN)

As a Music Programming Manager, you are a self-starter who will ramp up quickly to build and maintain YouTube’s Music Programming on handsets, web and tablets. Based on your digital content experience, you’ll coordinate and launch effective online features and promotions. You will bring programming instincts, sharp analytical abilities, and impeccable oral and written communication skills.

Know the user. Know the magic. Connect the two. At its core, marketing at Google starts with technology and ends with the user, bringing both together in unconventional ways. Our job is to demonstrate how Google’s products solve the world’s problems-from the everyday to the epic, from the mundane to the monumental. And we approach marketing in a way that only Google can-changing the game, redefining the medium, making the user the priority, and ultimately, letting the technology speak for itself.

Artist Relations Manager (Soundstripe – Nashville, TN)

Your role as Artist Relations Manager will include but not be limited to:

Communication: You will be responsible for being in constant communication with your artists via email, group chat, phone call, text, etc. Whenever they need you, you’ll be there for them.

Scheduling: You will be responsible for managing your artist’s work calendars for musical collaborations, marketing events, and miscellaneous meetings.

Meetings: You will be responsible for planning and executing bi-monthly “burn-out meetings”. These are one on one virtual meetings with your artists to check up on them and ensure they’re happy and healthy.

Administration: You will be responsible for executing song administration from your artists. Song administration includes: uploading songs to the Soundstripe website, entering song metadata into multiple spreadsheets for multiple distribution platforms, and keeping track of how many songs each artist is turning in. You’ll be working with numerous artists, under numerous artist monikers, across multiple performing rights organizations, and every spreadsheet cell needs a scrutinizing attention to detail.

Growth Within The Role: We want you to get to know our team, our systems, and the people you’ll be working with every day. This role will evolve and change as time goes on, and responsibilities will adjust and grow. Flexibility and a willingness to learn are essential!

Playlist & Influencer Coordinator (Symphonic Distribution – Tampa, FL)

We are currently looking for a full time Playlist & Influencer Coordinator to join our team. Based out of our Tampa, FL location, this position will report to the Director of Client Marketing & Playlist Promotion.

If you have an encyclopedic knowledge of music in general, follow tons of playlists priding yourself on knowing all the best and newest ones and have always wanted to get paid for this skill, this job may be for you!

Our ideal candidate is constantly scouring the web for new music deep into the sub-genres of electronic, hip-hop, and/or Latin/urban music.

Music Analyst, Client Services (Nielsen – Oldsmar, FL)

Accountable for reference data input, client inquiries, quality assurance and data accuracy, end-to-end processing of music and label information across all Nielsen music platforms, distribution of chart and sales information to clients like Billboard, Sony, Warner and other majors.

Customer Success (Current Media – Chicago, IL)

The Customer Success position is a key member of the cross-functional product and communications team for the organization. This role will be essential to responding to questions and complaints via email that come in from a variety of communication channels, maintaining a support document with all popular questions and responses, as well as handling all GDPR compliance in regards to canceling user accounts from our databases. We’re looking for a customer support expert who doesn’t require a script to help our customers. Someone who can delight with promptness, thoroughness, accuracy and maybe an occasional pun or two. We want our customers to rave about their customer service experience like they already rave about our app.

Artist Representative (WBA Entertainment – Hermitage, TN)

Works on behalf of an artist to represent, promote, and sell their work. In many ways, they represent the business interests of the artist, whether by pursuing individual sales, publicity, or opportunities like teaching, events, or commissions for artists.

Music Manager (Blessed & Beasty – Atlanta, GA)

This position would report to both the CEO as well as the Operations Manager, however the applicant will be mainly managing their own career. This is a commission only role and the Music Manager will get a percentage of the paid bookings and other investments they secure. This is not a job, this is a career for the right person who’s looking to take control, as it has unlimited potential.

The Music Manager will need to be comfortable making decisions and providing not only feedback but ideas and solid plans to back the initiatives as well. The Music Manger will be responsible for making the business run effectively and efficiently, while keeping the artists busy.

The Music Manager needs to be self-sufficient and comfortable with making judgement calls as well as a brand ambassador for Blessed & Beasty. The Manager also needs to be comfortable with creating new business, market expansion initiatives, pitching the artist as well as creating sales.

Influencer Marketing Operations Manager (Mavrck – Boston, MA)

The Influencer Marketing Operations team at Mavrck sits within the Customer Success organization and is responsible for driving value for all existing customers, including Fortune 500 and Mid-Market brands. This includes working directly with the Customer Success Team Lead, Customer Success Managers, and Product Team on customer accounts to drive value and customer KPIs.

We are looking for a curious hustler who wants to contribute to the growth of a scaling post-Series A startup in a highly competitive Influencer Marketing industry.

Manager, Streaming Marketing (UMG – Nashville, TN)

UMG Nashville is looking for a self-motivated Manager of Streaming Marketing to help support the growth of streaming for all UMGN artists. This position is responsible for maximizing monthly and yearly digital streaming sales objectives by effectively promoting UMG Nashville’s diverse roster of artists to streaming curation partners, brand partners and third-party partners and influencers globally; ultimately fulfilling the vision of UMG’s internal streaming strategy for the growth of our artist and label brands across all audio and video streaming platforms. This role would report to the Vice President, Marketing- Digital Accounts and work closely with the UMGN marketing team to maximize streaming income.

