Hey there, everyone! Today is one of those magical days where we woke with plans to do one thing, but life quickly let us know we were meant to do something else altogether. Isn’t it exciting when those moments arise? The piece you’re about to read is based on events that happened this week, but truth be told they occur all the time. Whether you’re big or small, this one will help you when the unexpected occurs.
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You know that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men and how they often go awry? The same can be said for the promotion of major label and indie artists. We can give you all the information you need to get started with your marketing efforts, and you in turn can do everything in your power to use those newly developed skills to build your brand, but sooner or later something will go wrong and your big reveal will be spoiled several hours, or even days, before its planned release. When that day comes, and regardless of how many smart people you surround yourself with it will eventually occur, the best thing you can possibly do is roll with it. Scramble to make a new plan, yes, but in the digital age it is impossible to put your metaphorical cat back in its bag. Once it’s free it’s free, and people are going to see to it your cat remains free even if you try to say otherwise.
This week, the popular hard rock group known as Bring Me The Horizon were set to reveal a new single titled “Drown.” The song, which is the first new material to be released by the band in well over a year, has been promoted throughout the month of October. Word broke on Monday of this week that the song would be released on Tuesday afternoon, but due to a miscommunication with the band’s label the video for the track was released shortly afternoon midnight on Tuesday morning. It’s unclear who discovered the clip first, but fans quickly began sharing the video online. When that information was brought to the band’s attention, they reacted by promoting the video across social networks along with a message that read, “Since our label are still struggling with the concept of AM & PM, #DROWN is here early.”
If this is where the story came to an end, this reaction would be a good example of what industry professionals should do when unwanted reveals arise. Unfortunately, Bring Me The Horizon’s label tried to cover their blunder by setting the video as ‘private’ so that it would not be available on YouTube. This occurred at a time AFTER the band promoted the video to their social network of well over a million fans, who in turn began sharing the video throughout their various social networks. Music blogs even posted articles about the video, complete with embeds. When the label moved the video to private, every single one of those links and embeds went dead. All the promotional efforts made by fans to help their favorite band promote a single that suffered early release went up in smoke almost as fast as it came into existence, and the chances of them repeating that share later in the day are extremely low.
Some fans reacted to the removal by taking matters into their own hands. Within thirty minutes of the video being pulled there were numerous links to pirated copies of the clip, as well as audio rips of the song itself, making their way across the internet. The quality was much lower than the actual release, but until the label decides to post the video a second time it’s the only version of the song curious fans will discover online. They might not be looking for pirated materials when they google the track later today, but if pirated materials are the only result that actually has content then it may be where they turn to engage with the material. This not only pulls focus away from the artist and release, it offers an inferior version of the musician’s product on a platform that gives nothing back to the people who created the song in the first place.
Beyond the immediate issues caused by the label’s attempts to hide their reveal, they have also severely hindered their ability to properly promote the song later in the day. By acting as if nothing happened they are only doing a disservice to themselves and the diehard BMTH fans who did their best to help the band they love. Sites won’t run the video twice, just like how people who promoted the clip as soon as it went live will not be sharing the visuals a second time. There are exceptions to these norms, of course, but they’re rare.
You only get one shot at a release for anything, be it music, news, or something else altogether. If anything goes wrong with that release, the hard truth is that it’s far too late for you to do anything about it without hindering the ability of you and your fans to promote that release. Unless the mistake is something so major it would be a detriment to your career if pushed to the public, do your best to roll with whatever surprises life decides to throw your way. It will be frustrating and at times even maddening, but the internet does not bother itself with second chances. You have to make the best of the situation you find yourself in, and make a focused effort to do everything in your power to make the next release better.