Associate, CRM Marketing (Soundcloud – NYC)

As a CRM Marketing Associate at SoundCloud, you will be responsible for managing the execution and delivery of our email, mobile in-app and push notification strategy. Working with multiple internal and external teams, you’ll play a key role in campaign set-up, optimization and reporting as well as defining new areas of opportunity for our CRM lifecycle and content communications to our users. In this role, you’ll support acquisition, engagement, and retention efforts and have a direct impact on SoundCloud’s core subscription and revenue metrics.

Traffic Coordinator (Townsquare Media – Grand Rapids, MI)

Townsquare Media Broadcasting, LLC has an immediate opening in our Traffic Department. This position manages the daily preparation and maintenance of on-air logs utilizing careful and thorough management of commercial inventory while maximizing revenue. Responsibilities will include the daily use of software to schedule inventory in order to maximize station revenue, posting of daily logs and preparation and maintenance of reports. Initiate innovative problem solving and decision-making tools to achieve station goals and work with sales management and account executives to efficiently accommodate advertisers and maintain revenue. This position includes management of the continuity function. It also includes answering phones, greeting people coming into the lobby and facilitating prize distribution and various general office administrative duties.

Part-Time Music Researcher (BMI – Memphis, TN)

Occasional part-time hourly work with hours ranging from 0-25 hours per week depending on availability of assignments. Work consists of music and market research in businesses in various states. Assignments include onsite research in businesses during late evenings, including weekends, and may require travel and overnight stay. Assignments also require completion of detailed reports following on-site visits.

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Find us at Summer NAMM this week!

This week the Haulix team is headed to Nashville for Summer NAMM 2018. Find our display at booth 104 and get a first-hand look at the latest in promotional distribution solutions. We will be offering one-on-one training sessions, as well as a look at our customizable album promos. We will also be giving away a free flat screen television and limited edition Haulix USB drives! Stop by and join the fun June 28, 29, 30.

Can’t make it to Nashville? We will be posting regular updates on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week. You can also take advantage of our summer conference promotion by using the code ‘NAMM’ at checkout when creating a new Haulix account. Sign up today: http://haulix.com/

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What to do when someone writes about your music

Gaining the attention of blogs and their readers is no easy feat, especially for unsigned talent with little-to-no history. You can write the best songs and have the most beautiful videos, but if you do not know how to network and pitch yourselves no one will ever learn about your talent. Once they do, however, there will only be a small window of time for you to capitalize on having won a moment of their attention, and this afternoon we’re going to learn what you should do in the hours after first receiving media attention.

1. Take time to celebrate, but realize there is still a lot left to accomplish.

I was never in a band that became popular enough to appear on sites like Absolutepunk or the like, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t spend many nights wishing one of the influential tastemakers of the scene mentioned my efforts in their publication. If your music/video/album gets covered, celebrate! You’ve taken yet another step towards your goal of a career in music, and while it’s certainly not enough to pay the bills, it does serve as a potent reminder other people in the world care about your art. Don’t take that for granted.

2. Tell everyone in the world about the news (and ask them to share it).

This one probably goes without saying, but the unwritten rule of exposure on music outlets is that the band featured will publicly share and/or promote the publication’s content once it’s live. Don’t just share the link to stories with fans, but ask them to share it as well, and don’t be afraid to request they comment on the post if time allows. Sites that see a bump in traffic or discussions from coverage of your band are more likely to cover your music again in the future because they believe there is a value to your content that other unsigned acts cannot provide. To show them that value you will need the help of your fans, and it’s up to you to sell them on sharing your work.

3. Engage the comments section, but don’t antagonize them.

If the reason you’re reading this post is that the first article that was ever written about your music just published you need to understand the response in the comments section may be very slow at first. As much as sites love to help expose young talent, people are not always quick to comment (especially in a positive sense) about something they are unfamiliar with. A great way to combat this is to actively participate in discussions taking place in the comments section of articles about your band. Answer questions for people, offer insight into your creative process and generally speaking do whatever you can to be a decent human being that is open to criticism. It’s not that difficult, but it can make a world of difference in how quickly people become engaged with your art.

4. Say “thank you” and/or support the publication that wrote about you.

You would not believe the power the phrases “please” and “thank you” have in the music industry. From labels to bands, publicists, and everyone in between you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks they hear either of those phrases too often. People tend to do as they please and take what they want without giving much thought to the process behind it all, but you can stand out from the countless unsigned artists of the world by voicing your appreciation to the sites that give you space on their front page. It does not have to be anything formal, but it should be sincere. People remember those who are kind to them, and they’re far more likely to want to work with you again in the future as a result.

5. Don’t be afraid to begin teasing your next announcement.

Once people learn about your art it’s very likely they will want to know everything they can about your current efforts. Using social media and the comments sections on posts about your work, take a moment to tell people about everything else you have going on while your name is still fresh on their minds. They might not buy the album or see the tour you’re trying to promote, but at least they’ll know of it and will have the ability to share that information with others if such opportunities present themselves.

6. Offer to send the site/writer more music. 

Has the site that covered you written about your latest album? Have they been to a show? Did they see the last video? Make the most of the attention you’ve earned and offer to deliver more material as soon as possible. Any positive response your initial article receives will increase the likelihood of the site picking up more coverage in the future.

Want more industry advice? Follow Haulix and writer James Shotwell on Twitter!

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